Former home of Marian Finucane sells for almost €400k below €1.35m asking price

Gordon Deegan

The former Co Kildare home of the late RTÉ broadcaster, Marian Finucane, and her late husband, John Clarke, sold for almost €400,000 short of the property’s asking price of €1.35 million.

Stream House at Punchestown Upper, Rathmore, was put on the market for €1.35 million last summer, and records at the Residential Property Price Register show that the contemporary pavilion-style property has sold for €960,000 - €390,000 less than the asking price.

Records at Tailte Éireann show that the new owner of the home is a firm, Luna Stream Ltd owned by businesswoman, Andrea Jebb who leads Baldonnel based childcare business, Junior Genius Childcare.

Luna Stream Ltd was only incorporated last December and Junior Genius Childcare operates Ireland’s largest privately owned childcare facility, located in Baldonnell, Co. Dublin.

Built in 2014, just six years before Finucane’s death in 2020, Stream House near the village of Kilteel is a country residence set on 22 acres of grounds.

Finucane died suddenly at her home, aged 69, on January 2nd, 2020, and John Clarke died in February of last year at the age of 88.

A major feature of the late couple’s former expansive property are its Japanese gardens, complete with streams, ponds, pathways and stonework.

Along with the ornamental gardens, the property has stud-railed paddocks and a stable yard.

The house itself is constructed in a T-shape and opens into a large hall that leads through to a library.

Along with the home’s communal areas, there are five en-suite bedrooms, which each overlook either the gardens or the surrounding countryside.

In June 2025, selling agent, JP & M Doyle said: "Stream House is not just a home, it is an experience.

"Whether you’re walking the winding garden paths, listening to the gentle sound of running water from the streams or enjoying the peace and beauty of the paddocks, this property offers a unique lifestyle opportunity rarely found on the market.”

Only three individual properties have sold for in excess of €1 million in Co Kildare to date this year according to figures from the Residential Property Price Register.

In an interview with The Irish Independent in April, Andrea Jebb said: “Stream House is a very special property within the local community, particularly due to its connection to the late Marian Finucane.”

“Having grown up in this community, I feel privileged to be in a position to restore and care for this space.

"We are very conscious that the gardens were created in her memory and intend to respectfully preserve the character of the property, ensuring her legacy is honoured.”

The 35-year old said she bought Stream House as a “long-term investment” and was planning to use it to provide accommodation for employees of Junior Genius, as well as for personal use, including equestrian activities on the surrounding lands.

The most recent accounts for Junior Genius Childcare Ltd show that it recorded post tax profits of €63,091 in 2025 and was sitting on accumulated profits of €654,075 at the end of December last.

The directors state that “as an operating business, profitability still remains challenging”.

The Junior Genius Childcare business withdrew from the Core Funding Government initiative in June 2025.

The directors state: “The decision to leave the core funding Government initiative was a long and difficult process for staff & parents.

"However, it became apparent early in the year to protect the ongoing viability of the business, this was a necessary action.”