Maeve Binchy's childhood home where she experienced 'great joy' hits market for €1.2m

Binchy, the "The Circle Of Friends" author, passed away in 2012 after a short illness at the age of 72. She grew up in the house in Glenageary as the eldest of the four Binchy children and went on to become one of Ireland's most popular and best-selling authors.

The former family home, named Beechgrove is located off the Glenageary Road Lower and has retained some of the original period features including high ceilings, original fireplaces, bay windows, and intricate coving.

Beechgrove, Glenageary Road Lower, Glenageary, County Dublin

Maeve's parents, Maureen and William, a nurse and a barrister, bought the house in 1937, the same year they got married, and the family lived there for 14 years until they moved to the nearby village of Dalkey when Maeve was 12.

Speaking about her childhood for an interview collection "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl," Maeve recalled: "I know there is always a danger that you look back too sympathetically – rose-colored spectacles and all that - but my childhood was a great joy."

Beechgrove, Glenageary Road Lower, Glenageary, County Dublin

The five-bedroom semi-detached property which is now on the market for €1,200,000 covers an impressive 265 square metres and spans over three levels.

The Victorian home boasts a spacious interior with well-proportioned rooms and wooden flooring as the bay window lets in an abundance of natural light.

The property is in 'excellent condition' but also offers potential for new owners to upgrade the property into a beautiful, modern family home.

The house is laid out over three levels and comprises interconnecting reception rooms with a bay window in the largest one.

Beechgrove, Glenageary Road Lower, Glenageary, County Dublin

It also features a hallway, family room, kitchen-dining room with a sandstone tiled floor, cream-fitted units and a modern bathroom.

Upstairs on the first floor, there is a large family bathroom and three double bedrooms including a magnificent main bedroom with bay window and original fireplace.

There are two more double bedrooms located on the second floor.

Beechgrove, Glenageary Road Lower, Glenageary, County Dublin

The house is set well back from the main road with mature gardens front and rear providing excellent privacy for the owners as it is bordered by mature hedging and trees as well as off-street parking for several cars.

The house has been rented out for some years but is looking for a new owner... perhaps another aspiring author could be born?

* This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.