Spend €2.4m on Abington and become Ronan Keating's neighbour

THERE'S no getting away from Ronan Keating: he is up the charts, in the glossy magazine, on the TV chat shows, he is supposedly buying a Co Mayo island for over €1 million (untrue), and he lives almost over the fence from this Malahide, North Co Dublin home, up for sale with a €2.4 million price guide.

Abington in Co Dublin is famous for two things: one is the sheer quality of the large and exceedingly plush homes in this 50-house development, the other is because Ronan Kating lives here. His wife Yvonne even launched the latest phase of houses to be sold here, neatly mixing celebrity status with neighbouring insight into the joys of family life on this 43 acre wooded estate.

A British tabloid this week suggested Keating was about to buy Inishturkbeg Island with two houses and a degree of self sufficient living as a private retreat for his family, but estate agent and islands specialist Dominic Daly indicates that while he may have viewed it, he won't be the purchaser. He says there is other strong interest in the island.

Abington, conveniently located for Dublin airport at Malahide, had 23 large sites sold from the initial stage, plus more then half the 27 houses ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 sq ft being built by the developers have now been sold by Gunnes.

One of the first re-sales in Abington is no 32, a 4,300 sq ft home on three levels, with five bedrooms, one of the Linden range of period style design, complete with lantern-topped timber conservatory alongside.

On the market with Lisney in Dublin, it is on a site of half an acre, with mature gardens, cobble lock patio and drive, has a fishpond/fountain and double garage which also houses the three central heating boilers (for the largely underfloor heating.)

The house has a pale brick and colour rendered exterior, stone approach steps and balustrade, natural slate roof and a glazed belvedere on top, top of the range Siematic kitchen with marble floor and Gaggenau and Miele appliances, and marble floors in many of the rooms.

Other rooms have oak floors, and accommodation includes hall with Italian marble floor and semi-circular staircase, drawing room, formal dining room, conservatory, breakfast room with lead roof, den, computer room, gym or fifth bedroom at the lower level, study plus four other bedrooms, three with ensuites and the master one having a dressing room as well.

There are two showhouses at Abington also for sale, through Gunnes.