"But I wasn't at all worried. The river beside the house is quite shallow and there are dangers everywhere, " explains McMahon.

"We also made the property, which sits on an acre of land on the banks of the River Shannon, as childproof as possible."

Part of the child-proofing included a tall tale of a mysterious Green Monster who resided in the centre of the river.

"My boys were about four and six at the time, and to make absolutely certain there would be no accidents, I told them that he'd put out his paw and drag them in if they went beyond the boundary wall."

There were no accidents, and with her children now grown up, McMahon is moving to a smaller house close by.

"I only use three or four rooms and this house needs the animation of music, chat and children. It really needs a young family to bring it back to life again."

But it will be a difficult move for McMahon after 27 years.

"Luckily, the house I'm moving to sits on exactly the same view. I'm planning to build a small extension, where I will replicate the master bedroom at the Grange, and that should help make it feel as though I haven't moved."

The job shouldn't prove too much of a challenge for McMahon, who has a stylist's eye for detail.

Since buying the six-bed, four-bathroom home which at the time had a very '70s' feel, McMahon has completely refurbished the property, returning it to its pristine Georgian glory as well as adding some new features that give the house all-year-round appeal.

"Apart from the master bedroom, which has fantastic views across two acres of the River Shannon, one of my most cherished rooms is the sunroom, " says McMahon.

"This looks out onto the garden and the river, and is like a sanctuary. You can see the salmon rise and watch the ducks and the swans wondering around the garden. Originally it was a veranda, but we had it filled in and glazed so that you can enjoy the views year round and it's a great place for lunch and for parties."

As well as her eye for detail, which she attributes to her father, whose hobby was carpentry, McMahon also has a designer's love of hoarding, and most of the rooms of the house have a feature piece with a story.

More importantly for prospective buyers, as McMahon is moving to a smaller property, much of the furniture in this pictureperfect house is also for sale.

Surrounded by a stone wall and protected by electronic gates, this spacious home includes a curved driveway. To the front of the house, which overlooks the river, there is a porch with garden room; livingroom with bay windows and original polished stone fireplace, a drawingroom with original marble fireplace, two french doors and a sunroom with original quarry stone floor.

Also downstairs: a dining room, a study/office, two kitchens a laundry and a wc. Upstairs accommodation includes six bedrooms and four bathrooms. The master bedroom has two double bay windows, one with a wrought iron balcony.

Outside accommodation includes a coach house, two loose boxes, car port, log house, two old cut-stone potting sheds, a tennis court as well as gardens laid out in lawns with a variety of mature trees and shrubs.

Price: AMV 2m at auction 25 May Agents: Ganly Walters, 01 6623255 / Rooney Auctioneers, 061 413511