In the past, Belmont Avenue is the street previously known as Coldblow Lane. This historic pathway once linked Coldblow Demesne with the village of Donnybrook, as featured in Rocque’s 1760 map. An ancient windmill, which has since vanished, was depicted in the same map and served as a recognisable marker for crowds heading to the infamous Donnybrook Fair. This fair known for its boisterous festivities, was shut down by the Dublin Corporation in 1855 responding to public complaints about unruly revelry.
Today, the atmosphere along Belmont Avenue in Dublin 4 is significantly more peaceful. A noteworthy edifice here is the red-brick, five-bedroom residence numbered 51, built during the 1890s. Spanning three storeys and 185 square metres (approximately 1,991 square feet), the property backs onto the sports fields of Muckross Park College. Currently listed by DNG, the house priced at €1.395 million has a D1 Ber energy rating.
Enclosed by an iron railing, a small front garden ushers you to the main entrance beneath an arched brickwork and tiled flooring. The well-lit, spacious entrance hall branches off to upper floor bedrooms and the ground floor. Off to the right of the hall is a grand drawing room, boasting a high window, a black marble fireplace flanked by a striking pink Murano-glass chandelier imported from Italy.
Much of the original stained glass throughout the house is still intact, especially around the front door and above the kitchen door, although the replacement of the original windows with UPVC detracts slightly from the home’s classic appeal.
Descending a few steps, you reach the central living area that includes a living room and an updated, extended kitchen. The living room, furnished with leather sofas and another fine marble fireplace, is adjoined by the kitchen that features a large range cooker nestled in the original stove niche and a green marble-tiled floor.
Natural light floods in, courtesy of the glass apex roof with integrated skylights, and a pair of glass doors that segue out to the 23 foot long garden. Framed by an ancient brick wall, there is secure gated access to the garden through a lane at the back. An additional kitchen with ample counter space and cabinets is located behind the main one.
The current homeowners planned a project to construct a guest toilet under the staircase, but this task remained unfinished. A future owner might consider rearranging the bedrooms in the house as none of them have attached bathrooms. It might be ideal to transform one of the bedrooms into a combination of a dressing room and bathroom.
Each bedroom in the house is attractive, and the primary one extends along the front, featuring two large windows, unpainted pine flooring, lofty ceilings, a decorative moulding and a fireplace. The neighbouring room, with its cream-coloured fitted closets and charming fireplace, would make a suitable dressing or wardrobe area along with a bathroom. Situated at the rear of the house is another bedroom that currently functions as a study.
Venture up to the last floor and you’ll find two more bedrooms, boasting French-style cream closets and petite cast iron fireplaces, in addition to another bathroom. Even though it’s presently a storage site, it’s worth noting that the basement level has been converted to a livable area by some neighbours, something a potential buyer might wish to replicate.
The present homeowners, who are downsizing now that their children are grown, fondly remember the house as cosy and spacious. They voice their hopes for another family to take pleasure in the house, as they have.