Architectural salvage pays dividends at Wicklow home

SCAVANGING paid dividends for the owners of a 1960s-built Wicklow home - they conducted a thoughtful plundering of architectural salvage at a time before it was either popular or profitable made the house what it is today.

Killadreenan Grange is in Newtownmountkennedy, on 15 acres of gardens, and at 40 years of age it is mellowed enough to fool many an eye that it is indeed a far older property than its title deeds would suggest.

It is built in Georgian style, with its entrance gates from Hilltown House (Major Boylan's) in Meath, a grand house now departed which also supplied the period internal doors and architraves.

The cut limestone entrance door, pediment and fanlight came from a house in Dominic Street in Dublin, and the 23' by 15' drawing room has a Bossi fireplace with Adam inset, from Sutton Castle.

Other period-style features include decorative plasterwork, old oak floors used in several reception rooms and several bedrooms, and Italian marble tiles in the hall, kitchen and bathroom.

Laid out as a house for entertaining, the main reception rooms are interconnecting, and include drawing room linking to the dining room and the 1996 built sun room, which is brightened by a central glazed dome, is plumbed for gas and has French doors to the grounds.

The kitchen is fitted with aged pine units to continue the illusion of greater age, has both electric and gas cooking options, has a Belfast sink and nearby is a rear hall and shelved pantry/utility.

There are five bedrooms, with the master en suite a fine affair, with bathroom with nickle fittings and underfloor heating, and there is access to a central balcony with ballustrades. The property is ideal for country living, coming as it does on 15 acres with gardens, patios, rose garden, woods and paddocks. There's planing permission with a year or more to run for an extension to the main house.

Kiladreenan Grange is due for auction on October 2, and Pat Nolan of HOK Country gives it a 1.9 million euro price guide.

Dublin city is a 35 km drive from the property and commuting time varies according to time of day, and Dublin airport is reckoned to be an hour's drive while improvements to the N11 and M50 links hold the promise of a commuting lifestyle.

Set in the so-called Garden of Ireland, this privately set mini-estate has several Wicklow towns nearby, Druids Glen golf club is less than two miles away, Roundwood is five kms, and the sea and beaches are about the same distance away.