Capital house for small beer

Tommy Barker finds that this Dublin 8 property is a home within a house.

OLD and new right on the doorstep, with Guinness Brewery almost on tap in this Dublin 8 enclave, and with the new Digital Hub also on the doorstep, down the cobble and brick paved road. Welcome to 9A, Rainsfort Avenue.

What you see from the front elevation of this attractive contrasting brick-fronted Dublin Liberties home off Rainsfort Street isn’t, however, exactly what you get. You only get half of it, but at least it is the handier, more accessible ground floor, in effect an apartment within a terraced house.

Oh, and you get the back garden BBQ and al fresco eating space thrown in for the €310,000 price, quoted by agents Felicity Fox.

She is selling for the owner of this 450 sq ft home who was hands-on in the make-over, and while some might have sought to stay open plan, he opted for a small number of private areas inside this handily-located home.

The ‘garden-level apartment’ may have an appeal to an investor, a single buyer, or a buyer looking for a Dublin base for himself/herself, or for college-going offspring. It is close to Heuston Station, the Digital Hub, National College of Art and Design, and the Four Courts, within an easy walk of the city centre, TCD and more.

The garden is the real selling point for those who may feel too confined by the average apartment balcony. This west-facing space is about 27’ wide and 10’ deep, with trellising along the painted walls. There’s even a fruiting plum tree.

According to the agents this is “a handsome and unique property, oozing character and warmth, with features such as the original open cast iron fireplace, thick solid walls and a pretty brick front facade.”

They say the new layout (done about a year ago) means someone can do a bit of work at home in the compact separate study reached via double doors without impinging too much on the main living room, the kitchen is galley style, and there’s handy extra storage under the staircase, the sort of hide-away space you’d won’t get in a new built apartment.

The bedroom, to the front of the house is large enough for a double bed and built-ins, and there’s a shower room off. Heating is by electric storage heaters, and as you’ve neighbours on either side and overhead, it should nearly warm itself, cosy in every regard.