There are six estate agents within yards of each other at Terenure Cross and several others operating from Rathgar and Rathfarnham. There is no shortage of business and all report a bumper year for house sales. The location - just over two miles from Stephen's Green - has much to do with Terenure's popularity, but it doesn't stop there.

There is a lovely mix of period and between-the-wars houses, dozens of good schools within cycling distance and the facilities of Rathgar, Rathfarnham and Harold's Cross are less than a mile away. Shops in the village reflect a fairly well-to-do population which likes to eat out (plenty of interesting restaurants), cooks organic and has a sense of style in home decor and fashion.

A fair summing-up of the kind of solid family-oriented community who wouldn't live anywhere else but Terenure. Housebuying is a circular process in this settled suburb. A high percentage of purchasers are returned locals who have grown up in Terenure, bought starter homes in Templeogue or Kimmage and move back to the area as soon as they can afford to. Houses for the most part are sturdily-built redbricks with good-sized rooms. Families love the big back gardens and the selection of schools in Terenure is among the best in Dublin. Another big draw is the abundance of sports facilities. The downside is that prices are high - even three-bedroom semis have passed the £200,000 mark. The Maher family were fortunate. They moved to Terenure from Dolphin's Barn last March. Their almost new three-bedroom semi at Wainsfort Manor cost them £164,000. The Sherry Fitzgerald agency is currently selling a similar house on Wainsfort Manor Crescent for £240,000. This estate is on the fringes of Terenure, backing on to Kimmage Manor, with the beautiful grounds as a backdrop. It is a sure sign that an area is sought-after when house sale ads seem intent on expanding the boundaries. The strict limits of Terenure extend almost to Harold's Cross on the city side, Kimmage to the west, the Dodder Park junction going south towards Rathfarnham and a short distance along Terenure Road East. However, expect to find houses with a "Terenure" address as far west as Walkinstown, such is the Dublin 6W cachet.

The four residents' associations in the village have joined together to form a Millennium 2000 committee. They are planning to light up the village for Christmas, hold a festival in the spring and plant yew trees around St Joseph's Church in honour of the village's history. The name Terenure means Tir an Iuir, or the district of the yew - a sacred tree in pagan Ireland. St Joseph's church has a fine Harry Clarke stained-glass window.

Chief among the current concerns of the residents' associations are the parking difficulties in the village and the coming Quality Bus Corridor. Dublin Bus's new corridor is expected to divert a number of routes through Terenure, possibly adding to already fractious traffic conditions at the crossroads.

In early times, Terenure was a townland gifted to the Breton Barnewall family by King John in 1215. Bushy Park House, now part of Our Lady's convent school, was built in 1689 by Captain William Shaw, an ancestor of George Bernard Shaw and a Williamite who fought at the Battle of the Boyne. Sir Robert Shaw was High Sheriff of Dublin in 1848. There is a strong community spirit in the village, epitomised by the voluntary-run Enterprise Centre on Rathfarnham Road. This was set up in 1984 in the old Classic Cinema by locals for people affected by job redundancies. "There were a lot of people with good ideas and no commercial know-how. As this is not a `black sheep' area, there was no government money available for Terenure at the time," says ?????

Among their success stories is Thermodial Limited, started by three local engineers which now employs 40 people. Emerging talents include Olivio Oils, The Irish Flapjack and Muffin Company and Latina, which specialises in Mediterranean cuisine. The centre has become a major resource in the village and the premises is used for many residents' get-togethers. There is a vibrant old folks' association which is currently building a boules alley behind the Evergreen Hall with Eastern Health Board funding. The Jewish synagogue on Rathfarnham Road adds to the multi-denominational mix in the village.

In house styles, there is something for everyone in Terenure. Lovely old period houses abound, none too big to manage and with good gardens. Eaton Square, Hannaville Road, Mayfield Road, Terenure Park, Ashdale Road, Brighton Gardens, Greenfield Road and Healthfield Road are where most of these are to be found.

Sherry FitzGerald sold a six-bedroom house on Ashdale Road earlier this year for £465,000 and a three-bedroom detached on Terenure Road West is currently on the market quoting £370,000. Lisney recently sold a five-bedroom period house on Greenmount Road for £640,000. A similar one on the same road sold three years ago for £215,000. On Lisney's books at the moment is a three-bedroom redbrick semi on Terenure Road West, guiding in excess of £320,000.

Next in the popularity stakes is the Rathdown area bordering Bushy Park. Houses here generate huge interest when they come on the market and have a cachet of their own. They were built in three stages from the 1930s by separate builders, with the earliest Stringer houses commanding the highest prices.

At the beginning of the year, Gunne Residential sold a four-bedroom semi for £425,000 which 15 years ago could be bought for £68,000. Sherry FitzGerald achieved a strong price of £615,000 for a Murphy-built five-bedroom semi in Rathdown earlier this year.

Bungalows in Rathdown are particularly sought-after. Sherry FitzGerald sold a smaller bungalow, which required updating, 12 weeks ago for £360,000. J P & M Doyle is currently selling a four-bedroom semi requiring some updating for £380,000.

Buyers trading up will still find a modern semi-detached or detached house going towards Templeogue and Kimmage for an affordable price. There is a three-bed semi on Wainsfort Manor Crescent with Sherry Fitzgerald for £240,000. Closer to the village, a five-bedroom detached house on Olney Crescent is £498,000 with the same agent and a four-bed detached on Lavarna Grove will set you back £420,000.

The periphery of the area is where the highest growth is being experienced. Ex-Guinness houses around Corrib Road, between Terenure and Kimmage, are where bargains are still to be found, although prices are rising at a phenomenal rate. In 1997 you could buy a three-bedroom house on Corrib and Derravaragh Roads for £85,000. They have doubled in price, but at under £200,000 they are an entry point in the Terenure area.

Cottages, very desirable and rarely for sale, are located in cul-de-sacs near the village centre. Sherry FitzGerald sold one on Elm Park Terrace in July for £190,000. Another on Cormac Terrace was sold by Lisney last year to first-time buyer for in excess of £150,000. There is a scattering of apartment blocks throughout Terenure. Two-bed units in the most recent development located beside the Garda station sold for over £200,000. One-bedroom apartments on Harold's Cross Road which sold new for £69,000 under three years ago were offered for sale last summer for £140,000.

PLANS in the pipeline to build apartments on former Our Lady's grounds on the edge of Bushy Park are likely to generate local opposition. Apartments in this favoured location would command extremely high prices. Despite all the changes, Terenure is still a small village according to Ciaran Maher who has been 20 years in the area. "Most locals know each other. Terenure hasn't outgrown itself," he says.

Plus

Excellent recreational facilities

Under three miles from town

A sociable village centre

Solid well-built houses from every period

Family homes tend to have good gardens

Minus

Parking in the village difficult

Traffic hold-ups at junction

Local anxiety About QBC planned for Terenure