Property

Priced out of Clontarf or Sutton? There’s value in Raheny

Where to buy and rent in this scenic but often-overlooked north Dublin suburb

St Anne’s Park, Dublin’s second-largest park, is the green lung of Raheny, and offers public tennis courts, an organised 5km run and a market every Saturday. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

Tadhg Peavoy
Sat Sep 16 2017 - 08:00

The approach to Raheny is one of the most scenic entries to any village in Dublin. As the Howth Road winds its way up from Killester village towards Raheny proper, the road widens into a mature, tree-lined boulevard, with semi-detached houses on both sides. As the Howth Road continues through the crossroads with Sybil Hill Road and Brookwood Avenue, and on into the centre of Raheny, one finds an old-style Dublin town and a main street replete with bars, restaurants and amenities: it is a neighbourhood reminiscent of a time when Dublin was merely a number of towns dotted across the county. Such is the self-contained nature of the village, one almost wouldn’t need to leave, with almost all living needs catered for in the town centre.

Such is the self-contained nature of Raheny village, one almost wouldn’t need to leave, with almost all living needs catered for in the town centre. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

Many of the areas surrounding and near Raheny are some of the most desirable in the city: Clontarf, Sutton and Howth. Traditionally Raheny was not viewed in quite the same cachet, but that has changed somewhat in recent years, with the area beginning to assert itself as one of the best-value, high-end north Dublin addresses.

What kinds of homes are available?

The sheer choice of housing in the area is excellent, with most price brackets catered for, which in turn is bringing a diverse type of buyer into the locality.

“Along the Howth Road you’ll have mainly 1940s- and 1950s-built, four-bedroom semi-detached and detached houses on larger sites. Starting prices are mid-€600,000, right up to €1.5 million for a five-bed detached house,” says Wayne O’Brien, manger of the local branch of estate agency DNG.

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“Off the Howth Road, around the All Saints Road area, which is beside St Anne’s Park, you have an ex-corporation housing area, built around the late 1950s, early 1960s. And a mixture of three-bed terraced homes. This is a very desirable area, with a price bracket of €400,000-€450,000. Edenmore was built on the outskirts of Raheny village in the 1960s. There’s 400-500 houses in that area alone. They were corporation-built originally, but have now been sold to young families or have been bought out by existing family members in the area.”

“All Saints properties are being bought as starter family homes,” says O’Brien. “Young families trying to get a foothold in the property market. Then a step up from that you have Maywood, St Assam’s and Foxfield. These are larger four-bed, semi-detached homes that start at €550,000 and go up to €700,000. These have fantastic back gardens from 50ft up to 120ft long. Past Raheny village on the Howth Road are five- and six-bed homes on excellent sites; buyers are usually trade-ups from within Raheny or other areas of the city.”

Where’s good to eat in the area?

As one might expect from a mature location, there are plenty of pubs and eateries. A number of restaurants are dotted throughout, including McHugh’s Wine and Dine, Mulino Italian Restaurant and a number of coffee shops, including a branch of Kennedy’s Food Store.

And transport links?

One of the best on the northside. The Dart runs every 10 minutes at peak times. There are also a number of bus routes: the 29A, the 31, 31A and 32.

How about sports, leisure and schools?

St Anne’s Park, which is the second-largest park in Dublin, is the green lung of the area, and offers public tennis courts, an organised 5km run and a market every Saturday. Raheny GAA club lists Dublin footballer Brian Fenton as a member. You also have Clontarf Rugby Club nearby, which offers underage rugby right up to a senior team, which ranks as one of the country’s best All-Ireland League sides.

There’s a good selection of national schools, including Naíscoil Íde, Scoil Áine, Scoil Assaim and Springdale National School. The area has two well-regarded secondary schools: St Paul’s College for boys and Manor House School for girls.

What new developments are coming to the area?

There’s a lot of construction taking place, or planned, in Raheny. Lonsdale at 724-728 Howth Road has 16 terraced and semi-detached, four- and five-bed houses, all of which sold at launch. On Sybil Hill, MKN Property is building 76 homes, with a mixture of houses and apartments. A planning application has gone in on Station Road for 71 apartments, which is pending approval. At 730 Howth Road there is the planned construction of nine, five-bedroom houses. Also, pending planning, 30 apartments will be built on the Blackbanks Garden Centre site at the north end of the Howth Road.

Raheny is still not quite in the top bracket of most desirable northside locations; however, taking into account the quality of amenities and village life, this quiet neighbourhood has plenty going for it. The opportunity to buy new builds in the area is also very prominent, which isn’t something that can be said of many other middle-class areas of the city.

Watermill Avenue, Raheny. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

What are the going rates for existing properties in the area?

A one-bed apartment can be bought for €140,000, while a two-bed, two-bath, apartment in the appealing Watermill development starts at €270,000. A three-bed terraced house in Edenmore goes for €285,000. A three-bed, semi-detached home, on Woodbine Road is listed at €375,000. A four-bed, three-bath, detached house on Raheny Road is on the market at €450,000. A five-bed, semi-detached on Foxfield Road goes for €650,000. A seven-bed, six-bath detached property on St Margaret’s Avenue is listed at €900,000.

Two-bedroom duplex at Shieling Square for €3,500 per month. Agent: Lisney

Five-bed, three-bath, semi-detached at 76 Foxfield Road, for €700,000. Agent: DNG.

What’s for sale right now?

Three-bed, one-bath, terraced house at 39 Edenmore Gardens, for €285,000. Agent: DNG.

Three-bed, two-bath, semi-detached house at 133 Woodbine Park, for €445,000. Agent: Flynn Sales & Lettings.

Five-bed, three-bath, semi-detached at 76 Foxfield Road, for €700,000. Agent: DNG.

What’s for rent right now?

Three-bed, one-bath, semi-detached house at Brookwood Glen, for €2,400 a month. Agent: Private listing.

Two-bed, two-bath, duplex on 75 Shieling Square, for €3,500 a month. Agent: Lisney.