Modern scheme in coastal village

Co Galway / from €265,000: Apartments at a development in Barna near Galway city are being launched this week, writes Jack Fagan

Location will inevitably be a strong selling point when the second phase of a new apartment development goes on sale this weekend in the old coastal village of Barna on the outskirts of Galway city.

O'Malley Construction is releasing the last 10 one and two-bedroom homes in its highly successful scheme which has opened the way for more families and small businesses to move into one of the most sought-after areas along the Galway coast.

The changes that have transformed Barna into a modern village with a good range of shopping and leisure facilities will be taken a stage further later this year when a top class hotel opens on the site of the famous Twelve Pins. All this is bound to boost sales in O'Malley's Creagán development which fronts directly on to the street and has a range of shops at ground floor level, including a wine shop, beauty salon, children's clothes outlet, a pharmacy and a crèche. Barna's excellent restaurants continue to have considerable pulling power, particularly in the summer months when the village attracts a continuous stream of tourists.

O'Malley Construction, one of the largest developers in the Galway area over the past 30 years, has already hit the jackpot with the Barna scheme, selling not only the entire first phase of apartments but also more than 100 large homes behind them. The houses were sold by word of mouth about 18 months ago and most of those that have since come back on the market have shown a capital appreciation of at least 25 per cent.

This bodes well for this weekend's launch of the final tranche of apartments which are expected to appeal both to owner-occupiers and investors, according to Helen Casserley of O'Malley Construction.

One-bedroom units with floor areas from 56.6sq m (610sq ft) will cost from €265,000 to €275,000 while two-bedroom apartments with floor areas up to 102sq m (1,100sq ft) will range from €320,000 to €340,000.

The developers are opening a show apartment next Sunday afternoon to show the stylish, contemporary style fit-outs that distinguish the Creagán scheme. Most of all, the interiors reflect the increasing demand for generous proportions and, to accommodate modern lifestyles, high-spec kitchens and bathrooms have been fitted.

Most of the homes have either balconies or terraces, which will come in handy, particularly during the long summer evenings. Visitors to the show apartment will undoubtedly be impressed by the size and style of the combined livingroom / kitchen with a glass-enclosed fire and separate mains gas heating radiators.

The use of downlighters - rather than the conventional ceiling lights - is a nice touch. Two-bedroom apartments come with an en suite shower room as well as the main bathroom.