On a quiet Ballsbridge street where Victorian redbrick has stood for well over a century, one house carries the same face but a different birth year — 1991, not 1891. Mount Alexander was built by someone who understood that architecture is a conversation across time, and who chose to answer the street's existing language rather than interrupt it. Now, after decades of quiet occupation by the same family, this rare hybrid of modern construction and period soul is offered to the world at €2.2 million — inviting new owners to decide whether to honour the illusion or gently dissolve it.
1991 replica Victorian home in Ballsbridge seeks €2.2m with period authenticity
Built to look Victorian, built to last modern.
Mark
So the builder in 1991 actually went around and studied the neighbouring Victorian homes before designing this one?
Mimi
Yes, he was deliberate about it. He wanted the house to fit the streetscape, so he looked at what was already there—the details, the proportions, the materials—and replicated them.
Luke
Do we know which neighbours he studied, or is that just the general impression of what happened?
Mimi
The source says he visited neighbouring houses to study their period details, but it doesn't name specific ones or give us the builder's own account.
Mark
And the result is that it's genuinely hard to tell it's a 1991 build just by looking at it?
Mimi
That's the claim, yes. The redbrick, the granite, the sash windows, the fanlight, the rope-twist moulding around the door—all of it reads as period authentic.
Luke
But there's an advantage to it being new, right? No structural settling, no hidden problems from a century of use?
Mimi
Exactly. The sash windows work smoothly. The timber floors are sound. The wiring and plumbing are modern. It's got the look of a Victorian home but without the vulnerabilities.
Mark
And the current owners lived here for how long?
Mimi
They bought it about four years after it was built, so around 1995, and lived here into their mid-90s. That's a long tenure.
Luke
Do we know anything about what they did to the house during that time, or is it just that they occupied it?
Mimi
The source says they were actively involved with the local community, but it doesn't detail any renovations or changes they made.
Mark
The price is €2.2 million. Is that high for the area?
Luke
The source doesn't give us comparable sales or market context, so we can't really say whether that's premium pricing or market rate for Ballsbridge.
Mimi
What we do know is that it's turnkey condition, four bedrooms, 155 square metres, and it's not a protected structure—so new owners have freedom to modernise.
Mark
That last part seems important. In Dublin 4, that's unusual?
Mimi
Very. Most period homes come with restrictions. This one doesn't.
Il Polso
- A house built in 1991 has fooled passersby for over three decades into believing it belongs to the Victorian era — and now that deception is being sold for €2.2 million.
- The tension at the heart of this listing is a paradox: the home looks aged but functions as new, offering sash windows that glide, floors that don't creak, and plumbing that doesn't protest.
- Unlike its genuinely historic neighbours, Mount Alexander carries no protected structure designation, meaning the next owner inherits both the aesthetic and the freedom to alter it — a rare combination in Dublin 4.
- After roughly three decades with the same owners, who lived here well into their nineties, the house now enters the market through Sherry FitzGerald in turnkey condition, ready for a new chapter.
- The location amplifies the stakes — St Mary's Road sits beside the Bishop's Garden, within walking distance of Herbert Park, and close enough to the city centre to make the €2.2 million ask feel grounded in geography as much as architecture.
On a quiet Ballsbridge street where Victorian redbrick has stood for well over a century, one house carries the same face but a different birth year — 1991, not 1891. Mount Alexander was built by someone who understood that architecture is a conversation across time, and who chose to answer the street's existing language rather than interrupt it. Now, after decades of quiet occupation by the same family, this rare hybrid of modern construction and period soul is offered to the world at €2.2 million — inviting new owners to decide whether to honour the illusion or gently dissolve it.
Mount Alexander sits on St Mary's Road in Ballsbridge wearing the face of a Victorian terrace — redbrick, granite, sash windows, fanlight, period moulding — but it was built in 1991. The original builder studied the neighbouring homes carefully before designing his own, replicating their architectural language so faithfully that most people passing by would place the house firmly in the 19th century.
What distinguishes it from a genuine period home is not what it lacks but what it has been spared. Because it was built thirty years ago rather than a hundred and thirty, the sash windows still move smoothly, the timber floors are sound, and the wiring and plumbing are modern. The fireplaces, coving, and high ceilings are in pristine condition — the way a Victorian home might look if it had been perfectly preserved rather than lived in hard. And because Mount Alexander is not a protected structure, future owners are free to modernise as they see fit, a flexibility that genuine period homes in Dublin 4 rarely offer.
The current owners bought the house around 1995 and remained here into their mid-nineties, becoming part of the local fabric over decades. Now the house is listed through Sherry FitzGerald at €2.2 million. It extends to 155 square metres across four bedrooms over two storeys.
