Oakdene House, a modest yet rambling late Georgian property, has been home to the Cooke family for the past 40 years.
Following the death of Jim Cooke, a former production editor at The Irish Times, his wife Georgina has decided to place their home on the market as at 255sq m (2,745sq ft) it has become too large to manage.
In addition, the property has a gate lodge – with a recent extension – which measures 99sq m (1,065sq ft) in total. So what’s on offer here is two properties, both of which require an upgrade.
The main house is set behind a bank of hedges for privacy and protection from the wind, allowing for a sun trap courtyard to the side of the property.
Inside is a spacious hallway warmed by its own fireplace, with the formal drawing and dining room lying opposite. Both these rooms have fine bay windows – which are echoed in the bedrooms upstairs – and where Jim or ‘Cookie’ as he was known, entertained.
“He just loved to throw parties, he had no airs or graces and the craic was always great,” recalls daughter Nicole.
He also tended the gardens, which are shared by both properties.
“This was a mound of earth when we came here and over the years Jim made it our garden. Every day when he came home from work he would be out here tending to it,” says Georgina.
A Gothic wooden door is tacked on to the wall of the main house: “It came from the old church near Penney’s in town, Jim thought it would be sinful not to use it so it has been hanging there for the past 35 years,” says Georgina.
The eye of a good architect could reimagine the space that the kitchen now occupies, as it is dark in comparison to the bright sunroom alongside which has views over the water.
Four bedrooms lie upstairs. There used to be five, but two were amalgamated to give a more spacious main bedroom. All are bright with tall ceilings and the views from the bay windows in two of the bedroom are just lovely.
There is huge potential with the lodge. As it stands, the older part is a one bedroom self-contained unit, which has a new and separate build to the rear. Combining both these spaces could give something really special given the height of the ceilings in the new build. This space could be rented to provide an income for the property, or be used as guest accommodation in addition to the main house.
While both properties need renovation, the price of €1.1million for two houses in this sought-after area of Killiney Hill is likely to attract interest given its proximity to the sea, the views and the old world charm of Oakdene itself. Sherry FitzGerald is handling the sale.
