Dating from the 1920s, Brendan Road at the edge of Herbert Park in Donnybrook was developed by Batt O’Connor. Originally a stonemason who emigrated to Boston in 1893, he returned to Ireland at the age of 28, where he established himself as a speculative builder.
The road takes its name from the patron saint of his native Kerry, and O'Connor – who was interned for his membership of the Irish Republican Brotherhood and subsequently became a member of Dáil Éireann – provided refuge for Michael Collins at his own home, number 1 Brendan Road.
Number 27 has been home to the Ryan family since the 1960s when the late Patricia Ryan, who died last year, purchased the house prior to her marriage. Her father, Michael Donnelly, who lived for a time at the property, had as a young man briefly emigrated to the US. "He worked in a supermarket chain while he was there, and that gave him a really good insight into retail. When he returned to Ireland he established Lilmar Medical – which specialised in dressings – and had the Irish import rights for L'Oréal," explains granddaughter Helen Ryan.
The fine Edwardian six-bed, located in a quiet cul-de-sac, will require some updating and has potential to extend. "The fact that it has a large space to the side [where a garage currently sits] would allow a two-storey extension – subject to planning. It means that the size of the rear garden would not be compromised, as has been the case with some neighbours," says selling agent Susan Slevin of DNG who is handling the sale.
The property is also one of the few houses that benefits from off-street parking. The road was turned into a cul-de-sac in recent years making it safe for children at play.
While it currently has six bedrooms, new owners could change some of the smaller rooms into en suites, or indeed amalgamate some of the rooms into larger bedrooms, but it is all a bit of a moveable feast – depending on purchaser requirements.
The kitchen is small for a house with 187sq m (2,012sq ft) of space and it is likely new owners will want to take advantage of the area to the side of the house, which would give a large room with lots of sun due to the southerly aspect of the rear garden.
Number 27, which Ryan describes as “a very happy family home” for the past 60 years, is on the market through DNG seeking €1.5 million.
