With older houses, the most compelling stories are often rooted in generations past. At Kilmore House, however, the story of the last quarter-century could be the most notable of all.
On approach, the entrance to the 47ac farm is easily missed, set behind wrought-iron electric gates. Beyond, a long tree-lined avenue of lime and chestnut trees leads to a manicured turning circle centred on the two-storey-over-basement Georgian house.
Extending to 486 sq m, the six-bedroom residence includes formal and informal reception rooms, with original features including ceiling roses, decorative cornicing and sash windows throughout.
At basement level, a large family room provides a cosy retreat. Adjacent, the spacious farmhouse-style kitchen revolves around a large AGA stove and opens onto a sheltered, secluded sunken patio.
Evolution
Given the owners’ occupations, it is unsurprising that the kitchen forms the heart of the house. Susan O’Sullivan owns Farmhouse Café & Bakery on Dublin’s Long Mile Road, a business that forms part of Kilmore House’s evolution into a certified organic farm, while her husband, Donal, runs O’Sullivan Safety, a workwear company. The journey began 24 years ago, when the O’Sullivans purchased the property. At the time, the house required significant work, while the land and yard had been neglected for decades.
“We set about putting the place back together,” Susan said when Irish Country Living visited Kilmore House last week.
As work progressed, the couple restored the gardens and developed the yard, refurbishing the traditional outbuildings and adding new structures. It currently comprises a haybarn with lean-to, double-height lofted building, stabling, poultry shed and workshops.
Adjacent to the main yard is the original walled garden and horticultural beds, where chives, tomatoes, carrots, beans, courgettes, borage, figs and herbs are among the current offerings. Bees are frequent visitors from the five hives dotted around the holding. Beyond are cattle handling facilities and additional storage sheds, while the farm is home to sheep, cattle, hens and Cusco, the llama, the resident fox-deterrent.
The Farmhouse Café & Bakery was an unexpected evolution in the story, beginning as a small café within Donal’s workwear business. As it grew, Susan’s passion for sustainable, local produce led to a natural connection with the farm, with its home-reared animals and homegrown vegetables, fruits and salads supplying the café and bakery.
As they now move on from Kilmore House, Susan intends to continue this farm-to-table ethos by working with local producers who can match the quality and flavour of their homegrown produce.
Accessible from both the house and yard, the surrounding 47ac is laid out in eight divisions and predominantly in grass, with a small forestry area planted with 250 native Irish trees.
Situated within five minutes of the M4 motorway, the holding is in easy reach of Enfield, Co Meath, while Dublin city centre and airport are both within a 30-40 minute drive.
Much love has been poured into the farm, which has evolved alongside the family’s five children and businesses. Now, with their children grown and flown the nest, Susan and Donal feel the time is right to pass it on and find a base within easier reach of their work.
“It would put a lot of pressure on the kids to say we want to stay here into our old age,” says Susan.
“We feel like it’s the right thing to pass the farm on and move and start again while we’re still young and healthy. We knew the kids would be upset on one level, but on the other hand, it will be easier for them to visit us in Dublin.”
Guided at €3.5m, Kilmore House is for sale by private treaty with Mullery O’Gara auctioneers. In turnkey condition and of manageable scale, it would suit hobby farming, or those seeking a more sustainable lifestyle.
This idyllic country retreat has established gardens, productive land and horticultural potential for those with a passion for growing.
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