Called the Cigar Box due to its central structure – which forms the entrance and central hallways in the apartments – being shaped like a tiered humidor, the apartment building at 26 North Great George’s Street, just off Parnell Street on the north side of Dublin city centre, is something to behold.
Designed by Denis Byrne Architects and constructed in the early 2000s, it is one of the few contemporary structures on a street that is revered for its gorgeous Georgian town houses and their ornate doorways, as well as the history that lies within.
Former senator and veteran gay rights campaigner David Norris is a proud resident of North Great George’s Street and played a role in creating a society to preserve its heritage. He wrote in The Irish Times about falling in love with the street and buying a house there in 1978: “I discovered that there were already people restoring [homes here], but in isolation ... I called a meeting in my house in June 1979 and so the North Great George’s Street Preservation Society was born in my drawingroom on that day.”
Also home to the James Joyce Centre, it won’t be long before men in straw hats and women shaded by parasols will take to the street to celebrate Bloomsday.
As well as being surrounded by the grandeur of the past, apartment 3 at 26 North Great George’s Street offers contemporary living.
The owner bought two apartments when they were built, added internal stairs between the two, and lived in it as a family home. Now they have decided to downsize to a single floor and have removed the stairs to re-establish number 3 as an 89sq m two-bed apartment. It has been brought to the market by Sherry Fitzgerald, seeking €575,000. It has a C1 Ber.
From the street, you can see the stairs and balconies to the side of each L-shaped own-door apartment. The stairs are accessed through a gate with fob access for residents.
You can sense a New York influence when walking up the industrial-style stairs of the redbrick building to the third-floor apartment, where there is a balcony outside the front door big enough for a table and chairs for two.
You enter the home into the “cigar box” hallway, off which are two double bedrooms, the bathroom to the right and the study and living areas to the left, facing on to the street.
Walking into the study area, it’s filled with light from a dual-aspect box shape of floor-to-ceiling glazing recessed into the space.
This space flows into the kitchen and living area. The Allmilmo kitchen was kept by the owners from 20 years ago, and is still in great condition as it was not used as their main kitchen. Floor-to-ceiling French doors open out to a Juliet balcony overlooking the street.
The double bedrooms are of a good size, with balcony access and built in wardrobes; the main bedroom also has an en suite shower room. The main bathroom is finished with white marble-effect wall tiles.
This apartment is excellently located, with the all the city has to offer on your doorstep, including an array of restaurants and pubs on Parnell Street and the Gate and Ambassador theatres just around the corner. You can also hop on the Luas green-line stop at Parnell Street for easy access to the south side of the city.
