It’s not hard to see why Victoria Villa, a detached double-fronted house on Coliemore Road, has been home to just two families since it was constructed in 1876.
Its current owners Fionbarr and Margaret Farrell, both of whom worked at RTÉ, purchased their home in 1981. “I had always wanted to walk to work [in Montrose] but when we came out here and saw the house, I was so impressed, the house won. Now I swim most of the summer at Coliemore Harbour, and there are great walks that start at our front door,” says Margaret, who worked as a researcher for the three main presenters – Gay Byrne, Pat Kenny and Ryan Tubridy – on the The Late Late Show.
Fionbarr represented Ireland in the 1968 Olympic Games at fencing. “We had to go out a month before the games to get acclimatised due to the altitude of Mexico City. There were riots on the streets, students were shot and buses were on fire, as the people wanted money spent on Mexico rather than the Olympics. But the people were so kind, they wanted to give us gifts when we were leaving,” he says of his team.
They say much has changed since they first moved to Dalkey, when they were the young couple on the road: “Back then it had such a sense of community. One of the neighbours invited all the people on that side of the road in so they could meet us, the new neighbours. At the time it really felt off the beaten track,” says Margaret.
Their home, set well back off the road, is only a five-minute walk to the seaside village. Bordered by granite walls to the front and accessed via a wrought-iron gate, it is set over two levels. Extending to 210sq m (2,153sq ft), it retains many period details and has attractive bay windows with views across Dublin Bay.
Two formal reception rooms flank each side of the front hall, while a kitchen, family room and utility lie to the rear. Upstairs are three large double bedrooms and a family bathroom, while a store room/workshop and conservatory (accessed externally) lie to the rear, as does additional storage in a lean-to shed.
It will require upgrading, as period houses generally do after four decades operating as a family home, and its Ber of G will require addressing. However, the sea views, proximity to the village with its upmarket delicatessens, bakeries, cafes and restaurants and catch of the day from fishermen at Bullock Harbour (including lobster and crab in season), and excellent transport links, add to the allure of the charming house. An added bonus is the south-facing back garden, along with the wrap-around gardens to the front and side on 0.2 of an acre with mature plantings, offering a little oasis so close to the village.
Local amenities include walking on Killiney Hill and boat trips to Dalkey Island that run all summer long.
The property, on one of the most sought-after roads in the country, is now on the market through Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €2.45 million.
