A high-quality housing development is nearing completion in Marino Park at The Elms in Blackrock, Co Dublin. Kate McMorrow reports

The tragic saga of Marino Park House in Blackrock is coming to a close with the launch of a small private scheme, probably the smartest to come on the market in the Dublin area for some time.

Readers will remember the story of elderly residents, Eileen Blackall and her late sister, Rose, who lost a 10-year legal battle to remain living in their family home.

Rose died just days after the house was conveyed by court order to Chessington Ltd for £400,000 (€508,000) in 2000. Eileen is currently living with relations in Blackrock. By the time the house and grounds eventually changed ownership, vandals had laid waste to the mansion, stripping it of marble mantlepieces, granite steps and chimney pots.

Now called Marino Park at The Elms, converted coach houses, townhouses and the restored main house are entered through The Elms, a leafy apartment scheme with 24-hour security off Mount Merrion Avenue.

Michael Turley and Hooke & MacDonald will be taking bookings at two showhouses, open for viewing from noon today.

Builder John McDonald of Bracegrade Ltd (formerly Chessington) has created exactly the right kind of development at Marino Park to lay the ghosts of its past. The listed main house is in the process of being restored to perfection as a four-bedroom family home with a stone-walled garden.

In the grounds, cutting-edge modern townhouses in rumbled brick have roofs of old slate, tall thick-framed windows and panelled wood eaves. The original stables have been restored and converted into three townhouses opening out to a secluded courtyard.

The finish at Marino Park is of a standard rarely found in a new homes scheme in this country. Given the location and high spec, prices are not cheap. Three two-bedroom houses in the stableyard are from €750,000 and 10 three-bedroom terraced houses start at €840,000.

These are remarkably high-quality homes and many will be keen to part with their money for a place here. Everything is done, down to gardens designed by a landscape artist and faultless interiors.

Herringbone brick paving and curved stone boundary walls create a traditional backdrop to the contemporary design of the three-bedroom townhouses. Although exteriors have a uniform look, no two interiors are the same.

Expensive fittings include a "smart" lighting system, with each room wired for sound and with built-in ceiling speakers. Flooring throughout is Italian marble and wardrobes are beautifully fitted out.

Bespoke Valcucina Italian kitchens in oak and steel have marble worktops and island units. Accessories such as built-in steel plate racks, hidden plug sockets and smooth glide-out storage will impress. A range of steel appliances is included, with ultra-modern designer hobs and extractors.

Floors throughout are Italian marble, contemporary fireplaces have gas fires and wardrobes come with every conceivable storage gadget.

Buyers have a choice of three townhouse layouts, all offering 125 sq m (1,345 sq ft) of accommodation. The kitchen can overlook the front of the house, with the sittingroom opening to a landscaped garden, or this order can be reversed. Another townhouse kitchen has a quirky curved breakfast bar attached to a marble-topped island unit. Three two-bedroom terraced houses in the stableyard have small individual flowerbeds to the front. Stone walls and the original arched carriage entrance add character to this secluded corner.

The 288 sq m (3,098 sq ft) four-bedroom period house which forms the centrepiece of the estate is still in the restoration process, but could be bought and configured to an owner's specification for €1.8 million to €2 million depending on the fit-out.

With construction almost finished, buyers could move into Marino Park by Christmas or early in the new year. Annual management fees are expected be around €750. Two parking spaces are allocated to each house.

• For a virtual tour of this development click on www.irishtimesproperty.com