The Divot, a newly refurbished four-bedroom house on Dungriffan Road in Howth, Co Dublin, has sold prior to auction for a figure believed to be in excess of £750,000. Owned by former international golfer Peter Townsend, the Victorian two-storey house stands on approximately a third of an acre of landscaped gardens. Selling agent Joe Kelly of Sutton had been quoting a price in the region of £600,000 at the beginning of the sales campaign but the price escalated as a number of local families competed for the property. Reached at the end of a long tree-lined driveway, the 2,000 sq ft house was originally a mews to the Townsend's former home next door. Rebuilt three years ago in period style, and bounded by granite walls, the new house blends in well with the surrounding homes on Dungriffan Road.

The accommodation is neatly divided to provide staff quarters in the original mews which is now a self-contained one bedroom unit. The remaining space includes a large split-level drawing room with doors to the garden, a study or formal dining room and a superb fitted kitchen with a large dining area overlooking the garden.

Elsewhere in Howth, a detached bungalow situated on an elevated site at 12 Balkill Road, Howth Hill, was sold at a Sherry FitzGerald auction for £311,000.

In Glasnevin, Douglas Newman Good fetched a strong price of £310,000 at auction for 36 Old Finglas Road, a detached three-bedroom bungalow on 0.33 acres.

On the Cabra Road in Dublin 7, Number 40, a four-bedroom semidetached house was withdrawn at £204,000 by Mason Estates which is quoting £220,000.

South Dublin

In Stillorgan, Co. Dublin, a strong price of £700,000 was achieved at a Sherry FitzGerald auction for Ardsallagh at 43 Stillorgan Park. The five-bedroom semi-detached period house features a 240 ft long rear garden. The pre-auction guide price was pitched at £500,000.

Also in Stillorgan, Hamilton Osborne King secured in excess of the guide price of £385,000-plus after auction for 12 Brewery Road, following its withdrawal from auction. The 2,600 sq ft four-bedroom semi-detached house includes an outdoor heated swimming-pool.

A three-bedroom detached house at 15 Glenart Avenue, Blackrock, was withdrawn by Sherry FitzGerald, who sold it later for £410,000.

In Glenageary, 2 Glenageary Wood, a detached five-bedroom modern house was sold at auction for £365,000 through Hamilton Osborne King

In Rathfarnham, a four-bedroom semi-detached house, Abbeyaun, at 4 Sarah Curran Avenue, was withdrawn at £290,000 by Sherry FitzGerald which sold it later for a higher figure.

Dublin 2 and 4

Hamilton Osborne King withdrew a four-bedroom detached house at 14 Sandford Avenue, off Marlborough Road in Donnybrook, from auction. The agents are now quoting £850,000.

Hamilton Osborne King fetched £200,000 at auction for a two-bedroom ground-floor apartment at 7 Airfield Court, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.

Elsewhere in Dublin 4, a modern four-bedroom detached house, Anglesea, at Simmonscourt Castle, Simmonscourt Road, Ballsbridge, was withdrawn at £430,000 and sold later for a higher figure through Sherry FitzGerald.

Dublin 6 and 8

Sherry FitzGerald is quoting £490,000 for 101 Terenure Road West, a five-bedroom semi-detached house following its withdrawal from auction at £475,000.

Also in Terenure, 27 Greenmount Road, a four-bedroom semi-detached house was withdrawn at £290,000 by Douglas Newman Good.

A four-bedroom semi-detached house at 43 Fortfield Terrace, Rathmines, was sold at a Douglas Newman Good auction for £280,000.

In Dublin 8, a double-fronted two-bedroom house at 25 Lower Clanbrassil Street, was withdrawn at £160,000 by Douglas Newman Good which is quoting £185,000-plus.

Wicklow

In Ashford, a detached five-bedroom house on three acres, Featherstones, in Kiltimon, was withdrawn by Sherry FitzGerald which is quoting £425,000.

A two-bedroom cottage on half an acre at Timore Lane, Newcastle, was sold at auction for £151,000 through H.J. Byrne.

Provincial

In Navan, Co Meath, a detached house on 18 acres at Deanshill, Hayes, was withdrawn at £180,000 by joint agents Smith Auctioneers and Ronald Duff who are quoting £200,000.

Elsewhere in Navan, 15 acres of agricultural land with a farmyard at Harristown was sold at auction for £142,000 through Smith Auctioneers.

In Athlone, Co Westmeath, a cut-stone building containing seven apartments, Breensford House, Ballykeeran, was withdrawn at £200,000 and is under negotiation through Hynes & Son.

In Co Wexford, Rocklands Cottage in Wexford town, a Victorian house on four acres with a tennis court, was withdrawn by John W. Corish which is quoting £400,000-plus.

At Cloonturk, Dromod, Co Leitrim, a three-bedroom parochial house on approximately half an acre was sold at auction for £77,000 through James McGuire.

Commercial

In Dublin 2, the Mean Fiddler public house at 26 Wexford Street was withdrawn by Morrisseys at £2.3m, which is quoting at £2.5m.