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A Waterford couple created their dream home by adding an indoor leisure complex and tennis court, writes Alison Gill
There was much excitement in January of 1989 when the British cargo vessel, Gladonia, ran aground in Tramore Bay during a fierce storm.
It was eventually refloated by the RNLI amidst a mammoth cooperative effort. For locals, it remains a day when the entire town gathered to witness something special.
Across the road from where Gladonia found itself stranded, local businessman Freddie Piper was at the time constructing a new home for himself and he named it after the resuscitated ship to commemorate this moment in the town’s history.
When Freddie married his wife Mary and they started a family, it was decided that the house as built by Freddie wasn’t going to work for them anymore and they went head on into a major revamp.
The exterior of Gladonia
“It was 2003, when our eldest was four,” says Mary. “It was a big decision, but we wanted to change what wasn’t working in the original house.
“We more or less started from scratch again. Only one of the interior rooms remained the same. It took about three years and we eventually moved back into what we considered to be our dream home.”
With a floor area of 7,225 sq ft, a swimming pool, gym and outdoor tennis court, it would also be the dream home for most people.
The new layout, however, meant that the house would be used rather than admired.
The tennis court to the rear
“It’s a really big house but there aren’t an awful lot of rooms,” says Mary. “Every room is used and as time has progressed, and the kids grew and brought their friends, there is no ‘good’ room anymore — there are teenagers everywhere.”
Behind the electric gates is the driveway, with lawn on each side that leads up to the front of the property with its five pitched roofs and three balconies.
Inside the front door is the grand hallway with marble floor tiles and a handcrafted mahogany staircase built by local craftsman Garrett Dillon.
Gladonia overlooks Tramore Bay
Off the hall to the right is the main reception room, with two large bay windows making the most of the sea views.
On the other side of the house is the kitchen with a dining area and another more casual living area.
But what makes this property really stand out is the private family leisure complex that the Pipers planned and built. It consists of a 15-metre heated swimming pool, home gym with weight-lifting machines and exercise equipment, as well as a spa area that has a sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi.
There are also two shower rooms, underfloor heating and three double French doors that open out to a patio.
Mary Piper loved the sea views from the house
And for the final revelation, steps at the back of the house lead up to a full-sized Savannah tennis court.
“It was a fabulous place to be during lockdown,” says Mary. “We could walk to the beach every day and we never played more tennis. Even the gym got more use than ever. Everything in the house was utilised.”
The kitchen, which was also built by Dillon, is another nod to Gladonia. The units are made of walnut and maple, with a circular island in the centre giving a nautical vibe to the room.
The grand staircase in the entrance hall
Mary says when she stands in the centre of the island, it feels as though she could be the a ship’s captain, with the sea stretching as far as the eye can see out the window in front of her.
There is a small dining area set within the gallery bay window at the back of the room and a secret door that leads into a utility room.
Through double doors is the more formal dining room with a vaulted ceiling with timber trusses. This leads out to the patio with views out to Tramore beach.
The coastal view from the living room
Upstairs, the master bedroom has one of the best vantage points for sea views.
“If I was on ‘Home of the Year’ and had to put that red spot down somewhere, it would be on one of the chairs at my bedroom window. I love sitting there and reading and looking out at the view,” says Mary.
This room also has a dressing room with bespoke units, by Dillon again, and doors out to a balcony. The ensuite bathroom has a rainforest shower and a whirlpool Jacuzzi bath.
The indoor gym
The second and third bedrooms are also ensuite and each have a balcony and walk-in wardrobe, while bedroom number four has an ensuite shower room.
But all of this fades into the background for Mary, who believes this is not what the house is all about.
“Anything that went into the house is secondary to what you see when you wake up in the morning and look out,” she says.”
“The view of the bay is striking all year round. Every day it is different. It’s very grounding and very lifting. Even in hard times, we’ve been blessed and very lucky to be surrounded by this sea.
“We put storm-proof windows into the house because of our proximity to the sea and they were put to the test during storm Ophelia as we all looked out watching it.”
There’s a sauna and two shower rooms
A five-minute walk out the driveway to the left will take you to the swimming area of the beach and five minutes to the right will take you into the town for bars and restaurants.
A drive to Dublin Airport takes two hours via the M9 or one and three-quarter hours to Cork.
One of the walk-in wardrobes
Freddie is now retired and the kids are growing up and moving on to college, so instead of waiting to for the empty nest, the Pipers are going to move on because they want to enjoy the move and not feel like they’ve left it too late in life.
“We will always miss it, but we’ll walk away very fondly,” Mary says. “The timing is right and if someone appreciates and wants it, I don’t think I will be sad. I’m happy to move on to the next adventure.”
Griffin Auctioneers seeks €2.9m for Gladonia.
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