A new apartment and townhouse development taking the concept of high density a step further launches this weekend at Clonsilla, Dublin 15. Three-storey apartment blocks with an ultra-modern look are linked by two and three-storey townhouses in a courtyard setting. Different designs and exterior finishes create a village look. This latest Castlethorn scheme is aimed at first-time buyers and people trading down in the Castleknock/ Blanchardstown area.
Two-bedroom apartments are priced from £143,950 to £149,950 for 720 sq ft of living space - larger than usual and with two double bedrooms. Two-bedroom townhouses with 807 sq ft are £153,950 while six 1,100 sq ft three-bedroom townhouses will be available from £166,950 to £169,950. The Courtyard is located off a new roundabout on the Clonsilla Road.
It can be found just past Blanchardstown Town Centre beside Coolmine, and 10 minutes from Castlethorn's Riverwood development, at Castleknock. Coolmine railway station, the City Swift bus service and the M50 are all nearby. There will be a total of 72 units when the scheme is finished at the end of this year. The first 29 apartments and townhouses are being launched on Saturday and will be ready for occupation by early autumn 2000. According to Catherine O'Connor, of selling agent Hamilton Osborne King, the apartments will appeal to young professional first-time buyers. People trading down and investors will like the security aspects - beyond the main gate each courtyard has its own gated entrance. When The Courtyard is completed at the end of this year, the development will be managed by the Wyse property management company. Apartment exteriors are rendered and painted an unusual shade of terracotta, with large steel and glass balconies adding an ultra-modern touch. Plenty of windows make the accommodation bright and the units are generous in size compared to most city centre counterparts.
There are two different layouts. Each has an entrance hall with two double bedrooms and a bathroom off. Bedrooms have Shaker-style fitted wardrobes and the principal bedroom includes a large en suite shower room. One apartment style has a sittingroom and adjoining kitchen separated by a halfwall. The other has a larger Lshaped sittingroom and dining kitchen, but no en suite with the main bedroom. Kitchen units come in different colours and there is a choice of wall tiling with the allowance provided. Seven ground-floor apartments have their own hall door, while there will be two or three apartments. per landing.
The cottage-style townhouses are sandwiched between the apartment blocks, with attractive timber front doors painted in different primary colours. The two-bedroom townhouses have a separate kitchen off the front hallway and a downstairs lavatory. There is a sitting/diningroom with pine French doors to a private terrace. Stairs lead to two double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes and the main bathroom. The agent expects a sell-out situation on the three available three-bedroom townhouses, which have a particularly bright layout. The kitchen and guest lavatory are off the hallway, while a sitting/diningroom is to the rear, with timber windows to a terrace. Curving stairs run to the first floor where there are two double bedrooms with wardrobes and a bathroom.
The top floor contains a large attic bedroom, with sloping ceilings and a Velux window. This room has a large en suite shower room and a very private recessed balcony with great views over the school playing fields to the rear.
Each of the five courtyards will be well-landscaped, with various colours of cobblelock paving for cars and a tile-roofed bicycle shed. Internal gates to the courtyards will give a high degree of security.
