New Homes: 126-house development near Stepaside

Built by Joe O’Reilly’s Castlethorn Construction - after a hiatus of seven years – Belarmine Woods offers two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom A-rated homes, on what used to be the playing fields and training grounds of Lansdowne and Old Wesley rugby clubs.

The 126-house development, for sale through Sherry FitzGerald New Homes, is the latest development in the substantial Belarmine scheme on the outskirts of Stepaside village.

This phase will comprise 40 homes and includes two-bedroom townhouses, 85sq m (920sq ft) with galley kitchens asking €340,000; a range of three-bedroom styles starting at 104sq m (1,119sq ft) asking €375,000 up to an extended layout of 119sq m (1,280sq ft) asking about €395,000.

The four-bedroom and five-bedroom homes are set over three floors with the master bedroom on the second floor. The four-beds range from about 155sq m (1,668 sq ft) and cost €485,000.

The five-beds, of which there will be 10 in this tranche, are 169sq m (1,819sq ft) and cost €525,000.

All come with Mountlodge kitchens, integrated Bosch and Indesit electrical appliances, fitted wardrobes and tiled bathrooms but without any other form of flooring.

The gardens are compact but in terms of amenities there is a playground, and playing fields.

Gaelscoil Thaobh na Coille is so close it is almost over the back wall of some of the properties. There’s a creche, a medical centre, a pharmacy and a fitness centre. There are also shops, cafes and a restaurant on the doorstep, as well as a bus service, the number 47, whose terminus is in the Belarmine development. Stepaside village is a five-minute walk and Glencairn Luas stop is 15 minutes away.

With debts of about €2 billion and stakeholdings in massive commercial projects, including Dundrum and the Ilac and Pavilion shopping centres in Dublin O’Reilly was one of Nama’s biggest debtors after it was set up in the wake of the financial crisis. He expects to exit Nama this year having fully repaid his debts.

Through Castlethorn O’Reilly has built thousands of houses around the capital and recently got planning for a scaled-down version of a development in Foxrock, bordering Leopardstown racecourse, following a long planning dispute with 64 homes granted permission.