Seapoint

Behind the classic fanlight, the granite steps and twin columns, lies a generous entrance hall, characterised by arches and mouldings in gleaming white.

Immediately off the hallway is a finely proportioned drawing room. Alabaster panel wainscoting and panelled walls augment the single pillared 19th century Irish marble fireplace.
Large sash windows, framed with bifold shutters, face the sea with unimpeded views across the whimsical weather of Dublin Bay.

The ground floor essentially comprises two impressive reception rooms, with a stairwell dividing.

Restrained contemporary furnishings, rugs thrown on herringbone parquet floors, a mix of classic antique and contemporary pieces. The house enjoys an exceptional private collection of Irish art, beautifully hung across all the rooms. The three bay windows of the south are dedicated to an imposing dining area.

Across one end, moulded panelled presses conceal a full height kitchen including fridge, wine storage and surprisingly, behind closed doors, a walk-in pantry, complete with double oven, a sink and Quooker tap for instant boiling water.

For informal breakfasts, there is a Irish marble island breakfast bar, with a ceramic hob, and an integrated marble sideboard together with a second sink.

Glazed doors on this level substitute the original, promoting daylight throughout the interior and aligning to reveal unexpected glimpses of the bay.

There is easy access to the sheltered garden from the end bay via a sweeping stairway, to the rear terrace below – a totally private suntrap, perfect for barbecues and sundowners.

Sleeps up to 8 guests.

Below stairs, there is an exceptional family room, including asitting room with a large screen home-entertainment system. Still with excellent views across the bay to Howth Head, and with its own remote controlled marble gas fireplace, and sumptuous sofa.

An oval island bar at one end has stool seating for eight, where smoked oak panelling and black marble surfaces are the theme.

An adjacent Butler’s pantry with fully fitted catering kitchen is excellent for the chef when entertaining or for casual family gatherings. Direct access may be had to the front via a lower entrance lobby, which also conceals the laundry utilities.

To the rear, there is an elegant guest powder room, and a well appointed sunny study, with direct access onto the rear terrace, and an extra TV.

A quiet ensuite double bedroom, looking out onto bleached trees of the garden terrace, complete this lower ground floor.

• Royal Dublin Society (RDS)
• 3 Arena
• National Concert Hall (NCH)
• The National Gallery
• Aviva Stadium
• Croke Park
• Leopardstown Racecourse
• Elm Park Golf Club
• Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club
• Royal Dublin Golf Club
• Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC)
• Royal St George Yacht Club (The George)
• The National Yacht Club
• Dun Laoghaire Marina

• Trinity College Dublin (TCD)
• University College Dublin (UCD)
• The Merrion Hotel
• The Dylan Hotel
• The Fitzwilliam Hotel
• The Shelbourne Hotel
• The Intercontinental Hotel
• Patrick Guilbaud Restaurant
• Liath Restaurant
• Chapter One Restaurant
• Blackrock Clinic
• St. Vincent’s Private Hospital
• St. Vincent’s University Hospital
• Beacon Consultants Clinic

Monkstown village, a short stroll away, is where you will find a variety of boutique shops, gastro-pubs, excellent restaurants and indeed churches. Both Blackrock and Dun Laoghaire are less than 2km away and have multiple outlets.

Directly opposite the house, is a footbridge across the railway to the popular Seapoint beach and promenade, should you fancy an early morning dip. High tide is best.

Salthill Station for DART trains is a stone’s throw from the house. Trains run along the coast between Greystones (about 30k to the South) and Howth (on the opposite side of the Bay) at approximately 15 minute intervals, making it very convenient to get into the heart of the city in about 20 minutes. It carries roughly 20 million passengers a year.

Originally Dunleary, the town was renamed Kingstown in honour of King George IV’s 1821 visit, and 100 years later reverted the original Irish form Dun Laoghaire.

Ireland’s very first railway (costing £200,000) and covering the five and a half miles from Dublin to Kingstown was opened in 1834.

In the 19th century sailing Dublin Bay was a treacherous prospect, with access to Dublin Port tide dependant. A veritable graveyard of over 600 ships caught in storms, lie at the bottom of the bay. The remedy settled on in the early 19th century led to the construction of the two granite piers, clearly visible from the house.

Completed in in 1859, and now essentially a playground for water sports, it had taken 42 years to construct the harbour.

There are five Yachting clubs based in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The 820-berth marina, a more recent development, is the largest in the country.

You can join a paved walkway below the house which follows the railway connecting Dun Laoghaire and Killiney to the south. A 3.5K section of this utilises “The Metals”, originally a truck railroad, with cast iron rails, designed to bring horse-drawn trucks laden with granite from the quarry in Dalkey for the construction of the Harbour at Dún Laoghaire. Up to 250 horses and 250 drivers were employed to transport the 8 tonne loads.

The Purty Kitchen gastro-pub, a short stroll along the seafront, is Dun Laoghaire’s oldest surviving premises. Originally a coaching inn and at the centre of the initial settlement, it was constructed largely of clay and straw with a thatched roof and called Old Dunleary Inn. Captain Bligh (earlier of HMS Bounty fame) apparently stayed here in 1800, was not a fan of the harbour “It has nothing to recommend it, being ill adapted for its purpose”.

The Martello Tower at the end of the beach below the house, is one of some 50 built by the British in Ireland during the early 1800’s, mostly on the East coast, as an early warning against an expected invasion by Napoleon. The one at Sandycove at the far side of Dun Laoghaire was the starting point of the James Joyce novel Ulysses, and now serves as a museum to the writer.