We’ve taken a look inside the Sunday Times’ Dublin Property Guide* to find the most affordable areas of Dublin and the most expensive in which to buy a 3-bed semi-detached house.
It is no surprise that where you buy matters. The difference between buying a 3-bed in the most and least affordable areas was a whopping €445,000.
That’s nearly half a million more for exactly the same size house in a different area.
Whether you are trying to squeeze the most you possibly can out of every cent of your budget or if money is no object, we have you covered.
Let’s begin with the five most affordable areas for a 3-bed semi-detached home according to the Sunday Times.
1. Ballymun – average price €225,000
Situated on the northern edge of Dublin, just south of Dublin airport, the greater Ballymun area straddles the M50. Once known for its high-rise residential tower blocks, the area has since been redeveloped and many of the blocks demolished to be replaced by low-rise housing. The result is a mix of private, public and cooperative housing.
Ten minutes from the airport by car, and right on the M50 while close to the M1, the area is served by the 4, 13 and 155 buses to the city centre and the 17a and 220 towards Blanchardstown. The area includes the Gulliver retail park and Ireland’s largest IKEA, as well as the Axis art centre and theatre.
South of Ballymun is Dublin City University, while the Ballymun area itself is well served by a range of primary and secondary schools including Trinity comprehensive school and St. Joseph’s senior national school.
Ballymun is also home to Setanta GAA club and Ballymun United Soccer club, a number of sports centres, and has Silloge Park golf club to the north-west.
2. Clondalkin – average price €230,000
Clondalkin is a suburban town situated 10 km south-west of Dublin city and just a 20-minute drive from the city centre.
The area has excellent public transport links including the 13, 68, 69 bus routes and the Luas Red Line (Red Cow Stop).
The N7 and M50 motorways are also very easily accessed, as is the large Liffey Valley Shopping Centre. The area also includes excellent sports and recreational clubs and many shopping outlets
Well-regarded primary and secondary schools in Clondalkin include Colaiste Chilliain, Scoil Naomh Áine and Moyle Park College.
Bordering Clondalkin to the west you will find the picturesque Corkagh Park, one of Dublin’s largest parks covering over 290 acres, where local residents enjoy many amenities such as a large playground area, fishing lakes, pet farm, a dog park, cycling, running and a host of other sporting facilities.
3. Springfield - €240,000
Set beside the foothills of the Dublin mountains, Springfield is a large residential area outside the M50 on the south-west fringe of Dublin. Bordered by the N81 to the south, it lies across the road from The Square, Tallaght and Tallaght University Hospital.
Residents of Springfield enjoy all the shopping, entertainment and leisure facilities provided by nearby Tallaght – Dublin’s largest satellite town - while the area itself is almost exclusively made up of housing plus a few shops, including a Supervalu, schools and clubs.
Springfield is connected to the centre of Dublin through the Red Luas Line, which terminates in City West, and by the 27, 49, 54a, 56a, 65, 65b and 77a buses. St Mark’s GAA club and Glenanne Sports Club are in Springfield as are St Mark’s Community School and St Marks Senior National School.
The wider area features a number of parks including the Dodder Valley Park and it is a short drive into the Dublin Mountains.
4. Darndale - €245,000
Bounded by Darndale Park to the north and Malahide Road Industrial Park to the south, Darndale is a large residential area featuring plenty of green spaces and broad roads. Part of the larger Coolock area, it’s located on the northern edge of Dublin close to the M1, M50 and Dublin airport.
As well as having three parks in the area - Belcamp Park, Darndale Park and the Stardust Memorial Park - the Craobh Chiarain GAA pitches are located just across the R139.
The Northside Shopping Centre has a large selection of shops, including an Aldi, Dunnes Stores, SuperValu and Iceland, beside the Stardust Memorial Park in nearby Bonnybrook. There’s also the Clarehall Shopping Centre nearby, featuring a Tesco and a large number of other retailers and fast food outlets on the Malahide Road.
In terms of public transport the 15, 27, 42 and 43 travel connect Darndale to the city centre.
5. Killinarden/Kiltipper - €250,000
Just south of Springfield, on the other side of the N81 that leads to the M50, lie the residential areas of Killinardan and Kiltipper which form part of the larger Tallaght area to the south-west of Dublin.
It is a 20-minute bus ride to The Square, in Tallaght, on the 49, 54a and 77a buses and a journey of roughly 55 minutes into Dublin city centre on the 49, 54a and 65b. The Red Line Luas runs from Tallaght to Dublin City Centre and takes roughly an hour.
A Centra in Killinaradan and a Supervalu in nearby Aylesbury are the most convenient, local supermarkets while residents also have all the shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities of Tallaght close by.
The area also has several parks including Killinarden and Aylesbury parks, and the 120-acre Kiltipper Park, which has views over Dublin city and is being developed as part of the Dodder Greenway. Bohernabreena reservoir is also within walking distance. There are several local schools and plenty of sports grounds and clubs such as Killinarden Football Club, Thomas Davis and St Anne’s GAA Club and Glenville Pitch & Putt Club.
