Down my way

Builders have been associated with Foxrock since cows grazed its green pastures

Builders have been associated with Foxrock since cows grazed its green pastures. Dan McInerney, retired chairman of McInerney Properties, not only built much of present-day Foxrock, but has lived in the village with his wife Gemma and family for over 30 years. "Foxrock grows on you. It's full of pleasant, friendly people who all know one another. Dangan is our fourth house along the road. We bought Carrickmines House in 1966 soon after we came back from England. Lady Alexander had lived there and there were some nice ceilings and lovely Bossi fireplaces. We built on an extension and put in a new swimming-pool and games room.

The children loved horse-riding, so we added a riding arena and floodlights. Gemma junior rode with the Irish Youth team and Mark rode at Essen. They were so busy it kept them out of mischief. The boys went to Willow Park and Blackrock College, Gemma to Loreto and Mary went to Holy Child school. Mark lives 100 yards away now and Dan is in Carrickmines Little, 10 yards from where I'm sitting.

Foxrock Golf Club just up the road is very well-kept and well managed. It's a small club and everyone knows everyone else - there's great camaraderie and friendship. I sold some of the land at Carrickmines House and kept some and my son built houses in Brighton Place. Then he built at Carrickmines Little. I bought Mount Sandel and sold sites there. My son is still building at Pavilion Gate beside the tennis club.

They are doing a wonderful job with the new pavilion at the club. The old clubhouse was full of character but out of date. They put a lot of thought into the whole new design. It'll be lovely.

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The house got too big for us and we moved to Swynerton on Brighton Road. Now we're in Dangan and we love it. McFerran's, the builders' providers people, used to live here. The house is old and not too big. We reconstructed it and built on. The village is still lovely, although traffic is heavier now. The whole atmosphere of the place and having the golf course convenient is wonderful. It's a beautiful place to live."