A truly exceptional residence on Ireland’s most prestigious residential road.

A REMARKABLE OPPORTUNITY

Melfort is a most impressive Edwardian residence of distinction enjoying elegant proportions indicative of the era of its construction, surrounded by extensive private manicured gardens offering the discerning purchaser the opportunity to acquire a magnificent family home close to Dublin City Centre.

A truly exceptional residence on Ireland’s most prestigious residential road.

A REMARKABLE OPPORTUNITY

Melfort is a most impressive Edwardian residence of distinction enjoying elegant proportions indicative of the era of its construction, surrounded by extensive private manicured gardens offering the discerning purchaser the opportunity to acquire a magnificent family home close to Dublin City Centre.

Situated on the wonderful renowned tree lined Shrewsbury Road in prime Dublin 4, often referred to as Ireland’s Embassy belt, the house and gardens enjoy an enviable southerly aspect and immense privacy.

Melfort is one of the earliest houses developed on Shrewsbury Road during the Edwardian Period, sometime in the period 1897 to 1913, as it appears together with the adjoining house Hawthorn, as being one of the two houses at this location on Shrewsbury Road at the time of the first official survey of the road.

We understand the house was built circa. 1906, undergoing further embellishments thereafter, to produce the outstanding residence being offered to the market today.

Melfort stands on the southerly side of Shrewsbury Road, the premier and the most desirable address in Dublin City. Shrewsbury Road is a treelined avenue, connecting Ailesbury Road to Merrion Road, just a short walk from Dublin City Centre. The houses of Shrewsbury Road are predominantly of the Edwardian era and generally of substantial proportions with large gardens to the front and rear.

Melfort is superb example of a classical detached Edwardian red brick city residence, enjoying extensive gardens, to include a mini orchard, off street parking and total privacy.

The residence extends to approximately 471 sq. m. (5,070 sq. ft.). The overall site extends to approximately 0.284 ha (0.7 acres) with mature manicured gardens to the rear and lawns to the front with ample private parking.

Melfort is entered from Shrewsbury Road through a recessed brick pillared electrically operated wrought iron gates leading to a lantern lit gravel forecourt. There is also a separate pedestrian access onto Shrewsbury Road.

The forecourt is bounded by box hedging, mature specimen trees, shrubberies and allows access to the garage now used as a games room and an entertainment space. Melfort is a perfect example of how to celebrate the period charm of such a house while providing ample space for relaxed family life.

HISTORY

Shrewsbury Road was named in the honour of the 1874 marriage of George Herbert, 13th Earl of Pembroke to Lady Gertrude Chetwynd a cousin of the 19th Earl of Shrewsbury.

It contains a great number of beautiful Edwardian houses set in spacious and mature grounds. Over the years it became the home of many of Dublin’s leading medical and legal families.

There are 28 houses on Shrewsbury Road and most of them date from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. Melfort (No 19) was home to an interesting literary and musical family, The Starkies. Head of his family was Rt Hon. William Starkie, former President of University College Galway, the last High Commissioner for Primary Education in Ireland, and a classical scholar.

His wife (May) entertained all the leading literati and musicians of the day in this house. Their children were talented musicians and were winning prizes at the Feis Ceoil in 1916. The family had infamous music garden parties, notable names who were entertained in the house were W.B.Yeats and his brother Jack Yeats the painter and the Irish Literary renaissance writer who wrote with the pseudonym AE George William Russell.

Among the children, Enid became Reader in French at Somerville College Oxford. Her autobiography is called A Lady’s Child (1941). Walter Starkie became Professor of Spanish at Trinity College, before setting up the British Council office in Madrid. His autobiography is called Scholars and Gypsies (1963). Chou Chou (Ida) Starkie was a gifted cellist, and played with many of the leading symphony orchestras, becoming Professor of Cello at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

PREMIER LOCATION – IRELAND’S FINEST

Shrewsbury Road is located in the heart of prime Ballsbridge, a wide leafy tree lined avenue where many embassies and diplomatic residences historically are located including various nations Embassies and Ambassador’s Residences.

Shrewsbury Road enjoys a leafy setting in Dublin 4’s embassy belt with the convenience of being within walking distance of Dublin’s Central Business District and St. Stephen’s Green.

The villages of Ballsbridge and Donnybrook are a short stroll away with their array of fashionable shops, boutiques and restaurants. A wide range of recreational facilities are nearby such as Herbert Park with its 32 acres of grounds with extensive range of amenities that include bowling greens, football pitches, tennis courts, and café. Also close by are the Aviva Stadium, the RDS Showgrounds and Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club.

There is an excellent choice of schools and third level colleges on hand to include Michael’s College, St.Conleths’s College, Loreto College St. Stephen’s Green, Muckross College, Teresian Primary & Secondary School, UCD and Trinity College Dublin. Ballsbridge benefits from many of the city’s top restaurants and hotels including Roly’s Bistro, the renowned MAE restaurant, Inter-Continental Hotel and the Dylan Hotel. Sydney Parade DART station is only a short walk and Dublin International Airport within easy access via the Port Tunnel.

EXCEPTIONAL GARDENS

The secluded and private front garden is predominantly laid out with a lantern lit gravel forecourt and mature specimen trees.

The rear garden is exceptionally private for a near city centre residence.

The extensive space is divided into two sections, the first being immediately to the rear of the house. A feature of this section is the Victorian/Edwardian style veranda, which takes full advantage of the southerly aspect of the house and thus affording a covered space ideal for al- fresco dining, BBQ’S and general entertaining.

The lawns are extensive with flowering colourful variety of rose borders. A tall mature beech hedge divides this section of the garden from the orchard, and which is also interconnected with meandering pathways.

The orchard is planted with numerous flowering fruit trees, including cherry, apple, and pear. The gardens have been so designed as to assist in easy minimal maintenance.