Houses in the first mid-sized development in the picturesque village of Slane, Co Meath, go on sale from plans today with prices from £89,950 for a two bedroom apartment up to £194,500 for a four bedroom detached house. There are 15 four bedroom houses and bungalows and eight two bedroom apartments in this first phase. The houses will be completed by November and apartments by January next. The entire development of 48 houses and 27 apartments is expected to be occupied by summer 2000. Ledwidge Hall is being constructed on an elevated 16-acre site on the Drogheda Road, 200 yards from the town centre. There is unlikely to be large-scale rezoning - one of the attractions of Slane as a place to live.
In all, 48 four-bedroom bungalows and houses are being built by Grangebridge Development Company, with 27 two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments to be constructed on another part of the development. Joint agents for the scheme are Hooke & McDonald of Dublin and Robert B. Daly of Drogheda.
As they will be built on a hillside, many of the houses are split-level and will have sloping gardens. All the roads will be curved and varied.
There are five main house types, ranging in size from 1,400 sq. ft to over 2,000 sq. ft and all have four bedrooms. Standard features in all the units include good-quality kitchens with stone worktops, a Stanley stove, natural stone fronts to the houses, fitted wardrobes in all bedrooms and a barbecue pit in the back garden. Le Droff or Waterford Victorian fireplaces are standard in all the houses, as are the wall and floor tiles which can be seen in the show-house.
On offer in the first phase there are two 1,560 sq. ft houses at £169,500. Three larger four-bedroom houses of 1,798 sq. ft (1,850 with garage) are from £179,500 to £184,500, depending on plot size and three four-bedroom detached bungalows of 1,400 sq. ft are £185,000. Sizes exclude garages, which add a further 100 sq. ft to 150 sq. ft. A single four-bedroom detached house of 1,840 sq. ft (2,000 sq. ft including the garage) is for sale at £194,500.
There are also three detached split-level bungalows of 1,992 sq. ft (2,120 sq. ft with garage) priced at £209,000. A further eight two-bedroom apartments are for sale and are priced from £89,950 to £95,000. These provide 780 to 900 sq. ft of living space. Pathways will be of limestone cobble-lock and there will be side gates to the back gardens, which will be walled and landscaped. Extensive planting is planned for open space areas.
Although larger than previous developments, Ledwidge Hall is a low-density scheme with 3.9 houses to the acre. It was designed by architects Patrick Rooney & Associates to complement the character of the surroundings. The River Boyne and Slane Castle dominate the town; historic Newgrange and the Hill of Tara are within easy reach.
The site is 27 miles from Dublin, 15 minutes from Ashbourne and 20 minutes from both Navan and Drogheda. Amenities in the area include the Royal Tara Golf Club and there is a museum dedicated to the poet Francis Ledwidge, after whom the development is named.
