Perfect for the centenary year that's in it, Red Roof was once the gate lodge to Roebuck House, home to Maud Gonne MacBride and her son Seán. They had inherited the house from Gonne's estranged husband Maj John MacBride on his execution following the 1916 Rising, and lived there from 1922 until Gonne's death in 1953.
Seán sold the lodge to the father of the current owners shortly afterwards. Since then it has been remodelled to include two double bedrooms on the ground floor – ideal for anyone with mobility issues, and another charming double with en-suite upstairs in the eaves.
The house is on Clonskeagh Road, but you have plenty of cobble-lock parking away from the road; and some gates and additional planting would give further screening. Actually you’ve got the best of both worlds, as the west-facing back garden is entirely peaceful and secluded, but still completely convenient to the shops at Clonskeagh. UCD is opposite, Ranelagh is down the road, plus there’s plenty of public transport to the nearby city centre.
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The last revamp was in 1997, and the decor could do with some upgrading here and there. You might also want to knock through between the small kitchen and the large and sunny living/dining room, which has an entire wall of glass to the garden, to create a really wonderful and practical space.
There’s also a utility room, and stone-flagged hallway, with a double-height atrium, through which sun streams to make it all feel rather magical. The two downstairs bedrooms are nicely separate from the living areas, and one is en-suite. The upstairs bedroom has a large en-suite: duck your head under a low turn to arrive at a super upstairs study area.
Red Roof has a lovely quirky identity, the site is steeped in history, and the location is very convenient. At €750,000 with Beirne & Wise, it probably needs a little more attention to bring it to the next centenary, but it has all the potential to be a very special home.
