Rathfarnham is one of those village suburbs on the edge of the city that can become vulnerable as new road systems with surrounding fields catch the eye of developers. As luck would have it, the proliferation of golf clubs and green belt zoning has protected Rathfarnham so far from the worst excesses of these new housing pioneers. The village centre, which is the pulse of Rathfarnham, can easily be overlooked by anyone driving through on the way to the mountains. The very attractive restored main street is accessed through a one-way system and the cobbled commercial area with its traditional shopfronts and constant bustle is well worth a detour.
Modern lighting standards have been replaced by old-style lamps and the cables have been laid underground and iron tree grilles and seating give a period look to the village. The Rathfarnham Gate apartments, plumb in the middle of the main street, have brought much-needed life to the heart of the village and custom to the shops.
These apartments caused a stir a few years ago when a penthouse was offered for sale with a Mercedes thrown in as part of the deal by joint agents Hamilton Osborne King and Orchard Properties. One of the two-bedroom apartments which cost around £140,000 when first built in 1996 was sold last month by Hamilton Osborne for £200,000. There are now 80 or so businesses trading in the village, employing several hundred people. A restaurant is opening soon in the former Doyle's butchers. There is no coffee shop, although the three pubs do a roaring lunch trade and the teashop at Rathfarnham Castle across the road has a tempting menu.
The castle and surrounding lands have passed through many distinguished hands since they came into the possession of Milo de Bret, after the Anglo-Norman invasion in 1199. Adam Loftus, Archbishop of Dublin, Lord High Chancellor and first Provost of Trinity College, built the present castle in the late 16th century. Later, William Connolly, the speaker of the Irish House of Commons, became an owner and in 1913 the Jesuits bought the castle and made extensive alterations.
The avenues around Rathfarnham castle and the adjoining Castle golf club are some of the most sought-after in the area. Solid pre-war semis on Crannagh Road and Ballytore Road currently sell for up to £500,000. One of these recently changed hands for £460,000, the new owner expecting to spend at least £100,000 refurbishing. A modern detached house on Crannagh Way changed hands last year with Lisney for in excess of £450,000; four years ago, Sherry Fitzgerald sold a Crannagh Park house for just £160,000.
Bordering on Churchtown, but backing on to the Castle golf club fairways are Hillside and Woodside Drives - the "millionaires" row" of Rathfarnham. Lovely 1940s and 1950s detached houses with large gardens line the roads. Number 8 Woodside Drive recently changed hands through Hamilton Osborne King for £750,000.
Anything in the Butterfield area is also highly prized. Redbrick and pebbledashed houses which could be bought in 1979 for £40,000 have multiplied tenfold, selling now for over £450,000. McCarthy Auctioneers has just sold a four-bed house in need of upgrading for £370,000. Gunne has a four-bed semi on Butterfield Avenue for sale for £300,000.
The history of Rathfarnham is not confined to the castle. The imposing 16th century mansion which until recently was Loreto Abbey school, and where the late Mother Theresa lived for a while, was built by William Palliser, son of the Archbishop of Cashel. The Georgian house and 12 acres were bought through tender by Riversmith Ltd last year for "in the region of £14 million". The new owner is in active discussion with both the County Council and Duchas on appropriate uses for the historic house and chapel. The Loreto nuns are building a new convent and chapel in the grounds.
One of Rathfarnham's best-known former residents is Robert Emmet, whose loyal housekeeper, Anne Devlin, refused to reveal his whereabouts under torture. "Emmet's Walk" is a tree-lined path in The Hermitage where Emmet and his illfated fiancee, Sarah Curran, used to walk. Across the road at St Enda's Park, the Padraig Pearse museum is on the spot where Pearse founded an Irish-speaking school. Sarah Curran's father, lawyer John Philpot Curran, named his house near Loreto Abbey "the Priory" after his city dining club, "The Monks and the Screw". A modern housing development of the same name is now in its place.
The most significant change to Rathfarnham in recent years is the construction of new access roads in preparation for the Southern Cross Motorway. This will traverse Rathfarnham from the proposed Scholarstown interchange, take in part of Edmondstown golf course and follow the rear of Marlay Park through to Ballinteer.
Work is well under way on the twin bridges over the Owendower river at Edmondstown and completion of this section is expected in summer 2001. This should revolutionise house prices in the moderately-priced estates bordering the route, such as St Enda's Park, Park Avenue, Boden Park and Ballyroan Road. Three-bed semis on Boden Park currently sell for around £180,000 and houses in older estates, such as Anne Devlin Park, fetch around £230,000. The fine detached houses on Stocking Lane should also benefit from the new road's proximity.
There is a scarcity of earlier period houses in the area. Nice Edwardian houses at the beginning of Willbrook Road sell for at least £750,000 and the tiny cottages around the village, up at Rockbrook and on Grange Road, are only for well-heeled first-time buyers now. One of the pretty Dodder Dale cottages, which was in need of work, was sold last season for £215,000. St Marys Terrace and Avenue, beside the Yellow House pub, sell now for around £230,000.
New townhouse and apartment schemes are big news in Rathfarnham because of the scarcity of building land. Otterbrook, on Willbrook Road, launched late last year through the Ross McParland estate agency, completely sold out on the day of launch.
Apartments currently for sale include a one-bedroom unit at Crannagh Court for £155,000 and a two-bedroom Rathfarnham Gate apartment for £200,000, both with Gunne. Local agent Orchard Properties recently sold a Rathfarnham Gate two-bed apartment for £210,000.
So where are the bargains? Ex-corporation houses on Nutgrove Avenue are nicely mature and can still be bought for around £150,000. The newer Whitechurch estate is cheaper, but further out.
