Eoin Lyons on stylish Dubliners' alfresco living
NORTH GREAT GEORGE'S STREET Maggie Byrne lives in a Georgian building at the bottom of North Great George's Street. She works with her husband, the architect Dennis Byrne, in his offices in the building next door, the design for which won him an Architects Association of Ireland award in 2004. They bought their home six years ago and live there with their 14-year-old son, Tadgh. They converted the top two floors of the building, which has a shop at street level, into a very large apartment. "Because the building had no outdoor space, we had to create one. So about two years ago, when we were repairing the roof, we made a garden up there at the same time," Maggie says. "Tadgh and his friends hang out here a lot, and during the summer we use it as a place to eat or have people over for a drink." In our photograph Maggie is sharing a glass of wine with her friend and colleague Nadina. Four storeys up there are fantastic views over O'Connell Street, North Great George's Street and the east of the city. A grass border covers the other side of the railing; this extraordinary eyrie is accessed through a window in the rooftop. The only rule, Maggie says, is "both feet on the ground at all times!"
KILLINEY Jane Forysth and her daughter Anna live in a 19th-century house at the corner of Sorrento and Vico Roads, in Killiney. Although they will soon be moving, for now they use a terrace off the first-floor living room for breakfast on Saturday mornings. Jane has long been associated with the Dublin antiques trade - for many years she had a shop on Francis Street - and Anna is an able horsewoman. This spot is conducive to long conversation. "It's a very lovely place to be when the sun shines," says Jane. "We bring everything up from the kitchen and set things out with the newspapers and a big pot of tea." On one side the view leads over the rooftops of Sorrento Terrace to the sea beyond and on the other to Killiney Bay. Antique linen, roses in a silver bowl and delicate floral china lend the table a traditional feel. Next to Jane and Anna is a cast-iron burner adapted for use as an outdoor heater when the weather is dull - frequently, needless to say.
MERRION SQUARE Property manager Seán O'Donohue and his wife, Ashling, who are expecting their first child, live in a charming stone coach house on a lane behind Merrion Square. After battling with the planning process and doing building work, they moved into what had been a derelict shell at the beginning of this year. As summer progresses, the garden at the back is coming into its own, and today salads are set out in white bowls and a chicken roasts on the barbecue for a lunchtime feast. The somewhat formal layout complements the period grandeur of the rear view of the main house that fronts Merrion Square South. Landscape designer Brendan Smith (01-8101905) suggested the idea of a marble-clad patio, reached by a path in the same material, between two small lawns and two deep pools, which was built by specialist Michael Addis (087-2768322). This is a modern outdoor space, considered as much a room as a garden: music filters through speakers near the table (installed by Cloney Audio, 01-2889449), and lighting is in the shape of brass fittings with a 1930s style. The planting has not yet reached maturity, but it should be established by the time the baby arrives.
CLANBRASSIL STREET John Mahony runs a reputation- management business in the UK and Ireland; his partner Kieran Moore is a hotel-and-catering recruitment specialist, also with offices in Dublin and London; they have lived in many countries together, but for the past six years they have shared an apartment on two levels in a converted factory off Clanbrassil Street. The unique character of the apartment and the imaginative way in which it is decorated makes it a stimulating place to visit. On Saturday mornings neighbours and friends have an open invitation to join them for brunch on their terrace. This has been designed for low maintenance but maximum style. With views to the city and Dublin Mountains, it features zinc pots holding huge cacti and box hedges from Adonis Flowers. A pleasant summery ambiance is created by the use of oiled Danish timber furniture; attention to detail on the table top stretches to petals strewn over folded linen napkins.
MOUNTJOY SQUARE Earlier this year, the fashion designer Leigh Tucker and her architect boyfriend, Oran Heron, moved to a new home in a smartly renovated redbrick behind Mountjoy Square. At the back of the house is a courtyard with windows on three sides. "It is such a suntrap that we tend to eat outside if it's any way warm," says Tucker. Wearing one of her own dresses, she enjoys afternoon tea with neighbour Ziva Vucinovic. A collection of potted plants is clustered in one corner, where strawberries and home-made cakes are set out on dainty garden furniture bought at Homes in Heaven, in Dún Laoghaire (01-2802077). "They're small and light, plus they fold, so it's easy to bring them in and out of the house." The seat cushions are from the same shop; Tucker made the floral cushions. The table setting also has a floral element in a large tray - a present from her mother. "It's good to have a big tray to bring everything out at the same time." Cups were bought at Avoca; strawberries are piled high in a blue bowl picked up on a trip to Japan. Tucker recommends a French blend tea from Mariage Frères, which can be found at Maison des Gourmets, on Castle Market. The small pink tin is from Fauchon, in Paris, and contains biscuits, another treat for a sunny day.