Apartments could be built on the site of a hotel in the centre of Enniskerry village. Jack Fagan reports

Property developer Michael Murphy of South Dublin Construction has paid almost €8 million for the Powerscourt Arms Hotel and an adjoining site with development potential in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.

Agent Hooke & MacDonald, which had been quoting over €5 million for the property, said yesterday that it was not yet in a position to comment on a sale.

Although an architectural appraisal suggests that there is scope for a courtyard development on the 1.25 acre-site, local conservationists will closely monitor any scheme to ensure that it does not detract from the idyllic nature of the village.

Enniskerry village has so far escaped large scale developments although a substantial residential scheme was completed several years ago on the nearby Powerscourt Estate.

The architectural report commissioned by the owners of the Powerscourt Arms claimed that there was potential for 30 apartments and duplex units on the hotel site as well as three commercial units with a floor area of up to 735sq m (7,911sq ft).

The famous hotel was built in 1715 by Folliott Wingfield of Powerscourt and has been run over the years as a hotel, restaurant and bar.

Meanwhile Wyse Auctioneers has secured over €6 million for the Children's Cottage Home on a site of 0.77 of an acre at Tivoli Road in Dún Laoghaire. Reports that it was bought by the property investor Robin Power could not be confirmed this week.

He and his wife own a large portfolio of rented homes including one next to the Cottage Home, an attractive Victorian building which has been run on a charitable basis for the past 125 years.

Like the Enniskerry hotel site, any plans to build additional homes beside the listed building is likely to be opposed by local residents.

The two-storey building has a floor area of 1,090sq m (11,732sq ft) and could conceivably be converted into apartments. The grounds have 184 metres of frontage on to Tivoli Road and Royal Terrace East, Royal Terrace South and Royal Terrace West.

A short distance away in Glasthule, Spain Courtney Doyle has secured over €3 million for a former church hall at the junction of Eden Road Lower and Adelaide Road. The site of 0.28 of an acre is likely to be used for a small apartment scheme.

Also in Co Wicklow, 17 acres of housing land at Ashtown, Roundwood village, were sold at auction for €5.9 million. Hassett had been guiding €5 million for the site which can accommodate more than 100 new homes.