Inside, the commitment to period detail is consistent throughout. The living room runs front to back with large sash windows on both aspects and a replica fireplace with a coal-effect gas fire. A sunroom with windows on three sides and a tongue-and-groove vaulted ceiling opens from it. The dining room has an exposed stained timber floor and its own gas fireplace. The kitchen pairs Victorian-style timber panelling and coving with Shaker cabinets and granite worktops. On the first-floor return, an arched stained-glass window frames a view toward St Mary's Church on Haddington Road.
Upstairs, the main bedroom has a large built-in wardrobe and en suite. A second bedroom serves as a study with two arched windows. The remaining two bedrooms are large doubles with built-in replica Victorian wardrobes. The family bathroom features a cast-iron claw-foot bath with a Victorian-style shower and circular curtain rail.
To the rear, a courtyard garden is enclosed by ivy-covered reclaimed granite walls, with a brick utility room alongside. The front garden is laid in lawn with mature planting. Off-street parking for three cars — a genuine rarity in this part of the city — sits on the driveway. The house is in turnkey condition, rated D for energy, and ready for whoever comes next to decide what kind of future a Victorian illusion deserves.
Mount Alexander sits on St Mary's Road in Ballsbridge like a Victorian relic, all redbrick and granite, high ceilings and period moulding. But the house was built in 1991. The builder, intent on respecting the streetscape, did something unusual: he studied the neighbouring homes in detail, learning their architectural language before designing his own. He replicated the sash windows, the fanlight, the fireplaces, the timber floors, the coving and centre roses, the arches. The result is so convincing that most people walking past would place it squarely in the 19th century.
What makes Mount Alexander unusual is not just the authenticity of its design but the condition of its materials. Because it was built in 1991 rather than 1891, it has not endured generations of settling, cracking, and wear. The sash windows work smoothly. The timber floors are sound. The wiring and plumbing are modern. The period-style elements—the architraves, the fireplaces, the high ceilings—are all in pristine condition, which is to say they look the way a Victorian home might look if it had been frozen in time and then carefully restored. And because Mount Alexander is not a protected structure, new owners will have the freedom to modernise it however they wish, a flexibility that period homes in Dublin 4 rarely offer.
The current owners purchased the house about four years after it was built and lived here into their mid-90s, becoming part of the local community along the way. Now, after decades of occupation, Mount Alexander is on the market through Sherry FitzGerald for €2.2 million. The house extends to 155 square metres, or roughly 1,670 square feet, across four bedrooms arranged over two storeys.
The location matters. St Mary's Road sits close to Baggot Street, adjacent to the Bishop's Garden, a public green space, and within sight of St Mary's Church on Haddington Road. The Dylan Hotel is around the corner. Herbert Park is walkable. The neighbourhood has schools, sports venues, cafes, and restaurants within reach, while still maintaining the quiet character that makes Dublin 4 desirable. For families, the proximity to both amenities and the city centre is a practical draw.
Inside, the entrance hallway and living room announce the house's commitment to period detail. The living room spans front to back with large sash windows on both aspects, bringing in light across high ceilings. A replica fireplace with a coal-effect gas fire and stone hearth anchors the room. A door leads to a sunroom with windows on three sides, wood panelling, and a vaulted roof lined with tongue-and-groove timber. The dining room, to the right of the hall, has an exposed stained timber floor and its own replica fireplace with gas fire, plus a large sash window overlooking the front garden.
The kitchen maintains the Victorian aesthetic with white-painted wood panels in the ceiling and decorative timber coving, fitted with Shaker-style cabinets and granite worktops. A tiled splashback adds a contemporary touch. A guest toilet sits at the end of the hallway. On the first-floor return, an arched picture window with stained glass panes frames a view toward St Mary's Church.
Upstairs, the four bedrooms are arranged with care. The main bedroom includes a large built-in wardrobe with shelves and media centre, plus a spacious en suite. The second bedroom, currently used as a study or home office, has two arched windows and a calm quality suited to remote work. Access to the attic—floored and running the full length of the house—is via a Stira staircase. Bedrooms three and four are large doubles with built-in replica Victorian wardrobes. The family bathroom features a cast-iron claw-foot bath with a Victorian-style shower above, complete with a circular shower curtain rail.
The grounds include a courtyard garden to the rear, backed by ivy-covered reclaimed granite walls, and a brick-built utility room. A small side access allows for bringing in bicycles or other items. The front garden is laid in lawn with mature planting and a park bench. Off-street parking for three cars sits in the driveway—a genuine rarity in this part of Dublin, where parking is scarce and contested. The house is in turnkey condition with a D energy rating, ready for new owners to move in and decide whether to preserve its period character or begin the work of modernisation that the lack of protected status permits.
Citazioni salienti
The builder visited neighbouring houses to study their period details and meticulously recreated the redbrick exterior, granite steps and sills, high ceilings, coving and centre roses, arches, fanlight, windows, fireplaces and timber floors.— Property listing description
Vuoi la storia completa?
Leggi l'originale su The Irish Times ↗
General News