Seldom does a property land on the market that would prove appealing to sporting and literary enthusiasts in equal measure, but number 6 Newbridge Avenue in Sandymount may just be the candidate.
Right opposite the Dodder river and its lovely walk, the Aviva Stadium is so close to the mid-terrace property that you’ll be guaranteed all your friends and family will be dropping in for pre-match and post-gig pitstops.
And not only will the kettle (and possibly the Jameson) be ready to dispense on match days, Bloomsday should prove to be another busy day in the neighbourhood as Joyceans in appropriate attire may want to drop their bicycles at the railings and slake their literary thirst.
Three doors up, number 9 was the home of Paddy Dignam in Ulysses and his funeral started from there before wending its way to Glasnevin. In the mid-19th century a new stone bridge was constructed here to replace the old, wooden toll bridge, hence the name of the avenue.
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Writer Triona Campbell took a break from completing the second book in her young-adult trilogy to tell me about the house, now being sold after her father’s death. Her parents bought it as an investment and a place for their children to live while attending university; Campbell recalls doing her first writing projects in the house.
Her parents flipped the layout of the house and added an extension when they bought it, bringing the area of the house up to 150 sq m (1614 sq ft), with a D2 Ber.
The drawingroom and kitchen are now on the first floor, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms downstairs. Granite steps lead up to the bright yellow hall door. The house has been staged for sale by Sarah Evers, making its potential immediately apparent.
While a number of period features are present and correct, with original sash windows and shutters, most of the floors are covered in a wood laminate and there is a 1980s fireplace in the drawingroom which new owners may want to replace.
Double, partially-glazed doors divide the upstairs rooms and the kitchen has great potential, with an original fireplace and French doors that open on to a charming rooftop terrace overlooking the garden.
There’s a separate entrance downstairs under the front steps and the top of the hall works well as a utility room, with a tiled stone floor.
The principal bedroom has an en suite, built-in wardrobes and good privacy thanks to the hedges retained by the family in the front garden, and original shutters on the sash windows.
Behind this room is a vast family bathroom with an unusual mirror feature – this would have been a window before the extension was built. The extension now houses two more bedrooms, both with French doors leading on to the patio.
Given the property was a student pad and then a rental for years, the kitchen and bathrooms will need a refresh, and the garden, while large and with great potential, is quite overgrown.
The writer in Campbell easily nails its magic: “The garden’s an adventure land. There’s a great vibe in the house, as soon as you walk in, you feel it. It’s a modern home that references the past and it needs to be a home again.”
Number 6 Newbridge Avenue is on the market through Sherry FitzGerald, seeking €1 million.
