Castleknock: from €450,000:Farmleigh estate and the Phoenix Park are beside a development on 25 lush acres in north Dublin. Fiona Tyrrellreports as the last units go on sale
Living next door to the Government guest-house has its advantages. Farmleigh House and its calendar of cultural events are on your doorstep and then there's the kudos of being able to, temporarily at least, call a variety of VIP and heads of state your neighbours.
A top address is just one of the many attractions of a swish residential development built on a 25-acre site that once formed part of the Farmleigh estate.
At the centre of the scheme is Mount Hybla, a beautiful Georgian home. There are plans to transform it into a boutique hotel with spa and leisure facilities.
Menolly Homes acquired the lands from the Guinness family in 2001 and has built 257 apartments and townhouses on the lush site.
These have been quietly selling by word of mouth for the last 18 months. Now, as the scheme nears completion, the final 40 apartments and some penthouses have come to the market through agent Sherry FitzGerald New Homes.
The apartments will cost from €450,000 to €750,000-plus, and the penthouses will cost from €900,000 to over €2.3 million.
There is a leafy country air to the estate thanks to its secluded location beside Phoenix Park and lots of open green space.
Access to Farmleigh Woods is via the quiet White's Road, in Castleknock.
Farmleigh House is next door and the Phoenix Park is accessible through the pedestrian-only gate at the end of the road.
Other neighbours are the well-regarded Georgian Village development to the east and Castleknock College to the west. To coincide with the launch, three stunning show units, fitted out by Natural Interiors, can be viewed by appointment.
To date Farmleigh Woods has been popular among both empty-nesters and trader-uppers in the Castleknock area. In some cases, entire extended families have moved in. Older couples have traded down to apartments in the scheme while their children have purchased the larger townhouses.
Great views from lavish Farmleigh penthousesLocation aside, the big selling point is knock-out finish, high specification and very spacious layouts. Living areas have wide-plank semi-solid oak flooring or Crema Marfil tiles.
Traditional hand-painted kitchens are by John Daly and include Neff appliances and Britannia ranges. The main living areas have halogen down lighters. Livingrooms have limestone-and-marble fireplaces. Bathrooms are large and lavish.
Other high-end touches include mood lighting and pre-wiring for entertainment and network system. All apartments have generous balconies and views across beautifully landscaped parkland.
Prices start at €450,000 for 54sq m (575sq ft) one-bedroom apartments. Two-bedroom 96sq m (1,035sq ft) apartments cost from €555,000 and two-bedroom duplexes are also available from €750,000. A number of penthouses are also on offer. These start at €900,000 for 100sq m (1,075sq ft) two-bedroom penthouses; 220sq m (2,365sq ft) three-bedroom penthouses cost from €2.3 million.
These are a lavish affairs with oodles of living space, top-notch fit-out and spectacular views.
Outside, Dublin-based landscape architects Sap have done a wonderful job maintaining the air of a country retreat. There is lots of green open space and formal landscaping includes animal-shaped box hedging and an impressive fountain.
Later this year a small enclave of plush five-bedroom houses are going to be released. They are likely to be regarded as among the most impressive houses to come on the market in recent years. Prices could be expected start at around €2.3 million, accor4ding to Brendan Byrne of Sherry FitzGerald New Homes.
