Great expectations in Dublin 6

A terrace of houses in an exclusive new enclave in Ranelagh come with home cinemas, walled gardens - and are ready to move into ,writes MICHAEL PARSONS

SPARE A thought – if you can bear to – for the chattering classes of Dublin 6. They haven’t quite escaped “The Terror” you know. Just last year, Mint, an achingly fashionable restaurant in Ranelagh, was reportedly coining it. Swaggeringly ostentatious diners, displaying all the sensitivity of the Sun King’s “let them eat cupcakes” courtiers, flocked to savour the dizzyingly pricey cuisine of “celebrity-effing-chef”, Dylan “bad boy” McGrath.

Monsieur Doorley memorably noted that “the carrot purée looked like a frenzied crime scene” and braised pig’s cheek was “incorporated into a kind of mousseline, sandwiched between two slices of just-cooked celeriac”.   Oh dear. Not quite “dinner-in-the-middle-of-the-day” fare.

Fast-forward 12 months and, according to the smouldering chef, “big spenders just disappeared overnight”, the liquidator arrived, the shutters came down and the Michelin starlight dimmed.

Today, Mint is "to let" and stands like an Ozymandian reminder of our national folie de grandeur. "Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

Well, not yet. Dublin 6, the country’s second smartest postcode (for now) isn’t quite on the ropes. There’s still a palpable air of affluence in Ranelagh where the ambience is not dissimilar to London’s Islington – spiritual home of the left-leaning intelligentsia.

The Guardianis alarmingly conspicuous in the newsagent's and tapas socialists (formerly known as smoked salmon comrades) edgily coexist with a slightly sniffy old money crowd. This quintessential urban village, with excellent public transport (including the Luas), a good mix of shops and restaurants, and some of Ireland's very best schools, is one of the city's most desirable locations.

So there is likely to be considerable interest in today’s launch by Sherry FitzGerald of Sandford Square, on Merton Drive, a development of five large period-style family homes.

The half-acre site was once owned by the neighbouring Sandford Park School and reputedly cost €10 million. The terrace of four-storey, four-bedroom houses was designed by architects Niall D Brennan Associates and built by developers O’Mahony Finnerty.

Sensibly, the development is not electronically gated; after all, neighbouring Donnybrook isn't quite sans-culottesterritory.

Each house has a private, landscaped, walled rear garden; a large, secluded, granite-paved patio area in the basement light-well; and two dedicated parking spaces in front – although visitor parking is pretty tight.

In homage to the prevailing architectural style of the area, period features include redbrick façades, smart black railings, imposing granite porticoes and leaded-glass panels framing impressively solid hall doors.

High ceilinged interiors are cleverly light-filled and the fittings and fixtures are of the highest quality – from American walnut flooring to the electric dumb waiter linking bright basement kitchen to ground floor diningroom.

The houses range in size from 263sq m (2,745sq ft) to the largest, at 350sq m (3,768sq ft) and overlooks the school’s playing fields.

Prices range from €2.25 million and rise to €3.15 million.

All the houses have a home cinema in the basement – fitted with eight squishy, cream leather recliners.

Perfect for kicking off those Louboutin slingbacks, pouring a glass of Moët et Chandon and finally watching that boxed-set of Sex and the City(ah, nostalgia!) while Mr Big unwinds with a fat Cohiba after a hard day transferring loans to Nama.

These are houses built for a society with great expectations. They’re fully furnished and decorated – down to paintings on the walls and sequinned scatter-cushions in the bedrooms – and are ready for immediate occupation.

Sandyford Square Merton Drive, Ranelagh, Dublin 6:Terrace of five 263sq m (2,745sq ft) to 350sq m(3,768sq ft) four-bed new homes overlook the playing fields of Sandford Park School

Agent:Sherry FitzGerald