8 Bedroom Victorian Villa in Dublin, Ireland.

Palermo is one of Killiney’s most historically significant homes - a Victorian villa whose heritage is deeply woven into Ireland’s cultural and architectural story. Built c.1848 by the prominent Hone family, Palermo reflects the refined Italianate style that defined the transformation of Killiney Hill during the mid19th century. The property is not a Protected Structure (today’s equivalent of a ”listed” building), allowing future custodians greater flexibility in any further works. With its classical proportions and timberframed sash windows (most of which have been sympathetically replaced with high performance replicas), it shares the defining hallmarks of the era and stands proudly within the Killiney Architectural Conservation Area-on a rare, elevated acre of terraced gardens sweeping across Dublin Bay. The Hone family, who owned Palermo well into the 20th century, were central figures in Ireland’s artistic and intellectual life. The house is most notably associated with Joseph M. Hone - literary biographer of W.B. Yeats, friend of Jack B. Yeats, and a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival. Correspondence from Palermo to Jack Yeats, now held in the National Gallery of Ireland, reflects the home’s role as a creative retreat for some of the most influential minds of the time. As founder of the publishing house Maunsel & Co., Joseph Hone was closely involved in the early literary efforts of James Joyce and maintained friendships with figures such as the GoreBooth sisters, including Countess Markievicz-placing Palermo firmly within the cultural and political ferment of early 20th-century Ireland. Harry Clarke, Ireland’s most celebrated stained glass artist and a contemporary of Evie Hone, was a regular visitor to Palermo and close friend of the Hone family, further underscoring the house’s artistic pedigree. A stained-glass window in the main stairwell serves as a further artistic thread-believed to be the work of Evie Hone, cousin of Joseph and one of Ireland’s most accomplished stained glass artists. A founding member of An Túr Gloine, she is renowned for works such as the East Window of Eton College Chapel and ”My Four Green Fields” in Government Buildings. A private commission for a family home such as Palermo would have been deeply personal enduring expression of familial and artistic legacy. Today, following an exhaustive and architecturally sensitive refurbishment, Palermo has been brought into the modern era with impeccable taste and craftsmanship. The result is a truly turnkey residence of rare distinction-where the elegance of the past meets the comfort and performance of contemporary living. The accommodation now extends to approx. 6,400 sq.ft. in total, spread across the principal villa and The Mews-a fully detached, Arated, three bedroom residence (approx. 1,800 sq.ft.) created from a complete and high specification conversion of the estate’s former ancillary structure, completed in 2023. These two homes offer exceptional flexibility for extended family living, guest accommodation or independent staff quarters. Set within approx. One acre of manicured, southeast facing terraced gardens, the property also includes a series of additional outbuildings, a detached garage and discreet storage sheds-all behind high granite walls and mature boundaries offering absolute privacy. With its architectural pedigree, cultural resonance and beautifully reimagined interiors, Palermo represents one of the most exceptional residential offerings to come to the South Dublin market in recent memory. Accommodation - A Seamless Blend of Period Grandeur and Modern Refinement A deepset porch framed by classic timber panelling opens into a wide, highceilinged entrance hallway, where parquet flooring and original cornicing immediately signal the home’s architectural pedigree. The porch floor is finished in striking green marble-an elegant prelude to the grandeur beyond. From here, gracious proportions guide you into the formal drawing room-a showpiece space centred on a stately marble fireplace. A three window bay frames a cinematic vista of the sea, drawing the coastline directly into the room and lending a sense of coastal serenity throughout.