A site for a single house at Brennanstown Vale in Carrickmines, Dublin 18, has been sold at auction by Lisney for £1.5 million - easily a record for the Dublin area. The three-quarters of an acre site is the last of 22 to come on the market. The first three-quarter acre site there was sold in May 1990 for £62,500, according to Tom Day of Lisney. The sale of this site, bought in trust by Dun Laoghaire solicitor Marjorie Murphy, was held up for years because of a legal problem and planning permission for one house lapsed some time ago.

The previous highest price was £3.6 million paid by businessmen Niall O'Farrell for almost half an acre at Shrewsbury Road, Ballsbridge, about three years ago. He has since secured planning permission for two houses.