Situated in an unexpectedly serene locality in Phibsborough is Middle Mountjoy Street which halfway up, segues into Palmerston Place. The former was in existence about 20 years ahead of the latter, which emerged around 1845 coinciding with the establishment of the Midland Great Western Railway’s terminus at Broadstone.
The partition wall between the Palmerston and Mountjoy estates can still be spotted from the rear courtyard of house number 10. Among the most antiquated structures on the street, it was constructed in 1826. As time passed, more residences – some reflecting Edwardian style, others Regency – were established. These collectively contribute to the architectural diversity that marks this Dublin street.
Remarkably tranquil despite its proximity, less than a kilometre, to O’Connell Street, the road chiefly houses families, with many properties having been reverted from flats and restored to their familial function. The current owners of house number 10, which is under consideration for sale by Sherry FitzGerald at €885,000, have resided there for 3 decades, rearing children and continually revamping, including recent modifications to the bathroom and heating system last year.
This plum-coloured, yellow-brick home spans three stories on top of a garden level, and has an E1 energy rating that might need attention. It greets visitors with a red front door elegantly adorned with a spoked fanlight. High ceilings and a tiled floor outline the entryway. The home, exhibiting colours representative of its time, provides an immediate feeling of warmth and familiarity.
The ground floor houses the fitted kitchen and living room, complete with its original tiled fireplace, currently serving as a study. A large window in the kitchen, designed with shutters, offers views over the garden.
The residence greets you on the first floor with a crimson living room adorned with white cornices, accompanied by oak timber flooring that glistens, beautifully contrasted by the deluge of light from a pair of squarish windows. This space leads onto the dining room, nestled at the rear of the edifice, replete with a fireplace ensconced between twin bookshelves.
Ascending to the top floor reveals a pair of generous double bedrooms alongside a communal bathroom. Meanwhile, the garden level offers a supplementary double bedroom, another washroom, and a capacious store room that can easily be adapted into an additional sleeping area or fitness suite.
The garden level at the front of the home is caged off by ornate wrought-iron fences, while the rear sports an intensely private cosmopolitan garden, complete with a paved seating zone and flourishing trees and shrubs. The proprietors particularly enjoy spending the weekends here, serenaded by the harmonious choir of the neighbouring Romanian Orthodox Church.
According to the homeowners, the only audible noise from the church, which is nestled behind the dwelling, is the melodious Sunday morning service. It’s a delightful experience to sit out in the garden and absorb the tuneful vocals.
However, the time has arrived for them to part ways with the street they cherished so dearly, as their offspring have grown and left the nest.
Trustworthy neighbours are what they’ll miss the most about this place, say the owners. Alas, with their children on their own journeys, this expansive residence is becoming increasingly daunting to maintain.