The Meath commuter town of Dunshaughlin sits on the edge of the Boyne valley and is located about 35km from Dublin’s city centre.
Once a toll gate on the old Dublin to Navan coach road, the town offers house-hunters a chance to invest in affordable, mainly family homes while its periphery is heritage rich. The Hill of Tara, seat of the high kings of Ireland, is a mere 10-minute drive away.
Just off the M3 motorway, this ever-expanding town has relatively good public transport links. Bus Éireann’s 109 services the town at three different stops and it is just an eight-minute drive to the train station at Dunboyne where the journey time to Connolly Station in Dublin city centre is 41 minutes, with some changes at Clonsilla.
Last May, developer the Gem Group secured planning permission for more than 900 residential units at its 69-acre site just off the Dublin Road in the eastern part of the town. The scheme will also include a childcare centre, retail units and a primary healthcare centre as well as significant open-space areas, including playgrounds and pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.
The first of the new homes at the Willows, as it will be known, are expected to be available this autumn with prices starting from €320,000 for a three-bedroom house. Sales at the scheme are being handled by joint agents Hooke & MacDonald and Dillon Auctioneers.
A-rated homes
The A-rated homes at Castlethorn’s Dún Ríoga development, meanwhile, are located about a half a mile outside the village on the Drumree Road and when complete will comprise 142 three- and four-bedroom homes. A large ring fort, on the edge of the estate is also being preserved as part of the development. While most of this won’t be visible to the homeowners who move in, it demonstrates the rich architectural heritage in the area.
When complete the Dún Ríoga estate will occupy both sides of the road. A small number of the three-bedroom terraced houses here, which measure 95sq m (1,022sq ft), are asking from €285,000, through SherryFitzGerald New Homes, making this development one of the best value on the market for families.
At Fairfield, on the Dublin side of the town, the last two units, both showhouses, are being brought to the market by SherryFitzGerald New Homes. These were designed by Karri Rocha. Prices have yet to be confirmed.
West of Dunshaughlin in Trim, Effernock is a new development of 360 homes by Bennett Homes. Estate agent Coonan New Homes is bringing 15 large houses comprising a mix of four-bed detached houses measuring 150sq m (1,615sq ft) and five-bed detached houses measuring 217sq m (2,336sq ft) to the market.
Lowdown:Dunshaughlin
Distance to Dublin city centre: About 30 kilometres
Connectivity: Bus Eireann's 109 picks up at three locations in the town and travels across Dublin to Belfield via Clonee and Phibsboro. The 109B takes you from the same choice of stops in Dunshaughlin to Merrion Row, Dublin 2. The 109A journeys via the airport to Busaras and stops at only one of Dunshaughlin's bus stops.
Population: 5,600
