AS A child, Joe Osborne admired Sandymount House in his home town of Blackrock, Co Louth. It was a remarkable building, on an elevated site looking out towards the Cooley peninsula with views of the Mourne mountains “going down to the sea”. Osborne admired the 1830s property, with its elegant period features, from his home across the bay.
“It was always the finest marine residence from Newcastle to Howth. There’s nothing else like it along the coast. It’s on three acres with views of the sea and mountains. I’m told it’s the finest marine dwelling on the whole coast,” he says.
After training as an engineer, Osborne worked in Britain and Canada, forging a successful career. He met his future wife, Nuala, a native of Co Mayo, in London, and the couple eventually returned to Blackrock to raise their growing brood.
When Sandymount House came up for sale in 1992, the family had swelled to seven, and a bigger home was needed. Osborne, who was well established in his career, thought that all of his Christmases had come at once. Sandymount ticked the engineering requirements: it was a substantial home in a prime location.
The property had been built in 1830 as a summer house for the well-heeled Shekletons of Louth. The family’s Dundalk iron foundry was one of the biggest companies in the county, and its metal featured in stately Irish homes, as well as in the piers of Carlingford Lough.
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Naturally, metal was included in the construction of Sandymount House, and it’s still there in the cills of the building. By 1860, the house had changed hands and was taken on by another well known Dundalk family, the Moynas, who were merchants. They brought in the British architect William Isaac Chambers to draw up plans for an extension, which include adding oriel windows at ground-and first-floor level to one end of the L-shaped home.
When the Osbornes moved in, one piece of work was deemed essential: a reconfiguration of the entrance, which was impeding the sea views. So Osborne brought the entrance around to the road and replaced the front door with a large bay window to drink in the views. “It was a big job, but it was worth it as the views were being wasted. Now, every room has a view of the sea — even the bathroom looks out towards it.” At night, the beam from the nearby lighthouse passes the house, and ships can be seen sailing in and out of Dundalk.
The two-storey-over-basement home opens into a large reception room, off which there is a study and dining room. They’re good-sized, symmetrical rooms, and original features remain. At the other arm of the L, there’s a breakfast room and kitchen. The sunroom, which is reached from the breakfast room, is Osborne’s favourite room: “It’s where we sit most because it gets the sun all day long.” On the first floor, there are five bedrooms, three of which have en-suite bathrooms. The large master bedroom includes a dressing area.
The basement, which is reached from the front of the house, includes laundry and utility rooms, a sauna and games room.
Outside, the three acres are bordered by soaring Scots pines, while a manicured lawn rolls down to the water’s edge. There is also a tennis court. Despite the size of the property, Osborne maintains it himself, with the help of one of his sons.
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A gate lodge, which has been refurbished in the past decade, includes a sitting room, two bedrooms, a bathroom and patio.
With all the children having flown the coop, Osborne has decided to sell — but he has no plans to move far. He “can’t imagine living anywhere else other than by the sea”, and is eyeing up a smaller property in the area. He is seeking €1.75m through Sherry FitzGerald Carroll.