Retiro Verde, constructed in the 1960s, is just a stone's throw from the Castleknock gate at Phoenix Park – just four houses away, to be precise. In the late 1960s, Val Connellan, a fruit and vegetable importer, met his future wife Shelagh at the property after attending the Phoenix Park races. Twenty years after the couple married, they bought the house where they raised their family for over two decades.
"I used to play here when I was a kid – before Mum and Dad bought the property – we used to drive a golf buggy around the back garden" says Barry Connellan, managing director of Franchise Development Solutions International..
The property lives up to its name of green retreat, set on lush gardens which extend to 0.38 of an acre, overlooked only by tall trees and hedging, including a weeping birch which bows gracefully over the entrance gates.
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The two-storey house which extends to 269sq m has six bedrooms – five of which are doubles, while the sixth is currently used as a study. Inside a small porch, the house opens directly into an open-plan hall and dining area. “It was amazing for parties and Christmas as the rooms just flow into one another,” Mr Connellan adds.
The property has four reception rooms, all of which have solid timber floors. A new country-style kitchen opens out to a paved al fresco dining area. The family installed a timber shack bar in the garden underneath an old cherry blossom tree, which has catered for many family gatherings. While new owners will want to update the bathrooms and install double glazing throughout, the rest of the property is in great condition.
The Connellans had permission to demolish the house and erect two substantially larger properties on the site. Although permission lapsed in 2013, developers may look at this as an opportunity as there is a precedence for planning and, while the gardens will be smaller, the site is a one-minute walk to 707 hectares of public gardens, pasture and woodlands.
Retiro Verde, located on one of the most desirable roads in Dublin15, is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald with an asking price of €1.95 million.
