Few Irish towns can claim the distinction of a mention in a John Wayne western or of having the patent for Queen Victoria's stockings. The Concise Oxford Dictionary definition of balbriggan is "knitted cotton fabric used for underwear, from Balbriggan in Ireland where it was originally made". The Smyco mill put the town on the world map with its embroidered silk and cotton underwear, including the "long-Johns" still popular in the US. At one time, the factory employed 160, with finishing and fine embroidery carried out by up to 600 women at home. Low cost imports in the 1970s led to the closure of the mill in 1980.
The beautiful old brick building now houses an artists' studio and a cafe and is part of an integrated area plan to restore the rundown business and harbour area to a model of urban perfection.
Balbriggan is in the fortunate position of having a team of nine town commissioners to oversee this major revamp. Their new Integrated Area Plan, due to be published on May 17th, includes the refurbishment of the old Sallen mill as a museum, apartments, retail and entertainment centre. A flagship project for the harbour will provide a hotel and apartments in return for reinforcing, dredging and restoring the picturesque area. The old baths on the north beach will be re-instated and used as a tourist attraction. The Martello tower will be restored, the original pier rebuilt and the lighthouse dome replaced.
Work has already started on George's Square, which was named after Balbriggan harbour builder George Alexander Hamilton. Using Malahide as a model, the square will be pedestrianised, seating provided and overhead wires placed underground. Retail outlets, commission offices and community facilities will revitalise the area. The Carnegie library is to be extended and made wheelchair accessible. The hotel is due to open in the next few months. All this has been made possible by the opening of the Balbriggan bypass and the inner relief road in late 1998. Before this, the town suffered from all-day traffic on a main street which at one point is just 16 ft wide.
Shop-fronts were covered in dust from passing trucks and the air heavy with diesel fumes. Now, the town is an attractive place to divert to and bustling with local activity.
Fingal County Council has earmarked Balbriggan as a primary growth area in north Co Dublin and rezoned about 450 acres of land north and east of the town for residential housing to facilitate this. A further 150 acres to the south has industrial and office zoning. The population of 10,500 is expected to swell to 25,000 within five to seven years. The present boundaries will be stretched northwards as far as Flemington Lane to Balscadden Road and Clonard Cross in the west and south.
Property in Balbriggan, so long undervalued, is now experiencing an upturn. Estate agents Cumisky last week achieved £500,000 for a semidetached period house needing modernisation at The Bower, Fancourt. The house has one of the choicest position in the town with uninterrupted views over the sea to the Cooley Mountains.
The same agent experienced a sell-out situation at a new scheme launched at Hampton Green two weeks ago. Prospective buyers who started queuing the previous Thursday to buy two-bedroom and three-bedroom houses from £105,000 were issued with numbers and sent home until the day of sale.
One of the greatest attractions to commuters is the public transport network, which is as good as it gets outside the city limits. There is a rail service which runs frequently in rush hour times, both city and provincial bus routes and the upgraded main road to Dublin. The 20-mile journey to Dublin takes 35 to 40 minutes in good traffic conditions.
Amenities are also first-class. There are three beaches, plenty of sports clubs and the superb parkland of Ardgillan Castle for family days out. Ardgillan is used for local exhibitions and the tea shop is a popular meeting place. Balbriggan is easier territory for first-time buyers than most Dublin suburbs, with a good range of house-types on the market priced from around £90,000. The pretty period cottages and terraced houses in the town centre are very sought-after and "fly out the door" if in reasonable condition according to Sullivan Estate Agents.
Sullivan is currently selling a two-bedroom period house on Clonard Street with rear access, quoting £100,000. Another on Clonard Street sold three weeks ago in the mid-£90,000s. Rosebawn is a larger period house overlooking the village green in Balrothery, for sale with Cumisky for £175,000. The same agent is selling a detached cottage on Old Coach Road for £160,000.
While modern developments on the west and northern outskirts of the town are often dearer, older settled estates close to the village are favoured by local buyers and seem a better buy. Three-bedroom semis in Fancourt Heights, which sold four years ago for £50,000, are approaching £130,000. Cumisky has one of those houses for sale for £125,000-plus. Another semi on Derham Park sold five weeks ago for "over £120,000".
Houses with sea views are rising faster than others. Hampton Cove, off the Skerries road, which could be bought into six or seven years ago for under £50,000, now command up to £160,000. Sullivan is selling a Hampton Cove four-bedroom semi for around £140,000.
Balrothery is one of the most expensive places to live in the area. Although not technically Balbriggan, the quiet village is where Balbriggan people aspire to live according to local agents, not least because it is on the Dublin side of Balbriggan, close to the bypass. Christies will be launching a new scheme of large "executive-type" houses there next month. Cloch Choirneil will be arranged around a village green and feature electronically-operated security gates - a relatively new concept in the Balbriggan area. Still in Balrothery, Sullivan is currently selling a three-bed detached bungalow in The Chantries, with a price tag in excess of £210,000.
OF THE newer housing developments, Chapel Gate is one of the most popular. This is a small well-kept estate of predominantly three bedroom redbrick semis, which cost under £50,000 when first built about five years ago. Currently for sale are a three-bed semi with Cumisky for £122,500, another with an extended kitchen with Christies estate agents for mid-£130,000s and a four-bedroom semi also with Christies has an asking price of £130,000. Another small scheme ideal for first-time buyers or older couples trading down is Brecan Close, where a one-bedroom 570 sq ft house is for sale with Cumisky for £87,500. The final phase for this courtyard development will be announced later this year. Westbrook Estate is larger, but also popular with young buyers.
These have jumped in value in recent months. Sullivan sold two three-bed semis on Westbrook Avenue before Christmas last for £115,000 which would fetch £15,0000 more in today's market. A three-bed semi is currently for sale with Cumisky's for £139,000 and at nearby Templeville estate, Sullivan is selling a three-bed townhouse for excess £120,000. Noel Reilly of O'Connor Crean has just sold a three-bed semi here for £120,000. O'Connor Crean will be selling new phases at Ashfield and Westbrook from plans in the coming weeks.
Former county council houses are usually the most affordable buys in any area and Balbriggan is no exception. Of particular note is the Bath Road estate which has access to the shoreline at the Martello tower. These sell for between £90,000 and £100,000 when they come on the market. Apartments, currently thin on the ground, should begin to come on the market with the implementation of the area plan. As most of these will be in converted mills with lots of character, there should be a rush to buy. A talking point around town is the price achieved two weeks ago at auction for the stone corn mill on Dublin Street with planning for 21 apartments. Seventy-six bids pushed Cumiskey's pre-auction guide of £650,000 up to a final figure of £885,000.
A strong price for a town that was a backwater for many years. "Balbriggan has not been worthy of its community. Now all our dreams and aspirations are coming true," says May McKeon, Cathaoirleach of the town commissioners.
Plus
Good road and rail network
Seaside location
Strong community spirit
Excellent facilities
Minus
Danger of urban sprawl
Scarcity of town centre parking
