Grand Wicklow residence that retains a homely feel

Newtownmountkennedy: €5.5m:A delightful six-bedroom period house with large rooms, which is set in its own grounds, is remarkably cosy, writes Eivlín Roden

Monalin, a six-bedroom house on 23 acres of parkland near Newtownmountkennedy is for auction through joint agents Lennox Estates and Colliers Jackson Stops on June 12th with an AMV of €5.5 million.

Combining privacy with wonderful views over the sea, the early Queen Anne house has a late Georgian front consisting of a five bay façade, four large rooms and entrance hall.

Gardens include specimen trees and woodland walks, walled garden with tennis court, refurbished glass house, lawns, shrubberies and a decked walled patio.

While large, with a floor area of about 548 sq m (5,000sq ft), the house has a cosy feel and even the grand rooms to the front are not overwhelming.

The drawing room, at 20ftx18ft is flooded with light coming in through two tall sash windows.

Period features include a white marble fireplace and polished maple floor. French doors to the south facing garden look out to an old lifesize statue of St Francis in an arched wall. Across the stone flagged floor in the library is a bureau bookcase which the owners bought at a local auction, believing it was originally made for Monalin. This room has a grey marble fireplace and two windows to the front.

Five steps from the hall lead up to the Queen Anne part of the house. A large comfortable sitting room and dining room have panelled ceilings and windows and black marble fireplaces.

The kitchen, behind the dining room, is fitted with a four-oven oil-fired Aga, Amtico tiled floor and corner fitted breakfast area.

Like many country houses there is a plethora of workrooms off the kitchen, including tack room, pantry, wine cellar and back stairs.

Upstairs there are six bedrooms, two beautiful Georgian ones matching the drawing rooms below. The main one has a bath/dressingroom over the front porch.

The remaining four bedrooms in the Queen Anne part are more quirky, of varying sizes (although all at least double). The largest has an en suite bathroom and there is a family bathroom on the first floor return.

The yard to the side bears witness to what a great family home this is: immaculately white washed, with a chicken house and dovecot above it, stables, a wooden playhouse with picket fence and a magnificent gnarled fig tree.