Located between Kilcock and Trim, the heritage village of Summerhill takes its name from the eponymous house built by the Langford family in 1667 to a design by Edward Lovett Pearce and Richard Cassels.
Not far from the site on which this historic Palladian mansion stood – the loss of which was described by 29th Knight of Glin, the late Desmond FitzGerald, as “probably the greatest tragedy in the history of Irish domestic architecture” – is the latest offering from homebuilding firm Lydon, the Talbot Retirement Village.
Currently under construction, with the first homes available for occupation by the first quarter of 2026 (according to agent Philip Byrne of Coonan Property who is handling the sale), the project will have 70 homes in total when complete, with a mixture of two- and three-beds. One-bedroom units will also be part of the development, though none are available as part of the current release.
Set within 10 acres, all the homes are within walking distance of the village and amenities and are aimed at people aged over 55. In fact, this is a stipulation for buyers: you must be 55 or older, or else have a certified medical need – or be the spouse of someone who has those needs. “The people who are looking at homes here are actually closer to the 55 mark than those in their 80s,” says Byrne, who also notes that “medical needs” are “set down by Meath County Council, whereby the developer will have to submit reports on occupancy”.
READ MORE
Retirement villages began to appear in earnest in the 2005-2010 period, fuelled by attractive capital allowances at the time. What they offer is community-based living, allowing people to plan for their ageing years with health support systems, thereby freeing up the housing stock for growing families. In this way, downsizers, or rightsizers, who are facing their retirement years, can have safe, secure, energy-efficient, more manageable homes.
All in all, the aim and attraction of this type of housing is to extend independent living.
While it is a relatively new concept in Ireland, it is estimated that 13 per cent of people over 65 in Australia live in retirement villages, with the figure rising to 17 per cent in the United States.
In its current release, Coonan Property is including five two-bed 80sq m (861sq ft) midterrace units priced at €345,000, while end-terrace two-bed units of the same size have are priced at €365,000. Three-bed end-terrace houses, measuring 128sq m (1,378sq ft), are listed at €400,000.
The A2-rated units, which are an hour’s drive from Dublin Airport and the city, will eventually have a nursing home and common rooms on site, while management fees will include security and grounds maintenance.
Houses here are future-proofed, with bathrooms set out as wet rooms, so ideally will not need modifications to meet occupants’ needs.
