IN...KILMAINHAM:While it has stand-out attractions like IMMA and the gaol, Kilmainham lacks a decent supermarket, schools and nightlife, says Paul O'Doherty
AS TIGHT a community as you'll get anywhere in Dublin, Kilmainham, with its grade one museums, small bubbling businesses, burgeoning apartment complexes and connectivity to the city, is an enclave with bricks of potential. And, despite missing a decent supermarket, shops to poke around and a modern nightlife, its attractiveness as a city-centre location is noticeable by the 12 or so cranes in the vicinity that can be seen from the grounds of the Royal Hospital.
How's the market?
Brock DeLappe's Kevin DeLappe says "It's just not happening, and with the banks not handing out money, you can't even value property. We're looking after two-bedroom apartments at the Old Chocolate Factory and even if we dropped the prices they wouldn't sell."
Maher Gleeson Estates' Catriona White sees it as "quiet, with the proviso that if you're open to an offer, your property will sell and if you're not it won't".
Into the bricks, a one-bed ground floor apartment in a gated community with ample car-parking at Old Kilmainham Village is €235,000, while a two-bed apartment at Camac View, close to the hub, is €392,000. A three-bed duplex with balcony and car-parking at the same development is down €30,000 to €440,000.
As for the new-builds, uptake has been very good with only 12 apartments remaining out of the 210-unit Old Chocolate Factory scheme at the old Rowntree Macintosh site. For the record, one-beds are down from €335,000 to €299,000 (over 10 per cent), two-beds are down from €415,000 to €355,000 (over 14 per cent), and three-beds are down from €490,000 to €439,000 (over 10 per cent).
At the newer Heuston South Quarter, 135 of the 400-odd apartments have already been sold off plans with the remainder coming online from spring 2009, with prices holding up at the moment at €410,000 for a one-bed, €510,000 for two-beds and €635,000 for three-beds.
And to rent?
According to Brock DeLappe's Kevin DeLappe and Maher Gleeson Estates' Catriona White "it's pretty good" while Huntsman Estate Agents' John King says "Kilmainham continues to give better value than similar options in Dublin 8, and remains a favoured location for anyone working, for instance, in St James's hospital".
There's a reasonable amount of one-bed offerings, including €850 a month for what's close to the Luas and the hospital at Hybreasal or €950 a month for what's basic on the South Circular Road but signalled as "five seconds from the Patriot's Pub". Two-bed-wise, €1,250 a month will get you solitude overlooking a green space in a top-floor apartment in Old Kilmainham Village, while first occupancy on the fifth floor of the new Heuston South Quarter, close to the train station, Luas and the city centre, is yours for €1,700 a month.
Three-beds in the Old Chocolate Factory - a bit of an everlasting gobstopper, but still missing a Willie Wonka or at least a couple of chocolate bars - close to the gaol, the hotel and the buses is €1,900 a month, while for €300 cheaper you could put up with a modicum of light overlooking the Camac at Camac Court. Finally, a spacious four-bed redbrick at Brookfield Road, 300 metres from the Luas, is open to offers at €2,200 a month.
Going out?
A bit limited restaurant-wise and a toss-up between what's on offer at Cinnamon at the Hilton Hotel or at La Dolce Vita above The Patriot's Inn where there's also "play your cards right" and karaoke every Tuesday night. Other than that it's probably going down the local or the bus or Luas into the city.
Price of a pint
For pensioners, it's €3.85 in The Patriot's Inn.
Good for families?
With no schools in the area, children tend to travel to Inchicore, James' Street and Goldenbridge with, for instance, Goldenbridge Convent's principal Mary Keogh keen to point out "we're a very welcoming school and there is absolutely no problem with children from Kilmainham getting places here". It's also on the children's hospital's doorstep, and budding childcare professionals might be interested in the new crèche that's open to offers at €650,000 (fitted) or €550,000 (unfitted) at the Old Chocolate Factory. Or, it's available to let at €40,000 per annum.
What's to do?
Kilmainham Gaol is certainly on the itinerary once in a lifetime and there are plenty of meandering streets and lanes off the main road for walks. Whereas the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) - in the grounds of the Royal Hospital - is worth a more regular encounter, particularly at the moment for exhibitions that include In Praise of Shadows and Exquisite Corpse and work by William McKeown.
Home to . . .
Kilmainham Gaol and IMMA.
Locals say
'They're knocking down old buildings and the builders are buying them up and sitting on what's left, waiting for a handout from the Government to kick-start the economy" (Martin Malone).
RIP Ireland - killed by Lisbon (Graffiti on a boarded house outside IMMA).
"The best thing about Kilmainham is Wright's Barber Shop" (Jimmy Poland).
"With the lack of signage to the gaol and IMMA - two of Dublin's biggest attractions - the people around here spend most of their time giving directions to tourists" (Tom Thompson, originally from Edinburgh).
"It's handy for the buses, but other than that it's brutal" (Margaret Little).
"All the local little shops are gone and there's nowhere for the kids to go and buy penny sweets" (Rita White)
