March of progress – and new owners – continues in D4

Gone are the days of affluent homeowners simply redecorating newly purchased houses. New arrivals to Dublin 4’s most exclusive thoroughfares are far more inclined to take a sledgehammer to rooms than a paintbrush.

This month, two women who recently acquired homes on Dublin’s Shrewsbury and Ailesbury roads sought planning permission to replace thousands of square feet of extensions, which were added by the previous owners, with new structures built to their own specifications.

Deirdre Kelly, wife of AerCap’s Aengus Kelly, has applied to demolish 261sq m (2,810sq ft) of Mugnano, 7 Shrewsbury Road – the former home of Priory Hall developer Larry O’Mahoney – which they acquired for €4.8 million earlier this year. O’Mahoney had added a large extension just six years ago at undoubtedly great expense, but the Kellys are now knocking it down and building an even larger replacement.

In total, the house will extend to 879sq m (9,462sq ft) when the Lyons Kelly-designed extension is constructed over four levels.

A new basement level is to be added to include a wine cellar, gym and cinema among other features. The luxurious master bedroom suite alone will be about 70sq m (750sq ft).

Ailesbury extension

Around the corner on Ailesbury Road, the new owner of St Peters, 91 Ailesbury Road, wishes to demolish 318sqm (3,420sqft) of the house and outbuildings.

Karin Reihill, wife of London-based financier Shane Reihill, hopes to extend the remainder of the handsome double-fronted house, which they paid €2.9 million for this year.

Reihill will add a large two-story over basement extension to bring the home’s size to 697sqm (7,500sqft) in total. All six bedrooms will feature en-suite bathrooms, while four will offer dressingrooms.

The ground floor alone would contain five livingrooms in addition to an expensive open-plan kitchen cum diningroom.

Shane Reihill, who lives in London’s pricey South Kensington borough, already owns a 516sqm (5,554sqft) mews house nearby on Heytesbury Lane in Ballsbridge.