Promenade walks and cycle routes, plenty of parks, pubs and sports facilities make this an interesting place to live in, says Paul O'Doherty
WITH house-plates like Seychelles, Nirvana, Asgard, Windswept and Mount Oriel it seems that some residents of Clontarf might think they are in paradise and it is true that the area is one of Dublin's great residential secrets.
Worth fighting for? Brian Boru must have said "yes2, although he never faced the proud twin poles of Poolbeg and the pillbox and semi-camouflaged ugliness of the North Wall docklands across the bay. Yet the snaking swerve of the promenade could be reason enough to defend any kingdom.
Nowadays, walking and cycling paths, palm trees, sea-view benches and quaint retired bathing huts outnumber the numerous cranes opposite. And, that's before coming to St Anne's Park, Dollymount beach and the Bull Island, all nearby.
The population, now in the low 30,000s, is unlikely to rise significantly amid the odd development promised, such as Moyville on Castle Avenue or those on the Clontarf Road and Vernon Avenue. The squash on the tight main junctions means that further development may have to look elsewhere.
How's the market?
With reports of "a difficult market" or one that has "bottomed out" and, after an 18 per cent price slide, properties are selling where properly valued.
Tight one-bedroom apartments are available at Danesfort with views of the sea and industry for between €335,000 and €415,000. This makes a two-bedroom, 1860s redbrick ground floor spacious apartment at Lucerne on Castle Avenue, desirable at €390,000.
You can pay around €600,000 for a two-bedroom townhouse, with rear garden and central amenities, such as the one at Blackheath Court off Vernon Avenue.
Three-bed prices start around €630,000 for, say, a modest terrace house in Clontarf Park facing a green. Many houses need modernisation until you reach the seven figures upwards on Vernon Avenue, Mount Prospect, Kincora and Seafield. For instance, €2.5 million is being sought for a recently built four-bedroom corner-house on Kincora Walk.
And to rent?
One-bedroom apartment, with minimum luxury, near the promenade on Castle Avenue is going for €900, about €100 below the going rate elsewhere. While two-bedroom apartments are generally between €1,250 and €1,350, haggling around €1,450 for a similar home at Askilawn on Kincora Road might be worth it for the brightness and ultra-modernity.
Three-bedroom houses vary between €2,500 and €3,000. A four-bed detached house with good-sized garden and decking, at Woodside, costs €4,000.
Going out?
Sports clubs have well-established bars while pubs, such as the iconic Yacht and Sheds, have their regulars. Kinara, serving Pakistani and Indian cuisine, is probably the best restaurant in the area, although a number of eateries such as Hemingway's, Bay and Les Amis are popular with some. But the village is still crying out for something more upmarket with a decent sea view. Mind you, if the reception Stephen Cullen got to his recent renovation plans for the old Clontarf baths - restaurant, tearooms, pool, spa - is to go by, that day will come.
Price of a pint
It is €4 in The Sheds, or €3.80 if you prefer your stout from Cork.
Good for families?
There are a number of schools with crèches: Clontarf Crèche costs from €140 a week. There are lots of outdoor activities including the beach and parks. The proposed new children's hospital will be three miles away.
What to do?
Promenade and park walking and cycling. Tennis, golf, cricket, rugby, Gaelic and soccer clubs are strong in the area.
The Red Stables art and crafts exhibition with tearooms is open most days and there is a Saturday market in St Anne's Park. Dollymount beach and the Bull Island nature reserve offer you as many birds as your binoculars can capture.
Home to . . .
Central Remedial Clinic, Irish Wheelchair Association and Clontarf Castle
Locals say
"The sea, promenade and parks make it one of the northside's hidden secrets" (Adam Clarke).
"Most roads lead down to the sea" (Mary Burke).
"When there's a south-easterly blowing, there's a smell from the southside - the sewage treatment plant". (Joe McCabe).
"Yes, my neighbour has an expensive boat, and, yes, he has a very loud house alarm and, no, you can't have my name". (Irate resident, barely audible over nerve-bending noisy alarm).
