On Raglan Road hefty, aged trees stand dripping from unseasonable July rain. One resident in a raincoat braves the downpour, with his laptop stowed in a waterproof backpack. Otherwise the street of towering redbrick terraces is completely still bar the intermittent passing of high-end cars.
“You can’t but think of Luke Kelly,” the taxi driver says as he drops me outside number 7, referring to the Dubliners’ famous musical rendering of Patrick Kavanagh’s poem On Raglan Road.
Compared with its neighbouring houses, which have brightly coloured doors, potted plants outside and trinkets on display in the windows, there is little sign of life from outside number 7, which has stood vacant for a few months, according to the agent. The Victorian townhouse, a generous 406sq m (4,376sq ft), is on the market for €3.8 million, selling through Savills on behalf of appointed receiver Kieran Wallace.
This three-storeys-over-garden-level property is likely to appeal to a prospective buyer with deep pockets who is looking for a prime example of a period home in the heart of the capital’s embassy belt. Its age deems it Ber-exempt. It has many original features and generous space; some design vision could turn it into a wonderful contemporary home.
A paved walkway and a front garden laid with loose stone lead to the entrance stairway. Stepping inside, I find myself dwarfed by the large proportions of the hallway and the lofty ceilings adorned with elaborate coving. Two adjoining reception rooms to the right off the hall will require a new wall covering, and perhaps to have the fireplaces reinstated, to bring them back to their full glory. This space offers a dual-aspect through original sash windows with shutters on either side and gorgeous, intricate ceiling coving. There is also a balcony accessed from a door on the hallway to the rear of the second reception room.
At garden level is a kitchen, which would benefit from modernisation, and an adjoining dining/family room. There is also a big utility room, a shower room and a storeroom on this level. French doors from the kitchen open out to the west-facing, split-level garden with a paved patio designed for entertaining, and a raised lawn to the rear.
The property has five bedrooms in total, with one on the entrance-level return, two on the first floor and a further two on the second floor. The room to the front of the first floor is the biggest, with space for a seating area and coffee table, and could therefore be used as the main bedroom. However, the top-floor accommodation, where a double bedroom adjoins to a spacious bathroom, has been used as the main suite, the agent says. The top floor also has a dressingroom to the front that could make a great home office, offering a nice vantage point of the trees in the front garden and to the street beyond.
