A work cum living over the shop opportunity in Sophia’s Choice, Enniscorthy, gives you a five-bedroom townhouse, with a large courtyard back and views of battleground Vinegar Hill from its roof terrace.
Just down the street from Sofia’s Choice, a former boutique on Enniscorthy’s main street, is Castle Street, one of the main locations for the filming of Brooklyn, the film adaptation of Colm Tóibín’s book and starring Saoirse Ronan, who was Oscar-nominated for her portrayal of Eilis Lacey.
It’s a continuation of the same thoroughfare, really, and it’s unlikely that the landmark, Tudor Revival style, three-bay two-storey house with half-dormer attic appeared on screen, for it is rather unique and might just have competed with the actress for screentime.
Address: 21 Main Street, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford, Y21 K3C5
Asking price: €575,000
Agent: Sherry FitzGerald O’Leary Kinsella
Set over three levels, the townhouse is listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as dating from the 1900s and likely is a makeover of an older home dating from the 1840s.
It had been used as a work-live unit for a family whose children have now flown the coop.
They ran a children’s boutique from the ground floor, hence the name over the door, and lived across the rest of its three floors, renovating it extensively in 2007.
It is now a maximalist explosion of pattern, gilding and draped curtains.
Its décor won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but you need to look past that and concentrate on its scale and finish.
It has two showrooms, one on either side of the front door, that are open to the hall, where the original tiled floor remains.
These are colourfully papered in botanical print wallpapers, as is much of the accommodation.
There are stockrooms to the rear.
But behind this is where the real interest will be.
There’s a cool contemporary kitchen featuring dark cocoa-rich-coloured cabinetry that belies the rest of its classical decoration. Much of the rest of the house is a combination of dark woods, rococo-inspired lighting, mirrors and panelling.
The kitchen has full-height glass sliding doors out to the enclosed yard that is sheltered and has lots of bare brick and stone boundaries that bring in texture.
This is a very safe place for small children to play, as there is no rear access.
The living room is on the first floor. Its walls are papered in a soft yellow pattern, there’s a gilded mirror over the mantle and matching velvet furniture in two colours.
There is also an office at this level, featuring dark woods and antique furniture.
The principal bedroom is at this level.
Extending to 265 square metres, the house is circa 1900, possibly incorporating fabric of an earlier house, pre-1840, on site with a canted oriel window to the centre of the first floor.
This is used as a seating area.
There are four bedrooms on the second floor.
At the very top of the house is a small roof terrace, from where you can see Vinegar Hill, one of the battlegrounds of the 1798 Rebellion, a pivotal moment in Irish history.
The five-bedroom, three-bathroom property, which is BER-exempt, is seeking €575,000 through agents Sherry FitzGerald O’Leary Kinsella. This represents a price per square metre of about €€2,170.
It has previously been on the market with other agents and was priced originally at €890,000 in 2024.
