The Old Presbytery, in Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare, is steeped in clerical history. This picturesque period property was built in 1873 on the remains of an old British fort, on the instructions of the Archbishop of Dublin, Cardinal Cullen. It stands on an elevated site of one acre and among its visitors was Cardinal Newman.

Monsignor Browne was the last member of the clergy to live here. A sportsman and author who used the pseudonym Joseph Brady, he was a brother of the controversial Bishop Browne of Galway.

The four-bedroom house is to be auctioned by Jordan Estate Agents on June 15th and has a guide price of £400,000-plus.

The property retains many of its original features, including ornate plasterwork and marble fireplaces. A stone mews is included in the sale. It is presently used as a showrooms and workshop but could be converted to provide additional accommodation.

The house is approached by a gravelled avenue bordered by mature trees and gardens. The bright, spacious hall has a tiled floor and double doors leading to an inner hall. Off the hall is a drawingroom with a marble fireplace and impressive plasterwork. A sittingroom has a white marble fireplace with original folding doors leading into the diningroom.

The country kitchen has an Aga cooker in a brick recessed setting, with fitted pine presses and a panelled ceiling. Nearby is a utility room, lavatory and shower room.

A fine original staircase leads upstairs. The bathroom is on the return and has an antique bath and shower attachment. The four bedrooms are off the main landing and three of them have cast-iron fireplaces.

The gardens are well-planted and south facing with fine lawns, herbaceous borders, a small orchard and mature trees and shrubbery. A special feature is a timber summer house with a verandah which would be ideal for barbecues and parties.

The mews is on two floors and made of stone and slate, with a cobbled floor and pot bellied boiler.

Amenities in the area include racecourses at Punchestown, Naas and the Curragh, golf courses at Rathsallagh, Naas and Tulfarris, and the Blessington lakes.

Ballymore Eustace is half-an-hour's drive from Dublin and seven miles from Naas.