Raheny village has it all, says developer Brian Flood who, with his older brother Richard, runs Castlerock, which began in the commercial sector fitting out Harbourmaster Place HM2 as well as offices for Friends First and IBM.
Raheny, where the Floods grew up, compares well to Sandymount on the southside for its heritage feel and proximity to Dublin Bay’s seaside frontage. Brian still lives here, just down the road from Oakwood, at 570a Howth Road, one of a trio of three-storey detached properties built on an infill site bought by the firm in 2016.
They worked with Peter Cowley of PAC Studio Architects, who also featured as a judge on last season’s Home of the Year show on RTÉ.
The three houses were built in the side garden of an existing property. Two front on to Howth Road, the third is set to the rear and is accessed via St Assam’s Road West.
Raheny has fine housing stock, is a short drive to the city centre and has Dart connectivity. Key attractions are the green fields of Saint Anne’s Park and the north side of Dollymount Strand, where you can take a dip in the water or get lost in its dunes.
Set well back – about 15m – from the road with off-street parking in its front drive for several cars, the design of Oakwood echoes the forms of the street’s older properties as well as their practical layouts and fine proportions.
At 170sq m/1,830sq ft, Oakwood is sizeable. Standing about 9m wide it opens into a roomy hall, with the living room set to the front.
The property has been fitted out by Danielle Dufficy Design, which worked with the Floods on their Bailey Green development in Howth. Ceiling heights are a lofty 2.9m at hall level while large, triple-glazed aluminium windows wash the rooms in light.
In the hall is understairs storage and a boot room set-up, along with an internal guest toilet. The large, eat-in kitchen is to the rear and has smart quartz-topped units and a small island, designed by DC Joinery. Fitted with appliances by Beko, the room also has a sizeable utility sequestered off the main cooking area.
The room overlooks the garden, which is accessed through large sliding doors. It is laid out in artificial lawn and has a northern aspect and a side entrance.
Upstairs on the first floor are three bedrooms, one of which has a windowed en suite bathroom. The box room is big enough to take a small double bed.
The main bedroom is spread across the entire top floor. Here the ceiling heights extend beyond three metres. A large dormer window to the rear brings in lots of light but it is the acres of doored storage that will impress. This includes a walk-in wardrobe with a vaulted ceiling and a small window framing the Pigeon House Towers, and two further closets that free the room from fitted wardrobes.
The A3 Ber-rated property is seeking €925,000 through agent DNG. Asking the same price, the adjacent house, which also fronts onto the Howth Road, is currently sale agreed. The house to the rear is seeking €875,000.
