It’s hard to know where to start to describe the now immaculate Pembrokestown House, in Gaulstown, Co Waterford, that is about 14km from the Viking city.
To give the owners their due, they took on the project, which they purchased in 2001, and over the course of 24 years renovated the property into what it is today, a superb Regency split-level residence, with two further accommodation offerings and a superb garden.
“When we first came to see it and walked through the front door, my husband turned around smiled at me, and I thought: this is it. It was so bright and a really lovely peaceful place,” says the owner, who now with an empty nest is moving to be closer to family.
The main house, dating from 1814, is accessed from a single-storey entrance, but as it is split-level, it has two storeys to the rear.
There isn’t an inch out of place, and over the years the 439sq m (4,725sq ft) residence has been upgraded with new electrical wiring, heating and plumbing.
The owners have retained the original layout of the main house under the direction of David Merrigan of MDP Architects, who oversaw its renovation. Today the Regency villa is laid out just as it was when it was first occupied by Sir James Esmonde in 1814, and later when Irish nationalist MP Richard Power would have called Pembrokestown home. Another famous Irish nationalist politician, Charles Stewart Parnell, was said to have been a regular visitor to the estate, as he rode here with the Curraghmore foxhounds as a guest of Power.
At entrance level are four elegant bedrooms, one of which is en suite, alongside a family bathroom and a fine dual-aspect drawingroom. Downstairs, a study, livingroom and diningroom, all with superb ceiling detail lie adjacent to the kitchen, which has handy access to outside. A series of service rooms completes this floor.
The coach house
Lying on 11 acres, with scope to develop about six acres into paddocks, when the owners first bought the place they had to cordon off and re-roof a coach house as it was collapsing. Then, in 2014, they engaged Fintan Duffy of Waterford-based DHB Architects to renovate the coach house. His design concept was a “house within a house”, using interior walls made of glass, so the building’s heritage took centre stage. Now those walls, home to only pigeons for decades, show the original lime plaster, which provide a stark contrast to its new contemporary interiors.
Extending to 305sq m, and accessed via the original gable bell tower, it is subdivided into two apartments: a two-bedroom unit and a one-bedroom unit with a gym. Such was the level of detail in the complicated conversion that it featured in RIAIs House and Design magazine in 2016.
Stable block and pool
In 2016 Denis Looby, director of Sheehan Barry Architects in Ranelagh, was tasked with renovations of the stables and the courtyard as well as the design of swimming pool. It’s a real showstopper and on recent sunny days had an air of a Tuscan setting to it. Extending to 194sq m, the stable house now has two bedrooms with a study and a changing room downstairs.
A wonderful element of Looby’s design is the swimming pool. Some pools can detract from period settings with their almost neon blue-like colour. That’s not the case here, however, as the pool sits beautifully within the old courtyard walls, and blends in rather than being a stark contrast. It is a lap pool, as owners use it to exercise rather than float around, and is 1½ lanes wide, extending to 25m in length. Notably, it has a 50kg cover that not only provides safety for little ones, but also has solar panels to help retain its 28 degrees.
The courtyard setting, which has hosted many evenings of entertainment as it has a barbecue area, also has a Jacuzzi relaxation pool, constructed in the same materials as the swimming pool, which sits perfectly within the design.
The owners love the peace, space and tranquillity of their home, and though it feels like miles from anywhere, it’s about a 20-minute drive to Waterford city, so near enough for entertainment and eating out. It’s about 7km to Tramore for days at the beach.
The estate also has its own chemical-free water supply, a rarity these days, which is purified by UV light.
All in all, Pembrokestown House is an exceptional offering. It encompasses three residences, extending to 938 sq m (10,096sq ft) in total, with a superb landscaped courtyard and pool. It is testament to good design and advice from the many professionals who worked on the project. Colliers are seeking €2.9 million for the Ber-exempt home.
