Last year this house had 218 acres and a price tag of up to €10m. Now it’s for sale at €2 million with a lot less land

THE RICH farmland between Lucan and Clonee in west Dublin is distinguished by a cluster of handsome period houses and timeless stud farms.

One of them, Allenswood House, was offered for sale last September on 218 acres but with banking finance extremely difficult to secure at the time and few farms close to Dublin selling it was not entirely surprising that a buyer did not surface. The asking price then was between €7 million and €10 million.

With renewed interest in small land holdings and some easing up in credit restrictions, joint selling agents McDonald Brothers Real Estate Alliance and Colliers have decided to offer the 19th-century house for sale again, along with its gate lodge, gardens and stableyard, on a more manageable 35 acres.

At a revised price of €2 million, the mini-estate, conveniently located about two miles from Lucan and nine miles from the city centre, should appeal to families looking for country-style living with equestrian facilities.

Despite its proximity to the city, Allenswood is happily rooted in a completely rural setting. The house is located at the end of a lovely old wooded avenue offering complete privacy and distant views towards the Dublin mountains.

The gardens may not have been getting the same level of attention recently as they did over the years but all that can be easily changed. Similarly, the house is also a little tired and in need of complete redecoration, but it is still an enchanting and practical home that will appeal to many families.

The three-bay house is definitely on the large size with a floor area of 557sq m (6,000sq ft), including three wonderful reception rooms, two of them with Adam-style fireplaces.

There is a particularly spacious double conservatory wrapped around one side, running from the drawingroom to the kitchen.

On the opposite side there is a more formal wood-panelled library with a large bay window and a door leading out into the old rose garden. The kitchen comes with an oil-fired Aga and there is a scullery and larder off it. There are staff quarters overhead.

The first floor has five large bedrooms off a spacious landing, one of them en suite. The main bathroom is also on this floor.

Allenswood House, Lucan, Co Dublin

Five-bedroom farmhouse and lands nine miles from city

Agent: McDonald Brothers Real Estate Alliance/Colliers