2013 sale of Ireland’s most expensive house not registered, hearing told

No sale has been registered for Walford, the Shrewsbury Road house last year acquired for €14 million by Cypriot-registered Yesreb Holding Ltd, a Bord Pleanála hearing has been told.

Gayle Killilea Dunne, wife of developer Seán Dunne, bought Walford, an Edwardian house on an almost two-acre site in Dublin 4, for €58 million in 2005. It is the highest price paid for a house in Ireland.

Yesreb Holding Ltd, whose owners have not been disclosed, has applied to renovate and extend the house, and build four new houses in its grounds. A number of Shrewsbury Road residents are appealing the development.

Michael O'Donnell, representing Stephen Mackenzie, owner of the neighbouring house Runnymede, said despite claims by the applicants to ownership of Walford since 2013, no sale had been registered.

“There is an obligation once a sale is concluded to register that,” Mr O’Donnell said. “This land has not been registered. If it was, it would be conclusive who is the owner of the land.”

It was a "fundamental flaw" in the application for development that the owners of the property remained a secret. It was never before the case in the Irish planning process that permission was granted to a company whose directors were unknown. Yesreb's directors are listed as Totaltrust Management and Totalserve Management Ltd.

Track record

Under the planning acts, no one can apply for planning permission for land they do not own, unless they have the written consent of the owner. Planning authorities can also refuse permission if a developer has a poor track record, Mr O’Donnell said.

“If one has concerns about the track record of a developer . . . permission can be refused on that basis,” he said.

The lack of information about the applicant would also cause problems if planning permission was granted, but was not properly complied with.

“How will enforcement action be taken against a Cypriot-registered company, which has no person as its director, only another company?”

€58 million gift

Mr Dunne’s link to the property came to light only last February when he told a meeting of creditors he had gifted his wife €58 million to buy Walford.

Yesreb is seeking to alter and extend the 546sq m house to 854sq m. To the rear of the house, a new development of four detached houses, each of 608sq m, is proposed around a shared private space. The houses are to be three storeys over a basement. Widening of the driveway is also planned.

Dublin City Council last March granted permission for much of the development but included a condition reducing the number of new houses to three. Yesreb is appealing that condition.

The hearing continues.