Cosy three-bed in Clontarf

Number 1 Fortview Avenue is a three-storey end-of-terrace house, one of four of a similar vintage on a narrow cul-de-sac just off Clontarf Road, before the yacht club on the way out of town.

Less than 100 metres from the seafront the three-bedroom property was bought by the current owners in September 2013. They upgraded it, installing new windows, kitchen, bathroom and flooring.

This narrow house which has 90sq m (969sq feet) of space was home to a Franciscan friar named Thomas Francis Cassidy during the mid-19th century. He housed his collection of 5,000 rare books here, many reputedly purchased from book stalls along Dublin’s quays. When he died in 1873 the books ended up in the National Library of Scotland.

On the ground floor there is a small square sitting room and an eat-in kitchen accessed via a small dining room. The owners painted the wooden staircase white to reflect light into the stairwell. On the first floor there is the master double bedroom with dual aspect windows, good wardrobe space and a large bathroom adjacent. It has a free-standing bath and a separate shower.

On the second floor there are two more bedrooms, one a decent-sized double, a mirror image of the master bedroom but with less storage. The third bedroom is used as a study and houses the hot press. As it is currently configured it would be difficult to fit a double bed but by removing some of the storage one could be accommodated.

There is a northwest facing garden with a good-sized shed to the rear and pedestrian side access. Parking is on-street.

The property, which has an E2 BER rating, is asking €650,000 through agent SherryFitzGerald.

The house last sold in 2013 for €325,000, according to the Residential Property Price Register.