FIONA TYRRELL:A sculptor set about restoring this cottage stone by stone while also making it brighter and warmer.
DUBLIN 8: €375,000
WITH ITS uneven white walls and tiny blue-trimmed windows, it looks like it belongs on the side of a mountain in the west of Ireland, but this cute-as-a-postcard cottage is in the heart of Dublin 8 and a throw-back to a time when Kilmainham was a sleepy village.
When sculptor Eoghan Dalton bought number 28 Brookfield Road in 1993 the cottage was in ruins. He set about rebuilding the house stone by stone – stones it turns out that were originally picked from the surrounding fields rather than sourced from a local quarry.
His mission was to “build the house in the spirit of a traditional Irish cottage” but to incorporate modern building techniques to counteract the flaws traditionally associated with cottages – dampness and darkness.
With not a hint of country chintz, Dalton’s dedication to a genuine cottage decor is admirable with reclaimed slate floors, latches instead of door knobs and antique fittings.
Dalton lives in number 28 with his wife Giluiana, originally from Italy, and two young sons Seán and Liam.
Given his love of the rural, it’s no surprise to hear that the family are selling up to make a new home in the west of Ireland.
The cottage has been a layout of love for Dalton and he admits that it will be a “heartbreaking experience to walk out the door for the last time”. Number 28 is laid out over 86sq m (924sq ft). Most of the family living is done in the large livingroom, which features a massive Jotul stove from Norway.
Off this is a bright extension to the original building which contains a kitchen made from chunky oak and a bedroom.
Also at the back of the house is a large conservatory which looks onto a raised city garden. The perimeter is planted with native trees and shrubs providing a shield from the modern world.
The family bathroom is tucked beside an unusual blue spiral staircase which features a pine tree trunk donated by a tree surgeon friend of Dalton.
Upstairs a large main bedroom runs the length of the original building.
It’s difficult to get a fix on how old the original cottage is. All Dalton knows is that it pre-dates 1756 as it is listed in John Rocque’s map of Dublin, long before Kilmainham Gaol and Guinness Brewery.
At that time the cottage would have been on the edges of the village of Kilmainham. Now it surrounded by red-brick terraces and the sprawl of the St James’s Hospital campus.
Number 28 Brookfield Road, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, is for sale through Felicity Fox and is asking €375,000
DONEGAL: €435,000
A TRADITIONAL cottage overlooking the sea in Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal, is for sale for €435,000 through Donegal agent Franklins.
Sheep Haven in Horn Head comes with 65 acres, which the current owners use to run a pet sanctuary. The land is for sale separately or with the cottage for around €400,000.
One of the owners used to spend childhood holidays in the cottage, which belonged to a great-aunt. The house has been modernised but original features – like the dry stone walls outside, built by the great-aunt’s husband Charlie, a stonemason – remain.
Inside, the cottage’s main room has its original flagstone floor and a cast-iron stove in the fireplace. It has a vaulted ceiling in tongue and groove pine. There is a kitchen/dining area with a tiled floor and pine units, a shower room and two bedrooms. The cottage has WiFi and Sky TV; kitchen appliances like the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer are included in the sale.
There are a number of stone outbuildings, one of which is used as a stables. The owners believe that the cottage would appeal to anyone interested in horses – there are two “unspoilt, unpopulated” beaches a short trek away for long uninterrupted gallops, according to the owners.
Their pet sanctuary (www.hornheadpetsanctuary.com) includes an assortment of dogs, cats, two donkeys and two horses, all of whom are leaving with the owners.
