It is one of life’s coincidences that a pilot in the Irish Air Corps wound up buying a home in Ballinteer, Dublin 16, that was originally built in 1932 by the Irish Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Land Trust (ISSLT) for ex-servicemen of the first World War; the organisation’s crest is still visible on the entrance pillars to the quiet cul-de-sac.
“Because of the very poor housing conditions in Ireland at the beginning of the 20th century, a promise of housing after the war was used to tempt Irish recruits into the British army during the latter part of the Great War,” according to a 2014 paper, entitled Old Ballinteer, written by a local history group formed by Ballinteer Active Retirement Association.
“After independence, and despite the initial opposition of the new Free State government, the British authorities felt obliged to build homes for Irish ex-servicemen in Ireland. The Free State government in 1923 passed the Land Trust Act establishing the ISSLT to allow the provision of housing in Ireland by the British authorities for Irish ex-servicemen,” the paper says.
The owner of 38 Ballinteer Gardens – a two-bedroom redbrick home extending to 65sq m (700sq ft) – purchased it in 2011 and has now put it on the market in excellent condition with a well-tended south-facing garden, seeking €595,000 through Sherry FitzGerald.
Strong first-time buyer demand supports Cairn revenue
Ballinteer two-bed with big south-facing garden a short walk from Dundrum Town Centre for €595,000
Modernised Edwardian four-bed across from the park in Harold’s Cross for €950,000
Should we buy a home with a better Ber, or look for something cheaper and retrofit?
The end-terrace home, with its entrance facing out to the right, looks neat from the road, with a gravel driveway to the house, bordered by ample shrubs. When the owner first moved in, he had double-glazed windows fitted in the gridded style of the originals. At that he also had the home insulated – it now has a C1 Ber – replumbed and the electrics refitted.
You enter the home into a small entrance hallway at the foot of the stairs that leads into the livingroom to the front; it’s a good-sized room that has a fireplace at its centre, with alcoves for shelving on either side.
This room connects to the kitchen and dining area which is a bright rectangular space with the kitchen built into one corner with the dining space opposite. The kitchen, although fitted in 2011, looks fresh with white wooden units, wood-effect countertops and a grey metro-tile splashback. There is also a utility cupboard for the washing machine under the stairs.
A glazed back door opens to the immaculate back garden, which extends to about 18.5sq m in total. It has a spacious paved patio just outside the door, beyond which is a raised lawn bordered by lush shrubbery and flower beds.
Back inside, the main double bedroom sits to the front of the first floor with a feature fireplace and built-in bookshelves. A smaller double lies to the rear – also with a fireplace – as well as the bathroom, which features a bath with a shower attachment and is fully tiled in a sandy shade.
This walk-in home is also extremely well-located, with Dundrum Town Centre and Balally green-line Luas stop both within a 15-minute walk – the Luas takes about 20 minutes to reach St Stephen’s Green in Dublin city centre. Access to the M50 is also close by as well as the hiking trails of the Dublin Mountains.
