Nestled discreetly at the top of Albert Road, Rosney House is a stunning detached Victorian villa that exudes charm and character. This single-storey residence, perched over a garden level, is set on 0.7 acres of wonderfully private grounds, complete with a separate detached mews house. Its tucked-away location offers a sense of seclusion, making it easy to overlook from the outside.

Crossing the threshold of Rosney House, you're immediately struck by its unique and welcoming atmosphere. The charming entrance porch opens into a spacious inner hallway, leading to a grand gallery-style central atrium, from which the main reception rooms and bedrooms flow. This central hallway is a perfect showcase for a beautiful collection of books and artwork, adding to the property's distinct character.

The house features two main interconnecting formal reception rooms. The drawing room, located at the front, boasts an attractive fireplace and impressive high ceilings. This space seamlessly connects to the dining room, which previously doubled as a library, reflecting the late owner's profession. The intricate cornice and centre rose work, with its delicate grape detailing, add elegance to these rooms, making them ideal for entertaining.

The main bedroom connects with the dining room and enjoys a double aspect view, complete with a spacious en-suite bathroom. In addition, there are three more bedrooms (one with an en-suite), a separate shower room, and a WC, all accessible from the central hallway.

On the garden level, an inner hallway and sitting area, with original parquet-effect tiled flooring and bookshelves, lead you through this charming space. The rustic kitchen, equipped with an AGA and a handy pantry, exudes character and warmth. This level also includes a wine cellar, games room, utility room, and a fifth bedroom. The cozy family room, featuring an inviting fireplace and stove, once opened into the adjacent office and can easily be reconfigured for more space if desired. A conservatory off the family room provides a lovely transition to the garden.

Several additional rooms on this level include a boiler house, guest WC, storage room, and two storage sheds off an exterior hallway leading to the rear garden.

This incredible home offers tremendous potential. Whether through thoughtful modernisation or a complete redesign with the help of a talented architect and interior designer, Rosney House can be tailored to meet the needs of any family, all while preserving its timeless charm.

Located to the south side of the main house is Rosney Mews, a two-bedroom mews property with a floor area of 140 sq. m that was renovated and upgraded in 2018. This separate dwelling offers flexible options as guest accommodation, a home for a relative, or a source of additional income.

The beautifully landscaped grounds, extending to 0.7 acres, feature a gravelled forecourt and lush gardens that evoke an old-world charm. An overgrown formal rose garden lies to the rear, alongside a greenhouse or potting shed and two garden sheds/storage rooms. The back area of the garden presents an opportunity for future development; the vendors previously secured planning permission for a single-storey, two-bedroom bungalow, which, although lapsed, could potentially be renewed, subject to necessary approvals.

Situated just 12 kilometres' south of Dublin City Centre, Rosney House enjoys the best of both worlds. It offers peaceful surroundings with easy access to the bustling coastal villages of Glasthule and Sandycove, renowned for their award-winning restaurants, luxury day spas, specialist delicatessens, and trendy boutiques. Scenic coastal walks along the seafront and various marine leisure activities, including four yacht clubs, are all close at hand. Glenageary and Sandycove Tennis Clubs are also nearby, located on Silchester Road and Elton Park, respectively, along with numerous other popular sports clubs.

Glenageary Dart Station is approximately an 8-minute walk away, providing a swift commute to the city centre. The area is also well-served by notable schools, including Sharavogue, Rathdown, Holy Child Killiney, and Loretto Dalkey, with the Dart line offering easy access to St Michael's College, St Andrews, and Blackrock College.

House History

Rosney house dates back from the 1830s it is thought to be the work of John Skipton Mulvany (1813-1870) who learned his professional training from William Deane Butler and became both successful and celebrated, in particular for the design of railway stations, Broadstone in Dublin and Dun Laoghaire, as well as the Royal Irish Yacht Club and Harold's Cross Church.

Skipton Mulvany, lived at various addresses on the Railway route out to Dun Laoghaire and was responsible for the design of Salthill, Blackrock and Kingstown stations. He carried out a number of domestic commissions. Two houses in particular, one in Booterstown, one in Donnybrook, are clearly by the same hand as Rosney House. The Donnybrook house is Belville Lodge, beside the Catholic Church at the Donnybrook Lights.

During the nineteenth century Rosney was known as Rosney Cottage. In the 1843 Ordnance Survey Map Rosney Cottage is shown on its present site and with its present garden, paddocks and land stretching down Albert Road towards the railway line. Haddington House was the only other property on the Dublin side of the road, which is tree-lined as far as the railway and then consists of fields.

In the 1912 OS Map the present square shape of the building is shown, the name is changed to ‘Rosney' the word ‘Cottage' dropped. Both maps show the separate stable wing, now a Mews dwelling house.

One suggestion made by a researcher was that the first owner-occupier was Patrick Waldron (1772-1851) and was used as a summer residence. It became, possibly in 1847, the residence of the barrister Lawrence Waldron (1811-1875). He had an address at 38 Rutland Square (now Parnell Square). In "Griffiths Valuations" the name of "the immediate lessor" is given as Thomas Steele so the house may have been rented by Lawrence Waldron. In 1858 he moved on, possibly to Ridge Hill in Ballybrack. His father was a merchant and calico-printer. The family were wealthy Catholics; Lawrence was sent to Clongowes, his younger brother to Stonehurst. Lawrence stood for parliament, at first unsuccessfully but then serving as a Liberal until 1865. After moving to Ridge Hill his wife gave birth to a son, known as ‘Larkie' Waldron (Lawrence Ambrose Waldron – 1858-1923, buried in Deansgrange Cemetery), stockbroker, board member or chairman of several companies and on the board of the National Gallery of Ireland. He lived at Marino, Killiney.

Two occupiers are recorded in the census for 1901 and two more for the census of 1911. Both suggest that workers on the small estate attached to the house had accommodation but no detail of this has emerged. In 1901 Henry Joseph O'Hara, Railway Inspector. was the named occupant of No 39 (i.e. Rosney House).

William Fredrick Hill occupied 39a (part of the Rosney House complex and possibly this may have been a cottage residence in the stable block which is a long-term survivor of all maps of Rosney House. In 1911 Gerald Marescaux, Royal Navy Captain, owned and lived in Rosney House and communicated with me, giving me a gift of a photograph taken of the north face of the house. (There is correspondence). The resident in 39a was James Waldron, Gardener.

The next occupant – was Thomas Robinson, Chief State Solicitor, from some time in the 1920s until 1969. His brother, John Robinson, an architect in the Robinson, Keeffe and Devane partnership, designed and supervised the roofing in of the central courtyard in the house, including a skylight and turning this feature into a main attraction of the house.

The current owners bought Rosney House in 1968 and it has been in the family since then. The architect, Martin Reynolds, who later did work on the Mews, surveyed Rosney House in 1968.