One of the loveliest terraces in the city, Bessborough Parade lies equidistant between the villages of Rathmines and Ranelagh in the heart of Dublin 6. It is thought to have been named after British home secretary John William Ponsonby, fourth earl of Bessborough, who was lord lieutenant of Ireland between 1846 and 1847, and it comprises 16 houses.
The curvature of the terrace follows the line of a tributary of the river Swan against a dramatic backdrop of the green copper dome of the Church of Mary Immaculate Refuge of Sinners in Rathmines. The fact that it is a no-through crescent means it’s a quiet spot, despite its location close to the beating heart of Dublin 6.
Number 8 has just been launched to the market through Mullery O’Gara. The three-bedroom midterrace Georgian property is listed as having last sold in 2014 for €415,000, according to the Property Price Register.
Since then the owners have restored the house, installing a French drain (to redirect surface water away from the property); repaired/replaced all damaged joists and insulated the rafters and higher than normal attic space with natural sheep-wool insulation.
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In addition, Frank Clissmann of Sash Windows Ireland was tasked with the reinstatement of the handmade windows, while the entire house was replumbed and rewired. The property was reroofed with Bangor Blue slates in 2016 with the addition of new cast-iron guttering and downpipes, while the now restored rear return was rendered with St Astier lime plaster from the Traditional Lime Company.
Inside the new front door, two interconnecting reception rooms, which have exposed original floorboards, are bathed in light thanks to the classic six-over-six Georgian sash windows.
Overlooking the small iron railed front garden, a drawingroom has a solid-wood stove by Pioneer Clearview where the original fireplace would have stood. Beyond is a diningroom with lovely views to the rear garden. Here an Aga lies in place of the original fireplace, which owners use to heat the rooms at this level.
Beyond, with original flagstones that now have a lovely patina after almost 200 years of human footprints, what was a scullery/back kitchen is now home to a solid-wood Shaker-style kitchen. With a generous enamel sink, the duck-egg blue kitchen is complemented by a baby Aga, and open shelving gives an airy feel to the place that is illuminated by new sash windows. From here there is access to the rear garden and to a utility/ironing room.
Upstairs are three bedrooms, the principal of which occupies the entire width of the house. Centring on a fully functioning fireplace, it is one of the nicest rooms in the house and the fact that the room retains its shutters negates the need for curtains, allowing the period details to shine through. Behind lies a second double bedroom, also with a fireplace and large sash window, while the third bedroom (9.7sq m) a large single, lies on the return.
A small limitation of the home’s layout is the only full bathroom (there is a loo under stairs at hall level) is an en suite and hence is only accessed from the third bedroom. Other homes with similar layouts have converted this third bedroom to a full bathroom, but another simple fix could be to convert the utility room downstairs to a small shower room, as it has 3.2sq m of floor space, allowing retention of three bedrooms upstairs.
The attic space has been converted into a home office, which has storage in the eaves. It also has space for a double bed, although it’s not classed as a bedroom.
Outside the rear garden is now an edible oasis thanks to the design of landscape architect Tunde Perry, who has won many medals at Bloom over the years. With reclaimed York stone flags and framed by lush vegetation, including raspberries, loganberries, herbs and a plum tree surrounded by climbers and David Austin roses.
Parking is on street and some residents have long-term parking in the adjacent church, while the Luas greenline stops at Ranelagh and Charlemont are just a short walk away.
The coveted Dublin 6 postcode is now the most expensive in the State, with the median price paid for a home now at €800,000. Number 8 Bessborough, which is Ber-exempt and measures 121sq m/1,303sq ft (minus the attic space) for sale with an asking price of €1.05 million.