Now that we’ve run through the most affordable places in Dublin to buy a 3-bed house, let’s turn our attention to the least affordable beginning with Ranelagh where the average price was roughly three times the price of Ballymun.
1. Ranelagh - average price €670,000
It’s probably no surprise that leafy, red-brick Ranelagh tops the Sunday Times list for the most expensive 3-bedroom homes. Just south of the city centre, the wealthy suburb is bounded by the canal to the north, Mountpleasant Avenue to the west and Donnybrook Road to the east.
From Ranelagh, it’s just 8 minutes on the Green Line Luas to St. Stephen’s Green and roughly the same time by bus. Depending on the time of day and the weather, it can take as little as 30 minutes by car to get to Dublin Airport.
Local supermarkets include a Lidl, a Tesco Express and a SuperValu as well as the more upmarket Donnybrook Fair and Morton’s. There are numerous local cafes, restaurants and small shops on the main street. And, as you might expect, there are plenty of green spaces such as Dartmouth Square, Ranelagh Gardens Park and Mountpleasant Square Park.
The area is home to schools such as Gonzaga Collage, Muckross Park College, St. Mary’s National School and Ranelagh Multidenominational School.
2. Milltown – average price €650,000
Squeezed in between Clonskeagh and Dundrum to the south and the three ‘r’s of Rathmines, Ranelagh and Rathgar to the north, Milltown is a largely residential area on the River Dodder. The population has increased greatly in the past few years as large apartment complexes have been built the area.
It takes about 15 minutes to get from Milltown to St. Stephens Green on the Green Line Luas and roughly the same time if you hop on the 11, 44 or 61 bus. If you’re heading to Dublin Airport by car you can probably get there in half an hour when it’s not rush hour.
There are few large supermarkets, restaurants and other amenities in the area which is mostly given over to housing but, that said, Dundrum shopping centre is only a 15-minute Luas ride or 10-minute car ride away to the south while all the shops, bars and restaurants of Ranelagh are about the same distance away in the opposite direction.
In fact, one of the big draws of Milltown is its close proximity to so many other more established suburbs of Dublin with their schools, sports facilities and retail outlets.
3. Ballsbridge/Donnybrook - average price €645,000
The Ballsbridge/Donnybrook area is home to some of Dublin’s (and Ireland’s) most expensive residential streets including Ailesbury Road and Shrewsbury Road so it is naturally an expensive place to buy a 3-bedroom house.
Nevertheless, for those who can afford it, it features a large array of attractions from the RDS which hosts exhibitions, conferences, music events and rugby matches to the distinctive landmark of the American Embassy building.
The area is served by numerous buses to the city centre stopping on Morehampton Road to the west and Pembroke Road to the east while the DART service stops at Sandymount and Lansdowne Road for trains into Pearse, Tara and Connolly Stations in central Dublin.
For sports fans, the location includes not only Lansdowne Road but the RDS - the home of Leinster Rugby - Donnybrook Stadium, Old Belvedere Rugby Club and Merrion Cricket Club. And, to add to all those green spaces there’s Herbert Park too.
4. Portobello – average price €643,500
Trendy Portobello sits just south of Dublin city centre and yet has retained a real sense of its own identity and a feeling of community. Nestled between the canal to the south (Rathmines and Ranelagh are just the other side of the canal), Clanbrassil Street to the west and Camden Street to the east. It is only a 7-minute walk to St. Stephen’s green from the area which is well served by buses and both the Harcourt and Charlemont Luas stops.
Located so close to the heart of things means that residents can choose from a vast range of bars, restaurants and retailers. Camden Street has become a flourishing hub for nightlife, great food and entertainment while Ranelagh and the city centre itself offer Ireland’s greatest concentration of theatres, music venues and cinemas. Although Portobello is definitely a city suburb, the Iveagh Gardens, St. Stephen’s Green and the canal are all just a stroll away and the beach at Sandymount is easily accessible.
The majority of the housing in the neighbourhood is made up of houses constructed before 1920 and yet the majority of residents are younger – aged between 16 and 34 – making property there much sought after.
5. Killiney – average price €627,000
Killiney is a coastal town in the south-west of Dublin bordered by the sea to the east, Dalkey to the north and Ballybrack to the south. Residents enjoy its long, sandy beach, walking up the hill in Killiney Hill Park and spotting their rich and famous neighbours who include Bono and Enya.
It takes approximately 30 minutes to travel from Killiney DART station to the city centre and the same by car depending on the time of day. Alternatively, the 59 bus takes 20 minutes to get you to Dun Laoghaire where you can change for buses to the city centre or take the DART. On a good day, you can make it to the airport by car in 40 minutes via the M50.
As Killiney is largely residential, locals rely on the surrounding neighbourhoods of Dalkey village, Sandycove and Dun Laoghaire for shops, restaurants and nightlife. Schools in the area include Holy Child Secondary School, St John’s National School, Loreto Abbey Dalkey and Glenageary Killiney National School.
If you’re thinking of buying a house in the Dublin area or just starting your savings journey learn how a mortgage specialist can help you.
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