Murphystown Road in Leopardstown is a development that takes its name from Murphystown Castle, one of the least-known medieval castles in south Co Dublin, the ruins of which now lie in private grounds.
Number 14 in the development in the quiet cul-de-sac was purchased by its current owners in 2012 for €326,000, according to the Property Price Register.
What attracted them to the house was the potential of the back garden. To this end, they engaged Pinewood Landscapes to design the garden, who they say did a “fantastic job”. The brief was “to optimise the sun, as the site benefits from a southwesterly aspect, and make the patio large enough to share with family”, say the owners, who are moving for work reasons.
This has certainly been achieved and now the patio feels like an outdoor room. It has been heavily planted with year-round colour, from bursts of yellow daffodils in spring to the purple of allium in summer, coupled with pinks and whites of roses and mop head hydrangea.
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It links to the house in a new extension, designed by the owners with the help of their builder. This new space comprises a streamlined Nolan kitchen with a dining space and a lovely family area to the back that opens out to the patio. Bathed in light thanks to its orientation, the room is dual aspect, with further light from an overhead Velux window. Other works undertaken saw new bathrooms installed, while all windows have been upgraded and spray-painted in a contemporary grey.
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A formal livingroom lies to the front which can be closed off from the large open plan space to the rear, but when open allows a great flow through the property. The utility/bootroom was placed to the rear of the kitchen and was designed to open out to the garden so the family dog can come and go in the garden. It also means small kids won’t drag muck into the house.
Four bedrooms lie upstairs, the principal of which is en suite. One of the bedrooms is currently laid out as an office, and besides the family bathroom upstairs, a third loo is located under the stairs at garden level.
It’s a great family house, as it has that all-important sunny and spacious back garden – where about 30 adults can be catered to on the patio – while children can bounce away to their hearts’ delight in the trampoline at the back. The fact that the rear area is tiered means parents can keep a watchful eye on little ones no matter where they are.
Adding to the family-friendly nature of the area, the property’s location is in a quiet cul-de-sac, a stone’s throw from the Luas green line stop at Glencairn, and its accessibility to the M50 and N11 mean there’s numerous schools and amenities within easy reach.
The owners say there is a fantastic residents’ association: “It’s really active, they organise soccer tournaments in May, which take place over a week and end with a great barbecue, while at Halloween all the kids get involved in window dressing.” Adding to that is Santa Claus calling to each house at Christmas: “He comes with a selection box for every child in the area and he’s been doing it for about 25 years.”
The owners will miss their garden, kitchen space and the locality, which they describe as “very family-focused”. With a Ber of C3, the four-bedroom 123sq m (1,324sq ft) semidetached house in turnkey condition is now on the market, seeking €695,000 through DNG.
