Irvine Welsh lives between Miami and Dublin. Now he's selling up in Rathmines to be nearer the airport, writes Alanna Gallagher.

A HOUSE WITH a history always has cachet but for "Generation Xers" the ultimate trip is to lay claim to a house that was once a hero's home.

Number 41 Grove Park, a quiet residential street just over Rathmines bridge, is the place novelist Irvine Welsh calls home and should spawn many dinner party conversations for househunters.

The creator of Trainspotttinglives in Dublin 6 but travels weekly to the US and UK, and the round trips are taking their toll. The writer wants a base closer to Dublin Airport than his present address.

The four-bedroom house is well located for professional couples or families with older children and is well served with pubs, says Welsh whose own local is the Portobello.

There's always been a sense of options living here, he explains. "Turn right for Rathmines, which some people still call the village, or turn left to go into Dublin."

The three-storey terraced Victorian property is also proximate to Harold's Cross dog track although Welsh himself prefers Shelbourne Park. He also likes a flutter on the horses and the fact that a 10-minute tram ride can deliver him to Leopardstown.

This is a house built for entertaining and has great bragging rights for the next owner. The entire ground floor is open-plan with French door access to the garden from both the kitchen and family room.

The diningroom and kitchen have interconnecting double doors and underfloor heating and have been "archived permanently" in Nuts, a short film written and directed by Welsh, that is scheduled for broadcast this autumn on RTÉ.

Welsh and his wife both play cameos in the film, something Welsh does in all his films, as do local establishments such as The Portobello and Liston's on Camden Street.

The kitchen has a gas hob Aga, flag tiled floors and a separate utility area to the rear. There is also a family room to the rear that doubles as Welsh's DJ station with a set of decks permanently at the ready. The soundtrack ranges from cheesy to quality, says the writer, and takes in the livingroom disco greats of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, plus house, northern soul and even the odd Bay City Rollers tune.

Outside there is a small walled yard, ideal for parties as well as breakfast alfresco but not big enough to let toddlers run off steam.

The property has been completely renovated by Welsh who was once a small-time developer in London, although he admits he didn't do much of the hard labour himself. It's all high ceilings, cream walls and glossy varnished floors throughout - a far cry from the filthy milieus of his most famous characters.

The 201sq m (2,171sq ft) redbrick is for sale by private treaty through Savills HOK with an asking price of €1.1 million.

Upstairs on the first floor there is a gorgeous drawingroom that spans the width of the house. The main bedroom and walk-in dressingroom are also on this level.

The writer's office is on the second floor with views of the Dublin mountains. It's a great space for creative thinking. "When I need to take a break from pounding at that intensity, I kick back my chair, which is on wheels and look out the window," he says.

Welsh completed Crime, his latest novel, here. While much of the plot was written at the author's other home in Miami it does feature an Irish connection, a Native American character called Four Rivers, who takes tourists through the Everglades and turns out to be a scam artist - he's really a Paddy who won the boat in a card game.

The Bedroom Secrets of Masterchefsand the short story collection, If You Like School You'll Love Work, were also penned here. So too were screenplays The Meat Trade, which is in production and Man Who Walks, which is scheduled to be filmed next year.

Dublin's social hub is still the pub and that can be really inspiring, says Welsh. Take Elvis, a regular in a Cork Street hostelry who's been to Graceland 18 times.

"If you made up characters like that people would think you were taking the piss," he exclaims.

While Welsh wants to live nearer to the airport his long-term plan is to eventually return to the UK. "I love to watch the hurling. If we leave I'll miss that."

• Crimeby Irvine Welsh goes on sale this Saturday