IT’S THE VIEW that gets you first. Stand in the back garden or gaze out an upstairs window of St Leonard’s and you can see the ocean stretching out for miles in front of you.
There’s a reason why people like Bono and Enya choose to make their home in upmarket Killiney.
It’s along the gorgeous coastline, its hills offer plenty of space for privacy, the views are incredible, and the homes are to live for.
In a house like St Leonard’s, located off a private road in Killiney, it’s easy to get lost.
With eight bedrooms, a dining room, drawing room, morning room, kitchen and breakfast room, games room and attic (just to name a few locations inside), the 531sq.m Tudor house is sprawling.
The current owners’ children even told their parents they believe there must be a secret passageway inside.
And it’s no surprise they think that, given the numerous short staircases and surprising rooms it contains.
When the family moved in, in 1977, they even managed to briefly lose their dog inside the house.
But remarkably, despite its size, it doesn’t feel so much vast as spacious. It’s cosy, too – a real dream family home.
Grand and beautiful
Once you unlock the wooden gate and patter down a set of stone steps, you get your first proper view of the home and its surrounding land.
It’s remarkably quiet outside, with just the noise of the birds in the surrounding trees to be heard.
To the left of the house, there are double stables where the family once had their two horses and a pony, and a coach house with double garage doors.
As there’s enough space to park your car, this coach house has the potential to be a lovely guesthouse.
Entry to the house itself is through two sets of doors, down a short tiled passageway, through a grand wooden door inside a gorgeous entranceway.
The back door, by contrast, is large, white and wooden, perfect for casting open with a dramatic flourish.
Sea views
If your dream is to live close to the sea, then this house on its 0.85 acres of land is for you.
The current owners have held many a party in the grounds – even a wedding – and if you owned a space like this, you’d want to show it off as much as possible.
The secluded private gardens have an unfettered view of the coastline and Killiney Bay, and the large garden has its own pond, paddock, vegetable plot and herbaceous borders.
It’s a stroll down the road to the DART station, the N11 and M50 are nearby, and – best of all – Killiney Beach is just a few minutes away.
The kitchen, with its centre island and gas hob, is the perfect place for a family dinner.
But when it’s time for the children to do their thing, there’s a ‘hidden’ room that’s a fun space for kids to hang out in while the parents relax.
It’s in the basement, accessed by a winding stairs. A perfect little den.
And if they’re not happy in the den, there’s the games room upstairs in the attic that’s another favourite with younger visitors.
Space for relaxation
The kitchen’s double glass doors open onto a wooden deck, where you can sit and soak in the sea views.
No matter what time of year, whether cosied up in a blanket or basking in the summer rays, this would be the perfect place for your al fresco breakfast or brunch.
Or at night, for a glass of wine while watching the moon shine on the drifting waves.
It’s also, we’re told, the perfect spot for birdwatching.
Touches of history
History buffs will find plenty to pique their interest – such as the wooden Carlo Cambi chimney piece (above), which says it dates from 1886.
Cambi was an Italian carver whose work can also be seen in the National Gallery of Ireland and the Science and Art Museum.
It’s the little touches at St Leonard’s that show you’re in a house with history: the mosaic tiled floors; the red brickwork, the stained glass windows, the wooden chimney, parquet floors.
Large but cosy, with plenty of space for family and visitors; the perfect place to hold elaborate events or relax alone gazing at the bay.
This is a dream home for those who love nature – and life’s little pleasures.
St Leonard’s is for sale by private treaty through Savills.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say