CartonLifeThe first of a new wave of residents living inside the walls of the historic Carton estate are finding their feet, writes Fiona Tyrrell

Miles of unspoilt woodlands at your doorsteps, counting ducks, squirrels and rabbits among your neighbours and a majestic 18th century castle as a backdrop - these are some of the pleasures of owning a home in the grounds of a historic Irish estate.

David and Rosemary Harrison and their children were one of the first families to move into Leinster Wood, a luxury housing development within the walls of Carton Demesne, Maynooth, Co Kildare at the start of this year.

Carton House, built in the 1730s, was the country seat of the Fitzgerald family, the Earls of Kildare, and overlooks the 1,070 acres of one of Ireland's most impressive country estates.

The estate has been developed into a golf resort.

Work on converting Carton House into a luxury hotel with health spa is due to be complete this summer.

Some 140 homes will be developed in the grounds of the estate. The first 33 were offered to members of the golf club and sold by private tender. Strong demand meant that the 49 houses in phase two sold themselves and were never officially launched, says Susan Kirk of agent Coonan New Homes.

The next phase, comprising 33 houses, will be launched this summer.

Prices in phase two were around €870,000 for four-bedroom semis of 186sq m (2,000sq ft) of space.

Four-bedroom detached homes of 260sq m (2,800sq ft) were priced around €1.25 million and 344sq m (3,700sq ft) six-bed houses were around €1.9 million.

Having invested in a home a mile outside Maynooth, a move was not necessarily on the cards for David, Rosemary and their children, Luke (6), Keelin (5) and Adam (3).

But, when the first 33 homes on the estate were offered to members of the clubhouse, the family were tempted.

The "genuinely magnificent" Carton estate itself was the big attraction, says David. "The more we saw of the place the more we liked it." They decided to go for it and moved in after Christmas. The Harrison's house overlooks a man-made lake where the ducks are a source of entertainment for the children.

For Rosemary, originally from Kinsale, the country experience is second nature and for David, originally from Drumcondra, it's a happy compromise between suburbia and country living. "There are 33 other houses close to you but you have the benefits of large tracts of woodlands, open spaces and fresh air and wildlife," says David. Without doubt, the real winners are the Harrison children, who love playing in the woods. "It's like growing up in a park and, with the arrival of spring, the place is really coming into its own."