High-flyers are queuing up to land in Dublin 4

FORGET the scrumptious cafes in Dublin 4 for the Pug Sunday Brigade, it’s a landing strip the leafy enclave will be needing next if the influx of high-flyers is anything to go by.

D4 is already home to a number of aerosexuals (people who love planes). They include Ryanair supremo Michael O’Leary, who has a property there.

Gary Burke, the former chief executive of aircraft leasing company Pembroke Capital, snapped up Derrymore — Derek Quinlan’s former home on Shrewsbury Road — for a tidy €7m in 2011.

Aviation tycoon Des McEvaddy is a neighbour — he also has a pile. Two years ago Gus Kelly, chief executive of aircraft leasing company AerCap Holdings, also landed on Shrewsbury Road, snapping up “Mugnano”, a 5,000 sq ft home.

Now I hear that yet another member of the aircraft leasing jet set has snapped up “Ouragh”, the Shrewsbury Road pile formerly owned by developer Sean Dunne.

Ouragh was recently sold for a knockdown price of €5.5m.

I hear the buyer is Avolon chief executive Domhnal Slattery, would someone call air traffic control?

CAIRN Homes boss Michael Stanley is an ambitious fellow. Speaking to reporters this week, he outlined his vision for building billions worth of homes on that massive landbank the company has assembled.

“I believe that Ireland needs a sustainable long-term housebuilder, and more of them. I want Cairn and its product to appeal for generations,” he said, adding the company wouldn’t accept any takeover offers.

One wonders how that attitude might go down with Cairn’s shareholders. Given the scale of Ireland’s housing shortage, one would think Cairn might make an attractive takeover play. It floated in London two years ago at €1 a share and is now almost at €1.40.

Any potential buyer might be a little late to the party, but one would think the Irish property recovery has a way to go yet. But Stan feels he is — and will continue to be — the man to make Cairn work for investors.