It’s a bit of a tradition in our household around October and December to stroll around Belgrave Square and peek in through the front windows of every house.
We’re not nosey neighbours, we’re here to enjoy the eerie tableaux of ghosts, skeletons, cobwebs and witches on display in the windows of these elegant Victorian houses every Halloween, and the elaborately decorated trees on show every Christmas. We’re not alone - the residents of the square are used to people coming from far and wide to view the festive displays.
The drawingroom of 1 Belgrave Square North has a deep, three-sided bay window looking out over the square that is proportioned to install a huge Christmas tree, and still have room for piles of presents.
It’s one of the fine features of this large period home, which has been fully upgraded by its current owners, with restored original ceiling cornicing, sash windows and shutters, and original timber floors stripped and polished in a mahogany hue.
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Belgrave Square was built between the 1840s and 1860s, with a landscaped central park measuring more than two acres, designed by renowned horticulturalist Ninian Niven, who was curator of the Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. This superb space is private, and is owned and managed by the residents of Belgrave Square.
Number 1 is nicely positioned on the northwest corner of the square, with a low-maintenance front garden behind wrought-iron gates and railings, and granite steps up to the front door and into an entrance vestibule with finely detailed plasterwork, centre rose, partly panelled walls, tiled floors and antique wallpaper.
Beyond that is the entrance hallway, and to the right is the drawingroom. An archway brings you to the diningroom with a feature window overlooking the rear garden. Together, these two rooms form the centrepiece of the house .
[ Dublin house with historic links to Robert Emmet in Rathfarnham for €2.25mOpens in new window ]
To the left of the hallway is a livingroom overlooking the front with cast-iron fireplace; a guest WC with tiled floor and walls decorated with textured wallpapers, and a circular wash-hand basin on a marble-topped table with brass mixer tap; and a kitchen/ breakfast room overlooking the rear garden, with wall-mounted cabinets painted in soft navy and pale grey with brushed brass handles, and a curved island with a half-circle banquette.
The kitchen is fitted with a Smeg Victoria range cooker with three ovens and a six-ring gas hob, a Samsung American-style fridge freezer, under-counter wine cabinet, Indesit integrated dishwasher and inset Belfast sink. The floors are laid in a wood-effect tile that mimics the stripped and polished timber throughout the house.
Off the kitchen is a pantry with deep-sided storage shelves, and a large larder unit. Crittal doors open out on to a terrace with stairs down to the back garden - a perfect spot for a morning coffee and croissant.
There are four large double bedrooms on the first floor, with the main bedroom right above the drawingroom and featuring a three-sided bay window plus a large picture window overlooking Belgrave Square. The bedroom exudes luxury with its intricate ceiling plasterwork, picture rails and partly panelled walls. There’s also a feature marble fireplace with cast-iron inset and gas coal-effect fire, and a bespoke radiator cover.
While all of this may be more than enough to live in comfort, there’s then the garden level, which has two bedrooms. Each come with en suite and one with walk-in wardrobe, to the rear, two kitchen/ livingrooms to the front, a large hallway with oodles of storage space, a dedicated office space, a utility space and a storage space beneath the front steps.
The back garden is laid out in lawn, with Indian sandstone patios and mature planting which includes a feature fig tree and an old apple tree. There’s a garden room which can be used as a home office, gym, yoga room or kids’ den and there is pedestrian access out to Trafalgar Lane. In 2024, planning permission was granted for off-street parking at the end of the back garden.
The house is convenient to Seapoint Dart Station, bus routes, and Seapoint swimming area. It’s a short walk to the boutiques and bistros on Monkstown Crescent, and schools in the area include Scoil Lorcáin just around the corner, with Blackrock College, Willow Park, St Andrew’s and CBC Monkstown all within easy reach.
Number 1 Belgrave Square North, measuring 371sq m (3,993sq ft) is Ber exempt and is on sale through Sherry FitzGerald asking €3.25 million.
