After 157 years, the third and final planned terrace of Royal Terrace North off Tivoli Road in Dun Laoghaire has been completed. It was originally started in the mid 1850s after the development of Dun Laoghaire Harbour, for the well-heeled to escape the contagions of Dublin city centre.
Only the west and eastern planned terraces were finished, it is said the aftermath of The Famine stalled the development. In the 1960s many of these wonderful houses were converted into bedsits and in the past 20 to 30 years have been transformed back into elegant family homes.
The only property to grace the northern face for that period was Royal Terrace House; now, five new homes have been added in a seamless development that completes the terrace.
The extent to which the new builds fit perfectly with the Victorian houses is testament to Lisa Queen of Duignan Dooley Architects; the only giveaways are the new chimney pots and flashing, in addition to the new granite steps and corbels over the front door, which were modelled on architraves from the surrounding period houses.
Standing on the southern side of the four-acre park which the terraces flank, it is almost impossible to distinguish that these are new builds, such is the attention to detail in their design.
Numbers 1-5 now sit in what was the rear garden of The Cottage Home for Little Children, a nursery and orphanage dating from the 1870s, which was converted into five homes that sold earlier this year. The terraced houses face directly onto the communal park which was once the site of Monkstown Hockey Club and now is a large amenity for residents and locals.
The orphanage, which closed in the 1970s, was purchased in 2005 by developer Robin Power for a sum believed to be in the region of €6m. Power, a dentist turned developer who built the Stephens Green Shopping Centre, and also worked with Donald Trump to refurbish the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles in the 1980s, had the intention to develop this site into six houses complete with underground parking, lifts, wine cellars and all the trappings of luxury houses during boom times.
However the recession took hold, and the debt was purchased by global private equity firm Lone Star in 2014, and subsequently sold to Rathcoole-based Elmhill Homes for €3.15m in 2015.
Elmhill, who in conjunction with Montane Developments (a company linked to another Celtic Tiger era developer Ray Grehan) converted the orphanage into townhouses, has now completed Power's vision, though there are now five and not six properties as originally planned. While there is no underground parking, there is off street parking for one car per property to the rear – which is accessed by a lane running between the old orphanage and the terrace. There is also on street parking – permits are available through Dun Laoghaire County Council.
Interiors of the show house have been meticulously designed by Nicola Pollard who has used period colours and panelling throughout. The kitchen which sits at garden level, is painted in Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue – a bold and gutsy colour that many people shy away from, but it really works. Units are solid oak, custom-built and feature high-end appliances around a natural stone island.
At hall level are the main reception rooms; the drawing room which overlooks the park is warmed by a stove set into a formal fireplace and the room has a period feel from panelled walls.
The dining room has lower ceilings than one would expect of a period style property, but this allows a second return to the rear of the house.
The four bedrooms are sizeable and two are en-suite, the main suite also features a large dressing room.
Due to the fact that the properties are brand new, the houses have BER energy ratings of A2, thanks to A-rated sash windows, a heat recovery system and solar panels.
While the back gardens are smaller than their peers along the other terraces, and are quite close to the houses to the rear, the four acres of parkland to the front provide ample compensation for families who enjoy outdoor pursuits.
The first of the new houses, No 1, already sold in recent weeks. The remaining four are now for sale through Sherry FitzGerald with prices starting from €1.795m.
Royal Terrace House, the 520sq m period home from the 1860s formerly owned by Robin Power's son, Ross Power, was sold in 2013 for €1.1m. Following a major refurbishment it is now in walk-in condition and on the market for €2.5m through Susan Turley of Turley Property Advisors.
