You could say the late Eamon de Buitra was Ireland’s answer to David Attenborough. The famed wildlife filmmaker made a name for himself in the 1960s when he co-produced his RTÉ series his Amuigh Faoin Spéir (Out Under the Sky) with Dutch artist and filmmaker Gerrit Van Gelderen. It was here that he gained fame for the first time.
What was even more popular was to the water and the wild, also started with Van Gelderen. The latter became his Sunday night event viewing for 20 years, from 1974 to 1994.
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Eamon de Buitra making one of the famous Irish wildlife films.Photo by Joe Sterling
It was De Buitléar who helped us sit down and appreciate the wildlife in our own backyard. wild isles to explore Ireland’s wild habitats.
In the 70’s and 80’s, De Buitléar influenced generations of Irish people with his informative documentaries and his passion for Irish wildlife. In 1986 his program Cois Farraige leis an Madra Uisce, won the Jacob Prize. He also directed a film based on his own wildlife book and was nominated for his Seanad in 1987 by Charles Haughey, then his Taoiseach.
He grew up in the Durgle Valley in Bray, County Wicklow, where he first developed a love of nature. Today, in memory of him, his 4 km circular walk called Slí de Buitléar or The De Buitléar Way exists at Bray his Head. Only 2 km away he has a lot of houses where he took his camera and went on wildlife adventures.
Marianella was the residence of the de Buitra family for 14 years. The 6 bedroom her is a 2,772 square foot single family home located off her N11 and Upper Durgle Road in Bray. And it just hit the market.
Current owners Mary and Niall Crosbie knew it belonged to a wildlife lover when it was purchased in 2006. Mary says: The thing is that at that time everyone knew who Eamon de Buitra was and he was very much loved. “
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70-foot backyard with De Buitléar’s soundproof studio intact
The house has grown since he lived there, but one element that leaves his mark is a separate soundproofed 215-square-foot studio building at the edge of a 75-foot garden. De Buitléar was also an accomplished musician, and the great Irish composer was also a longtime friend of Sean Ó Riada, so the studio may have been used for recording music as well.
When the Crosbys first bought the house, it seemed redundant, but it was eventually used by one of their sons for recording music and later as a gym.
Mary and Neil have four sons, ages 10 to 21, when they first visited the property in 2006. We stumbled across another bungalow on the same quiet tree lined street.
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Conservatory overlooking the garden
“We fell in love with Marianella instantly. As soon as we walked in the door, we knew it was perfect for us,” says Mary. “We never intended to live in Bray, but buying a home was the best thing we’ve ever done. A spacious home perfect for raising four sons.” and was very convenient for access to schools, colleges, shops and all facilities.It is right off the motorway and has access to Dublin city centre, Bray and Wicklow.”
Originally a bungalow built in the 1950s, the previous owner extended it to the rear after De Buitléar and added another floor. So it had six double bedrooms, a large living room with a smaller living room, a dining room, a conservatory and a TV room at the time of purchase.
The house was completely renovated and extended in 1997 by architect Martin Noon and is in excellent condition. The only structural change that Crossbeads made was installing new roofs on both the house at the end of the garden and the studio building.
Inside, they carpeted the six bedrooms and painted the interior walls of the house. Additionally, they installed a new cream unit in the kitchen that is still there. The kitchen has high ceilings with glass panels leading to the breakfast room.
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Dining room with high ceiling and polished wood chimney
The redesigned building has a timber frame structure and some notable features. Examples include the solid maple floors in the reception hall and the Art Deco-style stained glass panels in the main entrance. Polished maple floors continue throughout the downstairs and can be seen around the doors.
The living room with exposed wooden beams overhead is also unusual. A glass panel in the roof ceiling allows light to pass through. There is a raised granite Alan Lawler fireplace, which has a gas fire, and the room accommodates a large sofa and chairs. The dining room also has a gas fireplace and heavy wood mantelpiece. The TV room is cozy, plus there is a room in the middle of the house that leads to the living room, with curved walls and glass doors on either side.
Outside, the driveway is a large cobblestone vestibule. The backyard has a deck area leading off the conservatory and descends to a manicured lawn surrounded by mature trees, plants and shrubs that Mary has nurtured over the years.
There are lychee trees in the center and in front of the studio, which produce beautiful flowers in June and red lychee fruits later. says Mary.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, my sons used two rooms in the house as offices. Some recently moved back to Australia and now don’t need a house that big. Mary’s husband Niall retired two years before her and now plans to scale back and stay in the area. But she has mixed feelings about selling Marianella. “I get emotional when I talk. People ask me why I’m so obsessed with it. But I have to remember that my kids grew up here and the house was It is filled with happy memories of
Shelly Fitzgerald is asking for €900,000.
