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# dream home
Step inside the Wicklow retreat that's a hit with artists and A-listers
Even Daniel Day Lewis is rumoured to have dropped by for a cuppa.
THE OLD SCHOOL House has seen a lot of change since it was constructed in the 1830s. The five-bedroom home was used as a school for years, with a teacher’s living quarters attached.
Since then, it’s been converted numerous times. It was home to the celebrated Mitchell’s Restaurant, and more recently The Conservatory tea room.
One Daniel Day-Lewis – yes, he of Oscar-winning fame, and a local of nearby Annamoe – is rumoured to have frequented the tea rooms during its heyday.
Going back a few years more, Scottish artist Edwin Lucas lived on site in the early 1900s, and wrote extensively about the “early spring daffodils, primroses and wild cowslips” that students at the school house would pick for their teacher.
Nowadays, The Old School House is simply a picture-perfect home that’s been lovingly cared for over the years. The house has a south-westerly aspect, with incredible views over the Wicklow Mountains.
There’s a French-style country kitchen that feels like the natural heart of the property; it’s home to a large AGA stove, and there’s plenty of space to cook and dine, too.
Off the kitchen, you’ll find a pantry and the famous conservatory, a stunning glass and stone space perfect for a celebration. In fact, a wedding was held here only recently for 75 gathered guests.
There are 5 bedrooms upstairs, as well as a family room, laundry and bathroom. The main bedroom has an adjacent dressing room and shower room, and it’s afforded plenty of light thanks to large windows.
The upstairs family room is a wonderful, stone-walled space with plenty of room to relax in.
A tranquil escape from the ordinary, The Old School House is folded away in mountain surrounds, close to the Sally Gap and Glendalough. By car, Dublin city is 90 minutes away, and the closest village is the quaint and friendly Laragh.
The Old School House, Laragh, Co Wicklow is on sale for €850,000 from Sotheby’s International Realty (Ireland) via Daft.ie.
