Variety the spice of life at Hawthorn scheme
21 houses, duplexes and apartments to choose from in Clonskeagh
IN 1954, John Charles McQuaid, the all-powerful Archbishop of Dublin, launched a competition to design a new Catholic church in Clonskeagh, then a burgeoning suburb for the middle classes.
The competition attracted 101 entries, but McQuaid, the champion of Ireland’s censorship regime, deemed the shortlisted designs too modernist for church architecture and vetoed them. The winning submission for the new Church of the Immaculate Virgin Mary of the Miraculous Medal — a huge red-brick revivalist building on Bird Avenue — was, mysteriously, not on the shortlist.
To the left of the imposing church on Bird Avenue is Hawthorn, a new development of 52 houses, duplexes and apartments with red-brick touches to their exteriors that reflect their ecclesiastical neighbour. It also has views of the Catholic University School’s playing fields.
The first phase of 21 homes at Hawthorn launches today. The tranche will contain four two-bed apartments, each measuring 915 sq ft, four three-bed duplexes spanning 1,399 sq ft and 13 four-bed houses with sizes ranging from 1,668 sq ft to 1,775 sq ft, depending on whether the buyer chooses a detached, semi-detached or terraced style. Prices start at €395,000 for an apartment, €495,000 for a duplex, and €675,000 for a four-bed house. Hawthorn is laid out around a large open green space and features being incorporated include a timber pergola, seating and a natural playground trail for children.
Each house has triple-glazed u-PVC windows and parking for two cars.
The duplexes, meanwhile, have a private paved balcony to the rear and come with two parking spaces, while each apartment will be allocated one parking space. All parking spaces are wired for charging points for electric cars.
The four-bed houses are all laid out over three floors and the semi-detached style extends over 1,755 sq ft.
All homes were designed to have an A2 or A3 BER, courtesy of features such as PV panels.
The show units at Hawthorn will be on view from today, between 12pm-3pm. Viewings will continue tomorrow and Sunday, from 2.30pm-4.30pm.