Not far from being an all-rounder

IN . . . CLONDALKIN:Although a fast-changing suburb, Clondalkin has many landmarks and a great village that give it an identity, says PAUL O'DOHERTY.

SANDWICHED BETWEEN Tallaght and Blanchardstown, and without a hospital, multiplex or institute of technology, Clondalkin is the poor relation between the triumvirate of communities that have grown off the M50.

Now, coming down with newish apartment complexes around the periphery and smaller schemes in every nook and cranny close in, the famous Round Tower (with its fantastic view of the area from the top), along with the village's heart, that has always been warm and friendly, seems superfluous to an identity in a state of flux.

That change, hopefully, will bring with it an interpretative centre around the tower, a theatre, the Metro-line connection to the Luas, a revamped village centre in keeping with its monastic and mill-village history, traffic-control that aside from Friday evenings is better than it was, and more fashionable shopping opportunities and recreational facilities at, for instance, on the old CB Packaging landmark (recently demolished).

How's the market?

After a 20 per cent drop, "bottomed-out" is the description from estate agents not yet keen to put up posters signalling recovery; the mild resuscitation caused by sellers pricing their homes more attractively in a buyers market. While, the one-bed apartment at Aras Na Cluaine looks good at €200,000, prices are generally around the €255,000-mark for something like the first-floor offering and balcony at Shalimar. Into the two-beds, €285,000 is the benchmark with 50-odd properties battling it out for a sale. An example of the price drop is a ground floor dwelling at Mill Pound, close to the shopping and community centres, which has fallen from €370,500 to €280,000 to €240,000.

The middle ranges are between the €305,000s for a three-bed mid-terrace house, away from the main village at Westbourne; €320,000 for a three-bed semi at Castlegrange in a quiet cul-de-sac; and €400,000s for a four-bed semi in need of a makeover at Cappaghmore.

Top-of-the-market family houses, like the four-bed detached with conservatory and double garage in the sought-after Monastery Crescent, is down €100,000 to €650,00 while between €585, 000 and €595,000 will deliver three-, four- or five-bedroom comparable houses at Laurel Park, Monastery Walk or Monastery Park.

And, on the New Road, a stroll away from the village closer to Newlands, a four-bed detached with potential is €825,000.

And to rent?

Scarce one-bed apartments slipping towards the €900-a-month threshold at, for instance, Aras Na Cluaine which is close to the M50 and Luas line. Two-bedroom apartments, like what's on offer at Millpark on the close-to-everything Nangor Road, are €100 more, with the €1,200 sector and those priced above from anywhere at Orchard Lodge to the Watery Lane beginning to realise in the congestion they are overpriced. Three-bed semis at Oak Rise near Corkagh Park or Grangeview Wood, on the outskirts of the village, seem better value at €1,300.

Going out?

Tight array of pubs and social clubs all attract regulars, although it's bandit country for good restaurants. Best to avail of the good public transport system or oversupply of taxis to get you into town or otherwise.

Price of a pint

€4.10 in the bar and €4.30 in the lounge in The Laurels.

Good for families?

School places at primary and secondary aren't a problem and St John's Playschool is charging €160 a month for mornings Monday to Thursday. Institute of Technology Tallaght is a bus journey away up the road, while getting to the proposed children's hospital is at least an hour away in middling traffic.

What's to do?

While the canal has always been popular among walkers at the bottom of the village, up top, Corkagh Park is as good an environment anywhere in west Co Dublin for clearing off the cobwebs or losing yourself in a ramble around the sloping open spaces or woodland trees. Now, with its well-established fishery - roughly four-acre course lake and three-and-a-half acre lake for trout - it's also an attraction for fishermen. Aside from that, there is a myriad of sports clubs in the area and a public golf course at Grange Castle.

Home to . . .

Round Towers GAA club, the oldest club in Dublin.

Locals say

"Corkagh Park is a beautiful lovely big park and great for walking my dog every day" (Nicola O'Connor).

"It's a nice quiet little village and it's very seldom you see any trouble" (Paul Graham).

"Outside of the main village it's terrible" (Ann Molloy).

"Is the traffic bad? If you ever want to spend a slow day in this village, bring your car Friday evening and you'll know what I mean. And your newspaper, it'll help pass the time" (Tom Shields).