Described by the late Tony Ryan as a 'little palazzo' this Fitzwilliam Square house is extremely grand, very comfortable and great for entertaining, writes Orna Mulcahy, Property Editor.
IF THE latest status symbol for Ireland's super-wealthy is a Georgian townhouse on one of Dublin's garden squares, then number 24 Fitzwilliam Square should attract some serious money.
The lavishly refurbished house, on the sunny side of the square, is being sold by Image magazine publisher Kevin Kelly who credits his wife Rose with decorating the house in a style so splendid that the late Tony Ryan, a frequent guest, described it as a "little palazzo". ...
Not so little. The five-storey house has 557.4sq m (6,000sq ft) of living space that includes what is probably the finest drawingroom in the city, along with a sumptuous diningroom and library, five bedrooms and staff quarters. It's for sale at
10 million through joint agents Sherry FitzGerald and Lisney.
Kevin Kelly bought the house in 1994, having sold his hugely successful World of Interiors magazine to Vogue publisher, Condé Nast. The house had previously been owned by Ib Jorgensen. His former wife, artist Patricia Jorgensen, still occupies the mews, leaving number 24 with a neat, split-level town garden. Located on the south, and quiet side of the square, the house has a sunny orientation, and stunning views of the Dublin mountains from the back of the house.
From the first floor drawingroom, there's a glorious outlook over the square through twin floor-to-ceiling sash windows. French decorators toiled to get just the right effect with primrose damask silk walls and gilded plasterwork that is continued through to the stately diningroom, seating 16. After dinner, guests retire to the library downstairs, where raspberry striped silk-lined walls and deeply cushioned sofas create a supremely comfortable effect. Double doors lead through to a lofty study that looks towards the square.
Useful rooms are located in the returns - a garden room beyond the hall that could be an additional bedroom, and upstairs, off a landing with spectacular cornicing and pillars, is a neat kitchen with space to cater for parties. Above it is a laundry. The entire second floor is a bedroom suite that includes a large marble-lined bathroom. It is fitted with hand-painted custom-made wardrobes and there are three further bedrooms on the top floor. The basement is a self-contained, large one-bedroom apartment.
The lack of a mews means that there is no off-street parking, the only drawback of an otherwise perfect city home. Most of the furniture and paintings are to be sold at auction, though new owners will have first choice of the valuable contents.
