A truly classical early – 20th century city residence of elegant proportions surrounded by extensive private manicured gardens on Dublin’s finest residential road.
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 tree lined avenue, connecting Ailesbury Road to the Merrion Road, just a short walk from Dublin City Centre. The houses of Shrewsbury Road are predominantly of the Edwardian/ Victorian era and generally of substantial proportions with large gardens to the front and rear.
Melfort is superb example of the 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 fore court 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.
The house is entered through the front door to the vestibule with Victorian tiled floor and plain cornicing then onto the hall. To the left is the formal dining room which features ornate plaster cornicing and frieze, central celling rose white, marble chimney piece with brass and iron inset. The floor is of polished wood planks. Next is the snug, laid out as a private bar, with large marble fireplace with brass and iron inset, tiled floor. Opposite is the wonderful drawing room, an elegant, light filled beautifully proportioned reception room, with Adams Style marble chimney piece incorporating brass and iron inset. To the rear of the hall is the large modern John Daly kitchen breakfast room with an extensive range of floor and wall mounted kitchen storage units. The 6 oven AGA, with two traditional hot plates and covers further enhanced with a gas hob. The kitchen flows through to the family sitting room and informal dining room area with double doors to the Victorian/Edwardian styled veranda which takes full advantage of the southerly aspect of the rear of the house. The adjoining garage/party room with utility room, wc and wine cellar.
Taking the feature staircase to the first floor, here off the landing are 5 bedrooms. On the first-floor return is bedroom 4, currently laid out as a study. This room is full of light with windows on two elevations. From the main landing the remaining bedrooms are as follows. To the front of the house is the principal bedroom with large en-suite and walk-in dressing room. The large en-suite is of a Romanesque style with ornate tiling surrounding the bath, separate shower unit and two vanity units. The further third guest and family bedrooms are all bright and airy with one sharing an interconnecting bathroom. There is also access to the roof terrace from the main hall landing. The house is presented in superb decorative order throughout.
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
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 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.
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