Ontario Court in Ranelagh is tucked away and yet close to many amenities. A small cul-de-sac, it lies parallel to Ontario Terrace, which was immortalised in James Joyce’s Ulysses when Molly Bloom refers to “that slut Mary” in relation to a servant who had stolen potatoes while flirting with her husband Leopold, while they lived on the terrace.
The line of contemporary homes, known as Ontario Court, is set behind electric gates, offering seclusion and peace.
Number 3 has been launched to the market through DNG. Owners have called the place home for 18 years and purchased the property as a downsizer from their Blackrock home. “We wanted to be near everything and when we moved here we sold one car and bought two bikes, so now we cycle everywhere,” one of the owners says. They are now moving to be closer to their five grandchildren near the sea.
It is an interesting property and the changes the owners have made add to the place. When they first moved into the 112 sq m (1,206 sq ft) B3-rated mews, they made a principal suite from what were originally two bedrooms. Now this room, which is en suite like the second bedroom, has access to a superb terrace that benefits from evening sun. For new owners changing the property back into a three-bedroom unit should be a simple enough.
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The second alteration was changing what was a carport to the front of the house into a diningroom that is now accessed from the kitchen and the hallway. This allowed for a larger living space to the rear, which was extended into the garden.
Small details, such as thye curved glazing that allows light into the kitchen from the hallway and a lovely rear courtyard, add to the allure of this property. The new roof light installed in the extension demonstrates the level of detail that went into the design.
Then there’s an avocado tree and grape vine. As one of the owners has been in the wine business for half a century, “we have been grafting vines everywhere we go”. This has resulted in a lovely vine, planted 18 years ago that adds interest to the upper balcony in summer. Though now a gnarly bark, it produces leaves and flowers in early summer followed by a bounty of grapes.
“It’s amazing that they grow so well here and the vine is pollinated by a neighbour who keeps bees on Mount Pleasant Avenue. Though I tried making wine once – which we called Vino Collapso as it was so bad – now I give my neighbour grapes in exchange for his honey. You really wouldn’t think this would happen so close the city,” the owner says.
Another unexpected plant in the garden is a tall avocado tree that owners grew from a stone of the fruit. Though towering, “it takes about 20 years to produce fruit – so the new owners might get some”.
Number 3 Ontario Court, a charming spot close to the city with some unusual plants, is seeking €1.05 million through DNG.
