Melfort

A truly exceptional residence on Ireland’s most prestigious residential road. 

A REMARKABLE OPPORTUNITY 
Melfort is a most impressive Edwardian residence of distinction enjoying elegant proportions indicative of the era of its construction, surrounded by extensive private manicured gardens offering the discerning purchaser the opportunity to acquire a magnificent family home close to Dublin City Centre. 
Situated on the wonderful renowned tree lined Shrewsbury Road in prime Dublin 4, often referred to as Ireland’s Embassy belt, the house and gardens enjoy an enviable southerly aspect and immense privacy.
Melfort is one of the earliest houses developed on Shrewsbury Road during the Edwardian Period, sometime in the period 1897 to 1913, as it appears together with the adjoining house Hawthorn, as being one of the two houses at this location on Shrewsbury Road at the time of the first official survey of the road. 
We understand the house was built circa. 1906, undergoing further embellishments thereafter, to produce the outstanding residence being offered to the market today. 
Melfort stands on the southerly side of Shrewsbury Road, the premier and the most desirable address in Dublin City.  Shrewsbury Road is a treelined avenue, connecting Ailesbury Road to Merrion Road, just a short walk from Dublin City Centre. The houses of Shrewsbury Road are predominantly of the Edwardian era and generally of substantial proportions with large gardens to the front and rear. 
Melfort is superb example of a classical detached Edwardian red brick city residence, enjoying extensive gardens, to include a mini orchard, off street parking and total privacy. 
The residence extends to approximately 471 sq. m. (5,070 sq. ft.). The overall site extends to approximately 0.284 ha (0.7 acres) with mature manicured gardens to the rear and lawns to the front with ample private parking.
Melfort is entered from Shrewsbury Road through a recessed brick pillared electrically operated wrought iron gates leading to a lantern lit gravel forecourt. There is also a separate pedestrian access onto Shrewsbury Road.
The forecourt is bounded by box hedging, mature specimen trees, shrubberies and allows access to the garage now used as a games room and an entertainment space. Melfort is a perfect example of how to celebrate the period charm of such a house while providing ample space for relaxed family life.
HISTORY 
Shrewsbury Road was named in the honour of the 1874 marriage of George Herbert, 13th Earl of Pembroke to Lady Gertrude Chetwynd a cousin of the 19th Earl of Shrewsbury. 
It contains a great number of beautiful Edwardian houses set in spacious and mature grounds. Over the years it became the home of many of Dublin’s leading medical and legal families. 
There are 28 houses on Shrewsbury Road and most of them date from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. Melfort (No 19) was home to an interesting literary and musical family, The Starkies. Head of his family was Rt Hon. William Starkie, former President of University College Galway, the last High Commissioner for Primary Education in Ireland, and a classical scholar. 
His wife (May) entertained all the leading literati and musicians of the day in this house. Their children were talented musicians and were winning prizes at the Feis Ceoil in 1916. The family had infamous music garden parties, notable names who were entertained in the house were W. B. Yeats and his brother Jack Yeats the painter and the Irish Literary renaissance writer who wrote with the pseudonym AE George William Russell.
Among the children, Enid became Reader in French at Somerville College Oxford. Her autobiography is called A Lady’s Child (1941). Walter Starkie became Professor of Spanish at Trinity College, before setting up the British Council office in Madrid.