New-builds valiantly hanging on to their gentile heritage

Knockrabo, Goatstown, Dublin 14

A SECOND phase has come on stream at Knockrabo, a development initially launched in February that is being built on the site of Mount Anville House, a south Dublin estate which was once the home of Henry Roe, the whiskey distiller who paid for the restoration of Christchurch Cathedral in the late 19th century.

The name of the Victorian house was changed to Knockrabo and it later enjoyed turns as a boarding school and a base for the Ski Club of Ireland. While the property was demolished in 1984 to make way for a new sports facility, the gates that once led to Knockrabo, with their lamps resting atop piers, were restored for the new development.

The mid-19th century gate lodge, used in the 1950s to house staff who taught at the boarding school, has also been restored and has just gone on the market for €750,000. Period-style features abound in this three-bed double-fronted detached property, from sliding sash windows and a cast-iron fence to double doors to the front entrance, coffered ceilings, and chequerboard black and red floor tiles to the hallway.

The genteel heritage of the Goatstown site will also be reflected in a planned library lounge, where residents of Knockrabo can meet their neighbours for coffee or host private functions. A gym and crèche are also planned for the site.

The scheme is being built by Maplewood, with private equity backing from Broadhaven Credit Partners. There are plans in the first phase for 98 homes, all opposite the prestigious Mount Anville girls’ schools.

In addition to the gate lodge, ten new-builds have been released at the development. Prices start at €750,000 for a three-bed detached house, at €850,000 for a four-bed semi-detached home, at €855,000 for a four-bed detached design and at €960,000 for a five-bed semi-detached style.

A quarter of the entire site, which commands views of the sea and the city, will remain as public open space. Apartments and penthouses will be released at Knockrabo in early 2018.

Viewings began yesterday and will continue tomorrow and Sunday, between 2pm and 4pm.

Enquiries to: DNG New Homes (01) 4912600.