A visit to Dublin 4’s Shrewsbury Road this week revealed plenty of signs of life on this exclusive residential road that’s been through a turbulent few years. Since the start of 2012, nine properties have been sold on the road and judging by contractors’ vans coming and going, new residents are busily placing their own stamp on properties. None more so than at Number 9, Lissadell, which is in the middle of one of the most ambitious refurbishment projects on the road.

The original house is all that remains at the centre of a dramatic below ground excavation of the entire surrounding grounds.

The detached Edwardian home on a 0.7acre site was sold by long-term resident and prominent solicitor Anne Neary in late 2012 for €6 million. The floor space of the original property is 3,700 sq ft, but by the time the refurb is completed this will have almost trebled.

The plan is for a completely contemporary reincarnation. It’s envisaged the massive site will accommodate a swimming pool, staff accommodation, a kitchen, utility room, wine cellar and a guest bedroom. At garden level a circular garden room is planned with a large kitchen/dining area interconnecting to a family room, and of course the usual more formal reception rooms. Upstairs over two floors, five bedrooms including two suites are planned.

The scale of the job is jaw-dropping, and will certainly set the owners back a good few million euro more.

It’s great to see such investment going into the next phase for this fine residential site.