All eyes were on Dún Laoghaire last week when the 3m-high statue of revolutionary Roger Casement at the Baths briefly disappeared beneath the waves during a spell of exceptionally wet weather. A few roads up, however, things were a lot calmer. Royal Terrace East sat quietly above the drama, untouched by the worst of the lashing rain, with only a handful of puddles inside its gated square to suggest the downpours had ever happened.
Royal Terrace was developed in 1860 by prominent businessman Francis J Nugent as two facing terraces set on opposite sides of a four-acre park. The opening of the Dublin to Kingstown railway in 1834 made it possible for well-heeled city families to decamp to the coast for the summer months. While the terrace has the look and feel of a complete Victorian set piece, the square itself was only finished in 2017, when a row of five new houses was added to the north terrace, each with near identical Victorian facades.
On the east terrace, number 7 has just come to the market with an asking price of €2.45 million through Lisney Sotheby’s International Realty. Arranged over two storeys above a garden level, the Ber-exempt house extends to 305sq m (3,284sq ft) with five bedrooms. It was fully renovated and refurbished by a previous owner, with further upgrades and redecoration carried out by the current owners, who are selling as they prepare to relocate overseas.
While many Victorian houses reserve their “good rooms” for entrance level, number 7 takes a slightly different approach. Here, the spaces that see the most daily use – the kitchen and diningroom – are positioned just off the hall to the left. It allows the home’s most elaborate decorative cornicing to be enjoyed throughout the day rather than saved for special occasions. The diningroom sits at the front of the house and retains its original fireplace, while a wide, ornate arch connects it to the kitchen. Both rooms feature detailed and beautifully preserved plasterwork.
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An extension was added along the back of the property at all three storeys, making space for bathrooms in each bedroom. The result is a series of rooms that feel closer to hotel suites than standard bedrooms. On the first-floor return level, the first of these spacious bedrooms comes with its own en suite.
The first floor is where the house really flexes its Victorian muscles. The drawingroom is the showstopper, with restored plasterwork, a shuttered bay window and the original marble fireplace firmly holding centre stage. The eye is immediately drawn up to the high ceilings and the light fittings that offer a modern take on the traditional chandelier. Also on this level is a cinema room, complete with surround sound, dark walls and a large, mounted projection screen.
Down on the hall return there is another bedroom and a guest bathroom. At garden level, the entrance hall is lined with original cut-stone walls. There’s a service kitchen here, which is invaluable when entertaining outdoors thanks to its direct access to the garden. At the front of the house on this level is another bedroom with en suite, currently set up as a home office.
The main bedroom occupies the remainder of the garden level. It includes a large bathroom, a wall of fitted wardrobes, an enclosed vanity area and double doors that open directly on to the garden. Completing the accommodation is another bedroom on the second-floor landing, designed as a child’s room with twin beds and its own en suite bathroom.
Outside, the rear garden has been designed to be as low-maintenance as possible. The lower level is a paved patio, while the upper level is laid with artificial grass, ensuring that no muck gets dragged back into the house. High walls, topped with additional fencing, provide a strong sense of privacy.
At the end of the garden sits a double garage, accessed from the lane at Corrig Road. It is fitted with an EV charger and can accommodate up to three cars. The current owners use the space as a home gym and for extra storage, rounding off a house that manages to balance period grandeur with modern living.
