Mountjoy Square, in Dublin’s north inner city, holds the distinction of being the only true square in the capital. Developed in the 1790s by Luke Gardiner, the first Viscount Mountjoy, the Georgian landmark was laid out with mathematical precision with each side measuring 140m in length.
Over its long history, the square has been home to several notable figures, including James Joyce, Seán O’Casey and Arthur Guinness. Many of the townhouses were thereafter subdivided into flats and their interiors stripped of original features. Some properties were demolished, while others had their facades replaced with reproduction Georgian fronts.
The area’s fortunes began to shift again in the late 1990s when developers turned their attention to the listed buildings on the square. Gradually, restoration work brought back some of its 18th-century character. Among the houses to benefit was number 47 which was refurbished by Zoe Developments and reconfigured into just five apartments – one on each floor.
Apartment number 3 occupies the first floor, or the piano nobile, which, in the original house, would have served as the main reception level. This position means that it has the most decorative plasterwork and higher ceilings of the building’s five apartments.
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The current owners bought the apartment in 2006 to give their children somewhere to stay while they were in college in the city, and then it was to become their own retirement pad.
Although the renovation had already been completed by Zoe, the owners set out to make the interior closer to its original Georgian layout. “When we bought it, the flat had two bedrooms in the beautiful front room. The original back room was the living and diningroom. We reverted the layout to its original so that the wonderful ceiling and plasterwork in the front room was displayed. We replaced the pine fire surround with a stone one whose design matched many of those taken out of houses on Mountjoy Square and put in oak engineered floorboards with underfloor heating.”
The result is an apartment that showcases its architectural history. A beautiful doorframe opens directly into the grand front room, where the eye is drawn upward to ornate ceiling detail. A central rose is surrounded by plasterwork and four circular oil paintings of cherubs at each corner. Two large sash windows with Juliet balconies overlook the park at the centre of the square, while double doors lead through to the rear of the apartment.
Here, the owners have made clever use of space. Ceiling-height bespoke storage units line the walls leading into the dining area, concealing a large Murphy bed with bedside lockers. The owners wanted to make the most of the 92sq m (990sq ft) of floor space available at the apartment and love to entertain, so this packing up of the bedroom allows them to open the whole apartment up throughout the day.
A small corridor connects the living area to the kitchen, which is fitted with full-height cabinetry and has a balcony just large enough for a small table and chairs.
The apartment is Ber-exempt and comes with resident permit parking, though a car is hardly essential in this central location, with all transport links within walking distance. It is on the market with Sherry FitzGerald guiding €450,000.
A plan to “reimagine” the park in the centre of the square is at public consultation phase. The current report has allowed for the addition of seating areas, an outdoor gym, basketball facilities, public toilets and the old asphalt pitch is set to be get a “Fifa-grade” replacement.
For the owner, leaving the apartment and its setting will not be easy. “It is so convenient to so many things in the city centre. I love the mix of young and old, of different nationalities on the square, and the way that walking in the park at a regular time gives you a ready-made community of your neighbours.”
