A total of 67 apartments costing £18 million were sold off the plans within a few hours last Thursday, when Benton Property Holdings launched Adelaide Square, a new development shortly to get under way beside the old Adelaide Hospital at Peter Street, Dublin 2. Hooke and MacDonald sold the first 42 apartments within a short period, and when further buyers queued to view the show apartments, another 25 units were released and quickly sold.

One-bedroom apartments were mainly priced from £159,000 to £175,000 and two-bedroom units from £185,000 to £240,000. The decision by Benton to build two high spec show apartments on the site before construction commences greatly helped sales.

Hooke & MacDonald also notched up a further £12 million in sales over the weekend at their Property Showcase in the Radisson St Helen's Hotel, when they found buyers for 62 apartments and houses in Dublin and provincial areas, and in Belfast, Scotland and Spain. The agency will take bookings this morning for 29 apartments being released in Saul's Court in Temple Bar. A queue formed outside the agency's office last Friday - at one stage there were 49 people in it - but with the agreement of Temple Bar Properties, those queuing were given numbers and told to return today to make actual bookings.