Richard Harris’ home in Limerick comes with star appeal

Richard Harris’s former home could make an outstanding family residence, writes Trish Dromey

Ennis Road, Limerick

[table][row][column]Price[/column][column]€785,000[/column][/row][row][column]Size[/column][column]325 sq m (3,500 sq ft)[/column][/row][row][column]Bedrooms[/column][column]9[/column][/row][row][column]Bathrooms[/column][column]9[/column][/row][row][column]BER[/column][column]exempt[/column][/row][/table]

BEFORE becoming a famous movie actor in the 1960s and 1970s, and going on to achieve renewed fame as Dumbledore in the early Harry Potter movies, Richard Harris grew up in this handsome three storey redbrick property on Ennis Road in Limerick.

Called Overdale, the semi detached property is now listed on the internet for two very different reasons. The National inventory of Architectural Heritage records it as being a turn of the century property which incorporates much late Victorian and early Edwardian architectural detailing.

The site notes that it is part of Lansdowne Villas development designed by architect Clifford Smith (who was responsible for a number of residential developments in the city as well Shannon Rowing Club) which shows evidence of the growth of middle class wealth in the city at the time On the Notable Abodes website, Overdale is recorded as being the residence of Richard Harris from the 1930s to 1952. It references his biography Behaving Badly which gives details of his childhood at the property and which mentions that, at a young age, Harris played Tarzan in the garden trees at Overdale and at a later age, shimmied up one them to regain entrance after climbing down to go on nights out without his parents’ knowledge.

The current owners bought the property around 20 years ago and, during the 1990s, carried out renovations to use it, for a time, as a retreat house.

Coming to the market with a guide of €785,000, selling agents REA O’Connor Murphy say that in addition to being noteworthy because its architecture and its connection with Richard Harris, it also merits attention because of its location in one of Limerick’s most desirable residential areas. Auctioneer Elaine Fitzpatrick says this makes it particularly attractive to trade up buyers.

Offering 3,500 sq ft of accommodation over four levels, Overdale has maintained many original features including ceiling roses, coving, bay windows and fireplaces.

The redbrick façade with its three-sided bay windows and timber framed porch probably looks much as it would have done when it was first built. On the inside the ground floor still has its original layout, high ceilings and cornicing. Accommodation at this level includes an elegant hallway, front drawing room and back sitting room which all have picture rails as well as cornicing.

To the back, in a section which looks like a later addition, is a dining room, a kitchen and a laundry room. In order to turn the property in to a retreat house, the current owners made changes to the layout on the upper floors to accommodate additional bathrooms.

On the first floor return there is a bathroom and two bedrooms including one with an en suite and a bay window at the rear. The first floor has two large bedrooms, one with a dressing room and a WC. There are two more en suite bedrooms on the second floor and another two on the third.

Overdale, which is No 8 in the small redbrick Lansdowne Villas development, has a long lawned garden at the front with a pedestrian entrance. It also has a long garden at the rear with a lawn, a yard, a shed and a wide vehicular entrance on Farranshone road as well as parking space for several cars.

“The location, within a gentle stroll of the city centre, offers an unparalleled sense of convenience,’’ says Ms Fitzpatrick adding that it is close to schools and sporting facilities. According to his biography, Richard Harris during his years at Overdale attended Crescent College and also played rugby for Garryowen at Thomond Park.

VERDICT: While Overdale possibly has space enough to be a guest house, the selling agents believe it will make an outstanding family residence.