Stillorgan, a pleasant middle-class Dublin suburb, was once the most desirable place to live in the Dublin area. It was here that the gentry in the 18th and 19th centuries built their fine mansions away from the bustle of the city. There were dairy farms and tilled fields in the area up until the 1940s and scarcely a car in sight.

Today, parking is a major problem and the shopping centre and bowling alley are what most people associate with Stillorgan. Yet, this suburb has possibly the highest concentration of large period houses south of the Liffey. Most of these are now owned by religious orders, which explains why there are so many schools, nursing homes and private hospitals in the area.

Inevitably, some of the big houses have been bought by developers. One of these, Redesdale House, which was the home of Lord Chancellor Sir John Mitford, has been demolished to make way for a scheme of smart new townhouses. They have sold well through agent Ross McParland at £320,000 for the smallest two-bedroom house. The developer is believed to have kept some of them to rent out - a good indicator of the potential investment growth of Stillorgan property.

The boundaries of Stillorgan are flexible, with upmarket Mount Merrion, Foxrock and Blackrock on its perimeter. Most of Stillorgan is on the eastern side of the N11 dual-carriageway, with the exception of Stillorgan Grove, Stillorgan Park, Stillorgan Park Avenue and the Coppinger and Orpen estates.

Kilmacud is considered to be an integral part of the Stillorgan area. There is a perception that Mount Merrion, Blackrock and Foxrock are somehow preferable because houses cost more in these areas. Denis Beare of Lisney finds that people with perfectly good houses in Stillorgan claim to live in all three areas.

Stillorgan is close to the city and has excellent facilities, so property is by no means cheap. The first-time entry level is around £190,000 for the former local authority houses opposite the shopping centre. There are bargains to be found, however, in the abundance of post-war semidetached houses and bungalows with good gardens, selling for around £240,000.

Investors are buying here - always a good indicator for value. Agents say there is strong demand for rental property from executives working in the Stillorgan Industrial Estate. Monthly rents average £600 for a one-bed apartment; £750 for a two-bed apartment; £800 for a three-bedroom house and up to £1,500 for a four-bedroom detached house, depending on presentation.

The Merville estate, off Lower Kilmacud Road, is one of the oldest in Stillorgan. Lisney sold a bungalow earlier this year for over £200,000. A three-bedroom semi, sold recently by local agent Caseys for £250,000, went for £83,000 four years ago.

The Sorohan-built houses further up the road on Holywell are always popular. Douglas Newman Good recently achieved £250,000 for a three-bedroom mid-terraced house. Youngs has one for sale asking in excess of £300,000.

Lakelands is a tree-lined estate of large semi-detached houses close to St Benildus school. Prices have risen significantly here but still represent good value. A four-bed semi sold in 1997 for £147,000 and last August a near-identical house on the same road achieved £260,000.

Marsham Court is a smaller estate across the road from Lakelands. Three-bed semis here, which sold two years ago for around £99,000, are now fetching around £200,000.

Some of the largest houses are found off Upper Kilmacud Road at Coolnevaun, Stillorgan Heath and Stillorgan Wood. Sherry FitzGerald is currently selling a four-bedroom detached house in the area quoting £425,000. On the city side of the village, Woodlands and Beaufield Manor off old Stillorgan Road close to Oatlands College are still under the £300,000 mark.

A house on Woodlands Avenue sold last July for £295,000.

Houses off the Old Stillorgan Road, near Glenalbyn Sports Centre, rarely come on the market. On the far side of the dualcarriageway, prices are higher and houses hold their value well, say most agents. The Orpen estate has an open green and tennis court and the grounds have matured attractively. Houses here are now selling for up to £550,000.

Lisney this year sold a fourbedroom detached house on Stillorgan Park Avenue for £460,000 and a similarsized house on Farmleigh Avenue for over £300,000. A top price of £700,000 was achieved this year by Sherry FitzGerald for one of the few period houses on Stillorgan Park. Daphne L Kaye has a Coppinger Wood four-bed priced at £335,000.

Apartments are popular with residents trading down. Two bedroom apartments at Cedarmount, which cost £75,000 in 1996, are now fetching £150,000. A top floor two-bed unit at Woodview Court, close to the shopping centre, recently sold for £163,000.

Stillorgan Shopping Centre was the first of its kind in the Republic and is still one of the most successful. It was built on the site of a row of traditional cottages similar to those still standing on Stillorgan Hill. Earlier this year, Treasury Holdings' plans to extend the centre were turned down on appeal.

Its proposal would have more than doubled the size of the centre, raising it to four storeys, with retail units on the existing car-park to the front. A scaled-down version of the original application has just been submitted to Dun Laoghaire and Rathdown County Council.

Across the road, the Plaza shopping centre and cinema complex has applied to extend car-parking and office accommodation. The Stillorgan Chamber of Commerce was formed six weeks ago to liaise on the proposed developments. It is broadly in favour of the refurbishment.

Stillorgan is more than a shopping centre. There is a host of ethnic and traditional restaurants, including the long-established Beaufield Mews, set in a converted coach-house with gardens. The Ormonde cinema is now a glamorous multiplex and Glenalbyn swimming pool and sports centre attracts families from miles around.

The village was once the home of the famous Archbishop Laurence O'Toole and is named after him - Teac Lorcan. He is said to have built his house near to the church dedicated to his patron saint, Brigid.

Today, ties between St Brigid's and St Laurence's churches are close and there are regular inter-denominational services and festivals. "The houses may be undervalued, but Stillorgan's greatest asset is the community spirit which makes this village a great place to live," says local historian Bonnie Flanagan.