Commuters from Wexford and Wicklow to the capital have Irish engineer James Price to thank for the safety of the railway line that links Dublin to the south east.
The railway was originally designed by noted British engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, but he never considered the underlying rock which led to a disaster in 1867 when a train derailed causing two deaths, and seriously injured 25 passengers.
Price was tasked with making the railroad safe – after a series of landslides – and he realigned the affected route of the railway, part of which is still in use today.
Other strings to Price's bow include presidency of the Irish Institute of Civil Engineers, the introduction of the vertical sluice bridge to Spencer Dock in Dublin, the design of the Lough Erne drainage system – which had the largest vertical sluice gate in the world at the time – and he also oversaw the building of the first Bascule bridge in Ireland – the drawbridge in Drumsna, Co Leitrim.
An Irish Times report on his Spencer Dock Bridge from 1873 describes the engineer’s work as “genius”.
Price-built
For potential buyers of Shamrock Cottage on Church Road in Greystones, they can rest assured that the house is well constructed, as Price built this, and its semi-detached neighbour in 1879. It has been suggested that the limestone for the exterior of the properties, came from the blasting of Bray Head tunnel.
The current owner, Joe Morrison bought the property in 1994: "It had not changed a bit since the 1940s, and very little needed to be done, such was the craftsmanship of the day."
Morrison, a television set designer added further accommodation to the property, which now extends to a generous 195sq m (2,100sq ft) well beyond the cottage’s original size.
To the rear of the house a principal bedroom was added, which is particularly beautiful. A barrelled ceiling was installed for light and height – all the rooms in this late-Victorian house have unusual ceilings – and French windows lead out to the rear garden. In addition, the en suite is cleverly hidden behind what appears to be a wardrobe door.
A further extension with a vaulted ceiling was added to the Chalon-style kitchen, which is now the hub of this four-bed family home.
The property has three further reception rooms; a formal living room with a fine bay window sits to the front of the house, and a study and informal living room are accessed from the kitchen.
It is the little details, such as the tiny shamrock logo in the main and pedestrian gates, the use of old brick and limestone in the rear extension, in addition to the fireplaces in every room, that makes Shamrock Cottage an interesting house.
The property has a fine front garden, and an elevated private rear garden with an old pear and damson tree.
It is on the market through Sherry FitzGerald for €1.175million.
