The Dublin 4 postal code extends in many directions and, for some, it is less a location and more a state of mind. Lansdowne Road is at its spiritual heart. The thoroughfare of stately Victorian redbricks for years has stood sentry to the trudging throng in their pilgrimage to and from the stadium that until recently took the same name as the route. The frustrating wait at the Dart line for the gates to lift, and the final push towards the turnstiles and the cauldron within. Then win, lose or draw the return march to the surrounding bars for the après spree, including the infamous Berkeley Court Hotel (now the Clyde Court).

Opposite the Clyde Court and just five minutes walk from the stadium is 30 Lansdowne Road, a vast semi-detached Victorian redbrick. It too holds a claim to sporting greatness as it was once the home of Lord Killanin, the journalist and film-maker, who is also widely credited with shaping one of the first truly global movements as president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the 1970s.

Sporting history

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Killanin was a larger than life figure, widely known in Ireland and overseas. At one time a major in the British Army, he was appointed an MBE for his involvement in the planning of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy in 1944. On his return to Ireland he became president of the Irish Olympic Council.

But for true devotees of the game of rugby, Lord Killanin’s wife Mary is a more interesting figure because her grandfather Henry Wallace Doveton Dunlop built the original Lansdowne Road stadium nearyby.

More recently Number 30 served as a home and doctor’s surgery when it was sold in August last year for €967,000 according to the residential property price register. A modest sum by the standards of these townhouse titans, this most likely doesn’t include the cost of the commercial premises (ie the surgery) at garden level. A closer estimate of €1.5 million for the entire property is more likely.

Five-month refurbishment

Now it’s back on the market through agent Sherry FitzGerald asking €3.25 million. Quite the turnaround given that the foundation to roof refurbishment began in May and was complete in five and a half months. The result for the property investor owner is a faithful restoration with a modern twist.

A listed building, original features were restored to former glory in consultation with a conservation architect. With more than 4,217sq ft/392sq m of space, there was a lot to be done when the cornicework, ceiling roses, sash windows, conservatory and even the original pull down door canopy are taken into account.

Interior designer for the project was Deirdre Mongey and it’s not the first time she has collaborated on this type of residential restoration with builders Manmac Construction.

The biggest challenge posed by number 30 was introducing light into a previously dark space, and also working within the original footprint of the house, ie no contemporary glass wall extension out the back. To bounce light through the house and to contemporise it, flooring was a priority. In the entrance hall there are unpolished limestone tiles, though the era is subtly referenced in the black keystone design.

More dramatic however are the two main receptions on the first level, where traditionally the drawingroom and diningroom are located, there’s a huge and practical kitchen/living space.

Instead of the usual stripped-back original floorboards, wide plank white-oiled oak gives a modern feel.

Victorian Grey

The colour palette is also up to date and Victorian Grey is used to great effect here. The bespoke kitchen joinery – as with all the woodwork in the house – has been designed for practical use and finished in a light shade. Reconstituted stone on the central island under industrial steel pendant lights add drama. The high end mod cons are all cleverly secreted away behind the cool wood finish.

Light pours in on both sides with near floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Lansdowne Road and beyond. A newly installed white marble fireplace and contemporary chandelier complete this great space.

Arched windows

The layout of the house is interesting, and a little quirky too. There are six arched windows variously located on the gable wall, which throw light on to the stairs and landings. The compact drawingroom is located down steps on the garden return. It’s a snug room with original fireplace, and it leads through to the original conservatory overlooking the garden, and the neighbours. Most gardens to the rear of Lansdowne Road have been given over to mews developments which open on to Lansdowne Park.

Upstairs are three bedrooms, one at landing level with a Jack and Jill bathroom for guest use also, and the other two at second floor level. The master suite is just that, three distinct rooms – bedroom, dressingroom and shower room – accessed via their own corridor. Completely private, the bedroom mirrors the livingroom on the first floor with those great windows overlooking the thoroughfare below. Bathrooms have all been finished with Villery and Boch ware and porcelain tiling.

Niche market

The garden level, so often a dark afterthought in houses of this era, manages to feel very much part of the house. There are two further bedrooms down here, though one could work very well as a teenage hangout, and a playroom (with chalkboard wall) stands beside the rear door to the garden. Even the utility room has been carefully considered, with washing machine and dryer positioned at eye level, and at the rear, a small wine room.

The rear garden, though small, has been cleverly planted around the boundary by landscape designer Martin Brady. A row of pleached hornbeams and verbena make a striking backdrop, and a trellis above has been designed to eventually screen off the garden from the mews behind. Laurels, hydrangeas and low box hedging add a little formality.

With an asking price of €3.25 million it will have niche appeal. But the recent improvements, including gas-fired central heating throughout, must have come in somewhere around €1 million. The result is a cleverly finished contemporary home in the skin of an elegant period house that’s ready to do another 150 years at least.

Cashing in on the flipside to take advantage of rising values: Page 2