ireland.com - The Irish Times

Architects' cottage industry in Dublin 6
It's the same size as an apartment but has its own front door. An architect couple tell Fiona Tyrrell how they transformed their city cottage

Padraig Harrington gets into swing of course design
Golf Resorts If Lisa-Marie Presley had gotten her way, Marlfield House near Clonmel would have been just another celebrity hideaway in the Irish countryside.

Ovoca Road house that evokes the past while living in the present
Dublin 8: €1.75m This four-bedroom Victorian terraced family home on Ovoca Road has a clean open-plan interior.
Walk-in condition at Booterstown
Co Dublin: €2.69m Family houses in walk-in condition don't often come on the market in Booterstown, although downsizers can choose from at least three apartment developments currently under construction in the area.
Spacious 1960s home with designer touch
Blackrock: €1.35m
Village townhouse with a stylish refurb
Dublin 4: €5.5m A Georgian house in Sandymount village has been given a thorough makeover. Property Editor Orna Mulcahy reports
Verdant Bellewstown House and garden is blooming marvellous
Co Meath: €1.7m Asparagus, say the owners of Bellewstown House, is terribly easy to grow. Well that's clearly the case within their own sheltered kitchen garden which, over the years, has also provided them with a wide range of additional fresh produce such as artichokes, lettuces, courgettes, French beans, peas and soft fruits.

Living the high life - swish penthouses in the city
Top floor apartments in two different city schemes have plenty of living space and large outdoor terraces to catch the afternoon sun
Houses on golf course with above par fit-out
Co Dublin: €2m Two large family homes at the City West Hotel and Golf Resort beside Saggart village come to the market this week.
Opportunities for agents in Europe, says McCreevy
IPAV Convention There are opportunities for Irish estate agents to open for business in Brussels now that the Services Directive has become law, EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy said at the weekend.

At last Italy says 'ciao bello' to Irish investors
Italian Market It's the home of great food and wine, fine art and beautiful architecture, so why have the Irish been so slow getting into the Italian property market? Angie Mezzetti reports
Getting into the party spirit, from Cannes to Cape Verde
Buying in CapeVerde It's cool, but complicated: Frances O'Rourke hears about a launch of luxury homes in Africa at the Cannes Film Festival

Days of crazy prices are over as market stalls
Don't boast if you bought buy-to-let property in London in the first quarter of the year, says Angela Pertusini. She warned you that it was the best time to sell

Architect who did the city some service
Jim Barrett is retiring as Dublin City Architect on June 15th, having made a major contribution to the capital, writes Frank McDonald , Environment Editor
Who should replace Jim Barrett?
Seán O Laoire would be outstanding in the job and so would any of the following people: Yvonne Farrell or Shelley McNamara, of Grafton Architects; Gerry Cahill; Derek Tynan; Niall McCullough; Michael McGarry or Niall McLaughlin.

Ballsbridge mews sells prior to auction for over €2.5m
Sales Results It's been another disappointing week in the auction rooms with a number of high profile properties withdrawn.
Jasmine Guinness joins 'Bernard the unstoppable' at races
You wouldn't think that model Jasmine Guinness had much in common with the Lisdoonvarna builder Bernard McNamara, but they've recently come together to promote what this year at least will be known as the Parknasilla Hotel Goffs Millions 2007.
John Lally to spend €250 million developing Humewood
Developer John Lally is already big into hotels, having opened Hiltons in Limerick and Kilmainham, but his most ambitious project is to come with the redevelopment of Humewood in Wicklow as a five-star hotel.
Price drop entices canny investors back into the market
Oh dear, it looks as though house prices are falling for the second month in a row across the country.
Sherry Fitz made pay for honesty
SOMETIMES it doesn't pay to be too honest, as Sherry FitzGerald found last week when it scored a spectacular own goal by owning up to fee increases.
Broker for immigrants
Having a hard time getting a mortgage - especially if you're an immigrant?
OnTheMarket
Houses sitting on large gardens are always sought-after, particularly if, like Tanglewood they are located close to the village of Malahide in north Co Dublin.
Market View
Make trading up and trading down easier, says Marc Coleman

11 houses planned for former orphanage site
An ambitious upmarket housing scheme is in the pipeline for the former Cottage Home in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
Locals criticise plans to double size of poet's famed village
Residents of Inniskeen in Co Monaghan - birthplace of poet Patrick Kavanagh - have criticised plans for two housing developments, which will see the village almost double in size.
Bord says yes to plan for top D14 site
An Bord Pleanála has granted planning permission for over 230 housing units at the former Premier Dairies site in Dublin 14, bringing an end to a long running planning battle in Churchtown.
Watch this Space
Council turns down plan for parochial hall in Glenageary An apartment scheme at St Paul's Parochial Hall (right) in Glenageary, Co Dublin, has been refused by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council because it will diminish the value of neighbouring homes.
Planning & Development
A selective guide to developments in your area
Diary
IAVI Event: FIABCI world congress. May 28th to June 2nd, Barcelona. IAVI delegation to attend.

Q&A
Do all agents charge 1.5%? I will be selling my house in September and, while I have not contacted any agents, I am wondering if the recent announcement by Sherry FitzGerald means that everyone will be charging 1.5 per cent. Isn't this anti-competitive? And if I can't shop around on price what other criteria should I use?

WORTH THE INVESTMENT?
The address: 80 Tolka Vale, off the Old Finglas Road, Dublin 11.

Take five @ around €180,000
Murphy Real Estate Alliance is asking €180,000 for a derelict cottage on two acres at Ballasallagh, Hacketstown, Co Carlow We find properties at a similar price in Spain, Greece, Croatia and France

Transformation of country estate tees off with golf course TipperaryGolf Resort
New houses on a 400-acre estate near Clonmel will fund its transformation into the Marlbrook Hotel and Golf Resort, writes Property Editor Orna Mulcahy
Sale of house will help Mellon's Township Trust
Builders for Charity With the success of the Niall Mellon Township Trust over the last number of years, locals in the South African townships would be forgiven for thinking Ireland was a land of saints and builders.

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