The Marianists are selling their community house in Killiney and, due to a drop in numbers, intend trading down to a smaller property nearby.
The community has been in Ireland since the 1960s when they opened St Laurence’s College, a co-educational school, in Loughlinstown. They bought St Columba’s, one of Killiney’s impressive Victorian estates, in 1978 when it was hoped that the congregation would grow. However, there are now only four Brothers living in the vast 16-bedroom, 939sq m (10,107sq ft) property which is set on 4.2 acres of parkland, planted decades ago with a stunning variety of now mature trees.
At the entrance, at the start of the sweeping drive that leads up to the solid-looking two-storey over-garden level house, is the original gate lodge. They didn't buy the gate lodge when they bought the house in the 1970s but have since done so although it is not in use and is in poor condition. Curiously the lodge is a protected structure, while the house is not. The entire lot is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald for €3.65 million.
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When they bought St Columba’s it was in family use and they adapted it to suit their own needs. Unless it is bought now for institutional use, these changes are likely to be stripped back. The main change they made was converting the redbrick stable at the back to sleeping accommodation on its upperfloor and a workshop use on the groundfloor. A two-storey link building joins the stables to the main house.
Given the land and the location, the sale could attract small-scale developers looking to perhaps build one or maybe two large houses in one of the side gardens, although it should be stressed that St Columba’s is not currently zoned for development. Planning permission will also have to be sought if the new buyers wants to extend or change the gate lodge because of its protected status.
The house itself is like so many of these Killiney mansions in that it has a simple layout, essentially four large rooms on each level with bathrooms or small bedrooms in the returns and additional pantries, bootrooms and other storage rooms at garden level.
What was originally the grand reception room at hall level was converted by the Brothers into a chapel, hence the stained glass in the sash windows in the front bay and to the side. As it was in continuous family ownership since it was built and as the Brothers have been careful in its upkeep, many original features such as the highly decorative plasterwork in the main reception rooms and hall are still intact.
It’s not often you come across a national monument in the garden of a house but St Columba’s has an extraordinary looking, triangular shaped granite structure in its side garden. In the early 1800s before the house was built, the Duke of Dorset was visiting a neighbour and while out hunting, jumped a high wall, fell off his horse and died. A monument was erected on the spot in his memory. According to the Brothers it is visited very occasionally.
In the spirit of community they have also permitted locals to use the vast garden on the other side of the house as an allotment while a neighbour has kept his hives in a far corner of the garden.
