Oscar-winner and family renting Eddie Irvine’s old bachelor pad
IF you’re going to be left stranded in Ireland after your block-buster movie goes into hiatus, you can’t do much better than an €8m pad on Dalkey’s ultra-exclusive Sorrento Road.
The southside enclave is home to bespoke mansions with high walls and even higher gates and musical titans like Bono and Van Morrison are just a stone’s throw away. Matt Damon flew into Dublin last month to film scenes for his next movie The Last Duel, which is directed by Ridley Scott.
But he was trapped in the country when President Donald Trump banned flights between Europe and the United States.
However, for Hollywood royalty Damon, his wife Luciana Barroso and four children Alexia, Isabella,
Gia and Stella, the novelty of isolating in Eddie Irvine’s former bachelor pad may provide some comfort.
Over the last couple of weeks, rumours have been rife that the former Bourne Identity star was hiding out in Dublin’s most affluent suburb. Only Enya retained a more elusive existence as eagle-eyed star spotters desperately hoped for a glimpse of the Oscarwinning actor and writer.
Social media went into overdrive when an image of Damon emerged holding a plastic supermarket bag, apparently containing his swimming trunks as he ascended the steps at Dalkey beach after a dip.
Other pre-lockdown tweets claimed that the star had been spotted jogging around the town or had enjoyed a meal at the Corner Note Cafe.
The down-to-earth star even posed for snaps with staff at steak and seafood eaterie Ouzos in Dalkey. As lockdown was announced, the star retreated behind the exclusive gates of the Ischia property, the 5,000 sq ft pile owned and rented out by racing tycoon Irvine.
There is plenty there to keep the family occupied in the one-time bachelor pad in an area which has been dubbed ‘Dublin’s Riviera’.
The property, which was on sale for €4m during the recession, is available to rent through Airbnb for €7,000 per week and comes with the basic package of five bedrooms and bathrooms.
Isolation won’t hurt too much in this good weather, thanks to Irvine’s outdoor pool that links via a lazy river to an indoor lagoon and an oversized hot tub with views across Dublin Bay. There is a giant cinema room and projector, snooker and games room.
The living space also comes with glorious high ceilings and stunning views, as well as a generous sized living room, dining room, kitchen and study.
The property shares a driveway with Van Morrison and is completely selfcontained and provides a safe and secure base for the Damon family in these difficult times.
Thankfully, Matt has secured the services of an exclusive chauffeur service who have been providing him with a concierge service.
Throughout the day, blacked-out luxury cars can be seen picking up and dropping off shopping and meals, as well as ferrying them about their 2km radius. The family have been making rare appearances in a local park (Dillon’s Park) where they have enjoyed some fresh air before retreating back behind the gates on Sorrento Road.
According to one local resident, the actor and his family have been keeping an extremely low profile and when they do emerge, they have been left alone.
“You would see the black cars coming and going every day, dropping things off or picking things up,” said the local.
“There is a park nearby and they go out as a family for about half an hour and then they head back again.”
Damon’s film also stars his close friend Ben Affleck, as well as Adam Driver and Jodie Comer, but he appears to be the only one stranded in Dublin.