Residential

Frog chorus and a chicken run in D9

This three-bed property in Drumcondra has a large garden and a light-filled living area

Alanna Gallagher's face
Alanna Gallagher
Thu Aug 21 2014 - 01:00

A frog chorus, a chicken run and bees buzzing make 27 Annadale Crescent in Dublin 9 reminiscent of an episode of The Good Life. Owned by photographer Kieran Harnett and his partner, Katy-Ann O'Cleirigh, the house is located just off Philipsburgh Avenue in Marino although the postal address is Drumcondra.

Every little estate here seems to have its own green and Annadale is no exception, but with a the west-facing garden which extends to about 16 metres (55 feet) where Harnett keeps bees and has kept chickens, it is almost redundant. He built a pond where a frog chorus tunes up in spring and a sizeable shed, a space Harnett calls his man cave and which the next owner might want to raze to make more of the well-aspected outdoor space.

The couple have been living here for 11 years and during that time extended the three-bedroom mid-terrace house to 115sq m (1,237sq ft). The star attraction is the large eat-in kitchen familyroom.

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The room has an apexed roof, a wall of glass and banks of roof lights that pour light into the 37sq m room. Kitchen units run the length of the outside wall and have been topped with polished granite counters.

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On the opposite wall is a large blackboard that unfolds to form a table-tennis top that can be positioned atop the existing kitchen table to turn the space into a games room. It’s big enough to accommodate the greatest of backhands.

You can access the familyroom via the large kitchen and double doors lead through to the front room, their formal sittingroom. Both rooms have open fireplaces.

Upstairs there are two good-size doubles and a single bedroom as well as the family bathroom. The couple have converted the attic to make a bright space that adds another 17sq m to the house size and benefits from roof lights and the fact they installed a glass wall dividing it from the stairs, a trick that makes the room feel far bigger than it is. It’s an idea all would-be attic converters should steal.

The house has a C2 Ber rating and is asking €425,000 through agents DNG. The garden has vehicular rear access and there is off-street parking for two cars.