The redevelopment of the old Beggars Bush Barracks on Haddington Road in Dublin 4 in the early 1990s included the conversion to apartments of the army buildings that line the square at the entrance. It was a sympathetic conversion that respected the original fabric of the old buildings which date back to the 1820s and they look smart from the outside with their fanlight topped front doors and tall sash windows.
Number 10, The Square, a two-bedroom first-floor apartment currently for sale through Lisney seeking €545,000, has many of the features that make this atmospheric development so desirable, particularly for downsizers looking for privacy and space.
The terrace is comprised of individual houses subdivided into apartments and Number 10 shares a white-painted front door out on to the square with just three other apartments. It is located upstairs off a good sized landing which it shares with one other apartment.
With 75sq m (807sq ft), it’s a two bed that runs from the front to the rear of the building – the two double bedrooms and bathroom are to the rear while the room that is going to be a key selling point – the large living room – is to the front. It has an open fire, a ceiling height usually only found in period houses and two sash windows overlooking the square.
The apartment is currently a rental and the upmarket furniture is on the bland side but it is easy to imagine what a new owner could bring to this elegant room, particularly if they are downsizers bringing interesting old furniture and pictures with them. The small, serviceable galley kitchen fitted with integrated appliances and glossy units has a hatch opening into the living room – the hatch brings natural light from the front windows into the kitchen.
Beggars Bush is a mixed development with an interesting combination of other tenants that range from the charming Print Museum with its lovely café to the Labour Relations Commission. And so for residents there are always daytime coming and goings out front – but the square is wide and neatly landscaped with a large lawned area fringed with trees so the activity isn’t intrusive. The annual service charge is €1,800. It comes with one parking space.