The rush to build apartments in Dublin 4 is well underway as Johnny Ronan prepares to provide no less than 60 new flats on his much-publicised site at Burlington Road. He has just got outline permission for the scheme, which is likely to see some of the most expensive two-bedroom units in the city. Having got a premium price of over £340 per sq ft in downtown Townsend Street, he should have no bother hitting £350 per sq ft and more in Burlington Road, where the development opportunities have been extremely limited until now.

Mr Ronan originally got permission for a hotel on this site, but sensing that Dublin was on the way to being overrun with hotel beds, he switched to the more reliable option of luxury apartments.