When Michael Aherne bought his home in 1996, he had left the world of show business behind him and taken up a position as an engineer with the National Transport Authority. Aherne played piano player Steven Clifford in The Commitments, and while he may have stepped away from the limelight, a practice of and a love for music is evident everywhere in the restored, detached Victorian property, minutes from the seafront in Bray, Co Wicklow.
Step through the front door and enter either reception room flanking the hall and you immediately know you are in a musician’s home. Guitars hang from the walls, there are pianos or keyboards in almost every room and memorabilia from The Commitments hangs in the den.
Aherne and his wife raised seven children in the 220sq m (2368sq ft) four-bed on Meath Road. He recalls the principal bedroom being a movable feast as he and his wife coped with the ever-changing permutations and sleeping arrangements of seven children, thus what is the finest bedroom with two sash windows to the front of the house is currently laid out as a twin bedroom.
As soon as he bought this property, Aherne embarked on a comprehensive restoration, having it re-roofed, rewired and replastered and having new double-glazed sash windows installed. Though most of the heavy lifting has been done for a prospective new owner, they may look to address its E Ber rating to raise it to a higher modern standard.
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The long, southwest-facing garden with access to Meath Place kept the children entertained in all weathers but for Aherne, the property’s standout feature is its location, being a four-minute walk to Bray Dart station and the stop for the 155 bus and a 10-minute walk to Bray main street. The walk to the seafront is so short his kids used to run down for swims wrapped in their towels. The amenities of Powerscourt, the cliff walk and Bray head are within easy reach on foot or by bike, says Aherne.
With their children growing up, the couple are downsizing, putting this home on the market with DNG Bray, seeking €1.375 million.
The large entrance hall and two reception rooms either side of it have all their original period features and the deep bay windows and fireplaces in both rooms are particularly lovely. There is a long shower room with a toilet off the hall and another room that could serve as den/playroom/home office.
The kitchen is at the back of the house in an extension and as befitting such a large family, has lots of cabinets, and endless counter space, as well as an island with seating. There’s a lovely dining area with double doors opening out onto the patio area just below the garden, lit by Velux windows and a utility room with a door opening on to a side passage beside the house.
Upstairs, a beautiful stained-glass window on the return adds interest and southerly light all day long. The family bathroom is on this level and the four bedrooms, good sized doubles, are on the first floor. As well as proximity to the Dart and the seafront, there are a number of primary schools within walking distance and the secondary schools of Presentation College Bray and Loreto Bray are both about a kilometre from the house.
