Co Kildare/from €990,000: A new phase of luxury houses on the Carton Demesne in Maynooth go on sale today, costing from €990,000 to €2.275m-plus. Fiona Tyrrell reports

A new phase of luxury homes in a 1,100-acre walled estate in Kildare with an 18th century castle as a backdrop comes to the market this week.

Coonan Real Estate is handling the sale of 22 lodge-style homes built within in the grounds of the Carton Demesne, which is just outside Maynooth, 15 km from Dublin.

The first 82 houses in phase one and two were snapped up by buyers keen to own a home in the grounds of a historic country estate.

Members of the Carton House Gold Club golf club were given first choice to purchase at the estate and houses were sold by tender. Houses in the second phase was sold by word of mouth.

Early buyers will be seen to have done quite well - four-bedroom semi-detached houses had a reserve of €785,000 and six-bedroom detached houses had a reserve of €1.35 million.

In this phase, prices for four-bedroom semis now start at €990,000, four-bedroom detached houses cost from €1.4 million and six-bedroom detached houses from €2.275 million.

When complete, there will be a total of 140 houses in the estate, which is owned by the Mallaghan family, who have developed two championship golf courses in the estate. Buyers in the first phases have already moved in and purchasers in this phase can expect to move in from summer 2007, according to the selling agent.

Built in the 18th century as the seat of the FitzGerald family, Carton House is due to open its doors to the public as a 165-bedroom luxury hotel and spa later this month.

The lodge-style houses are built in a beautifully wooded section of the estate.

There are walks around the woods and lake for people buying in the esatate, as well as one full free membership to the golf courses per unit.