Name:Paul Dunphy Address:Stoneybatter, Dublin 7 Dwelling:Terraced house Here since:2001
We've lived on Oxmantown Road, in Stoneybatter, for five years. I knew the area for years, because we had friends living here, and we used to visit them regularly. I'm from Kilkenny, but I've lived in Dublin for 12 years at this stage. I've always loved the area. There's such history. It always struck me as an urban village, in a sense, yet you're so close to the thriving, modern city centre. You have only to walk for 30 minutes out of town and you're in this cobblestoned village that is steeped in history. I've lived in New York and London in the past, and in those places you definitely couldn't walk half an hour and feel that you're out of the city.
There's such an old-fashioned feel to the area; it feels like there are long-standing traditions here. The local shopkeepers always have whatever you'd ask for. It's an old-fashioned kind of thing, dealing with family businesses that have personality, and we're losing that with the Centras and Spars opening up. There's such a mix of people in the community, too - there's a lot of people who've always been on the street, and then young people, or relatively young people, who have moved more recently. The mix works well. Everybody watches out for each other, too - there's a great sense of security. We were never made to feel like blow-ins. There has always been a welcoming sense of community here. All the locals were very friendly from day one.
Most of the other old parts of Dublin are being demolished or renovated with modern apartment blocks, but Stoneybatter seems to stand uniquely on its own as an area with a history. The house itself has a great sense of the past. As far as I know it's about 110 years old. It's great to think of the different people and families who lived here down the years. It's always amazingly quiet, with the old thick walls that you just don't get in modern buildings. It's a terraced house, three-bedroomed, two-storey, with a brick front. Since we've moved in we've been renovating. It's how we want it at the moment - for the time being, anyway. One bedroom is converted into a wardrobe. There's just myself and my partner and our dog, Mindy, so we were able to use the extra space.
We don't have a car, so it's ideal being a half-hour walk from town. There is enjoyment to be had going past people in their cars, stressed out in traffic while you walk in between them, and arrive in the office unstressed. I consider myself very lucky that we got a house here. It is a completely relaxed way of living. We can't see ourselves wanting to move.