Though it only sold in February 2022, for €800,000 according to the Property Price Register, quite a bit of work has since been undertaken at this apartment at 28 Merrion Street Upper. Dating from about 1780, and built as a pair along with number 29, it was remodelled in 1995 as part of a group comprising numbers 25-29. Described as “having elegant proportions, good setting features and an elaborate tripartite door-case,” in the National Inventory of Irish Heritage, the entire house is also described as making “an important contribution to the early streetscape character and architectural quality of the south city Georgian core”.
The unit, which is only one of two apartments in the group to have its own front door, is home to artist Lisa McCleary, who is moving back to her native Greystones to paint and exhibit at Cherry Lane Studios. Her work is currently on exhibition at the Irish consulate in New York, after her recent participation at the Royal Hibernian Academy Summer Show in Dublin and the London Biennale.
Living in this own-door Georgian gem means you can count the Merrion Hotel, the National Gallery of Ireland and the Dáil as your neighbours, as well as the lawns of Merrion Square and the hostelries of Baggot Street and St Stephen’s Green around the corner. So its location could be considered second to none in city circles.
Extending to 94sq m (1,012sq ft), the unit lies on the ground and lower ground floors. The fact that it has its own entrance is a bonus in terms of access (there is also access on the lower ground floor that connects to the main entrance of Dunloe Hall next door) but it also means the main room – housing the open-plan living and kitchen area – is flooded with light, thanks to the glazing and fan light over and around the door.
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This main room has fabulous proportions and features high ceilings, a huge sash window, a marble fireplace (now with a gas insert) and attractive cornicing and solid timber flooring. It has a new kitchen with Bosch and Whirlpool appliances, while all radiators in the unit have been replaced, as has the gas boiler with a new upgraded model.
Two bathrooms take the form of en suites for the two bedrooms at lower ground level and both have been replaced with contemporary fixtures, as have the new bi-fold doors on wardrobes in the principal bedroom. This room has the benefit of access to a west-facing patio area that has new porcelain tiles, so it creates a lovely space to sit with a morning coffee.
At this level there is also a utility room and access to communal areas, and the property benefits from a secure parking space. The annual service charge is €4,500.
McCleary loves the fact that her home has its own front door, and how close it is to all the action at Government Buildings. She says it is minutes to town and living there on her own has always felt safe. Moving her easel to Greystones, she has placed her lovely apartment, which is Ber-exempt, on the market through Knight Frank, seeking €895,000.
