Purchasers of 8 Airfield Road, Rathgar, will be buying a piece of history in this four-bedroomed terraced house. Hamilton Osborne King expects to get £310,000-plus at auction on April 5th for the Victorian redbrick. Situated in a quiet residential cul-de-sac off Rathgar Avenue, the house bears a plaque commemorating its first owners - the political agitators Hanna and Francis Sheehy Skeffington.
Inside, the Victorian atmosphere is so palpable that you can almost catch echoes of the conversation which once animated its reception rooms. Visitors to the Sheehy Skeffingtons' weekly "at homes" included James Joyce, Maud Gonne and Countess Markievicz.
With stripped wood floors, original marble and tile fireplaces, and a simple ceiling rose, these interconnecting rooms, though modest in scale (13ft by 12ft) can wear an opulent decor. Glazed double doors lead from the back room to a conservatory which, built with quarry tiles and bricks from the erstwhile scullery and maid's bedroom, belies its recent origins. The present owners knocked these rooms to create a homely rustic kitchen/breakfast room with a large brick fireplace, timber shelves and wine racks.
Facing south, it overlooks a paved yard fitted with curiosities such as a false door (from the old kitchen) and a niche of Portuguese blue and white tiles flanking a Spanish barbecue, set into the wall and topped with a chimney.
This eclectic corner is also visible from the two main bedrooms, one on the return, currently used as a library, the other on the landing above. These and the third bedroom feature original cast-iron fireplaces. The fourth bedroom is very small and might equally well serve as a study/computer room. A skylight, taking advantage of the southerly aspect, adds height to the narrow stairs and landing. Tucked away on the return is a tiny wood-panelled bathroom with overhead cistern.
While new owners will likely redecorate the house, its period atmosphere is sure to be the starting point for any fresh colour schemes and fittings, thus ensuring that its convivial past continues to abide happily there.
