The Eagle has landed

‘HOME for Christmas’ is one of the attractions at Garrane Darra - a little known setting in Cork’s Bishopstown/Wilton area that is about to become big news.

There are major development plans for land here, wrapping around Dunnes Stores, including residential developments and private hospital/medical facilities that have been over a year in gestation by solicitor Jim O’Mahony and Pierce Construction.

But, while that ambitious scheme is in protracted talks with planners, another scheme has snuck into the townland of Garrane Darra by stealth - and is virtually completely built before hitting the market.

Builders O’Brien and O’Flynn have 127 apartments and townhouses set for sale at their scheme called Garrane Darra, which is alongside the south city ring road, between the Wilton and Bandon Road roundabouts. Buy now, and you could be hanging up the tinsel and decorating the tree by Christmas. Sharp-eyed house hunters may have spotted the roofs peeping up from the ring road or from the back of Dunnes Stores’ in Bishopstown Court as construction advanced.

Access is through the completed large Eagle Valley development by the same builders, ie via Sarsfield’s Road - but the good news is there is a generational design shift from Eagle Valley with contemporary-styled units on offer in Garrane Darra. The most notable feature here is the courtyard block of apartments, duplexes and corner townhouses, ranged around a landscaped three-quarter acre communal green area with, wait for it, no cars allowed in the core.

Joint selling agents are Jackie Cohalan of Cohalan Downing and Trish Stokes of Sherry FitzGerald, who say it is very much pitched at first time buyers, with interest also expected in some of the more select corner and ground floor units for older people trading down.

Prices range from €255,000 to €265,000 for ground floor two-bed apartments of 680 sq ft to 800 sq ft, the eight-only 1,100 sq ft townhouses will be over €300,000 each, and three-bed duplexes will range in size from 1,000 to 1,500 sq ft and will average over €300,000 each.

Design is by Dennehy and Dennehy, and some other unusual features will include curved copper roofs on other apartment buildings. The developer is to provide a publicly accessible play and sports area alongside and with a separate access, with tennis courts, basketball, playing pitch, club house, etc. “We’re expecting a very positive response from buyers, as this is a fresh offering in the market and the look and lifestyle will be quite a bit different with the landscaped courtyard,” say the joint selling agents.

The first units are being released this weekend, and the three show units in the courtyard will be under siege this weekend at afternoon openings 2.30 to 4.30pm.

It will take a 10 per cent deposit to secure, and the balance on completion. This means a saving on stage payments for buyers - and the builders who have carried the development cost, also win by getting the latest prices on release.