Sandwiched between Whitehall, Beaumont, Glasnevin and Ballymun, Santry is about four miles from the city centre and about 10 minutes' drive from the airport.

Average house prices:

Santry was largely developed from the 1950s onwards and has plenty of three- and four-bed traditional semis designed for young families. "A lot of people are under the impression that Santry is further out of the city but it's just five minutes beyond Drumcondra, " says Simon O'Connell of Sherry FitzGerald, who says you can get a good three-bed semi for 420,000 to 520,000. "Many of these houses were built in the '50s, '60s and '70s and they have huge back gardens . . . and yet they're so close to all the amenities of the city centre." Prices start from 379,000 for a three-bed townhouse in Larchill to 1m for a large detached home on the Swords Road.

Type of houses Typical 1950s' semis with side garage, two reception rooms, kitchen, two double bedrooms, one single room, bathroom and large garden are very much part of old Santry, particularly in the Shanowen and Shanard estates, just off Collins Avenue extension. Similar houses can be found around Collins Avenue, while a little further out of town, just opposite Santry Stadium, Royal Oak is a large estate built in the 1980s with a mix of three- and four-bed semi-detached homes with large living rooms opening into a kitchen/dining area. Prices here are around 420,000 to 460,000, as gardens are less spacious than the older houses in Santry. The Swords Road, heading towards the airport has some large detached five- and six-bed homes built from the 1940s onwards, when Santry was in the heart of the countryside, costing upwards of 1m. And in recent years, a lot of new apartments, townhouses and duplexes have been built in the area, with several schemes on the former Santry Woods, including Temple Gardens, Limewood Mews and Parklands.

Best streets to live in According to Simon O'Connell of Sherry FitzGerald, popular streets include anywhere around the Shanowen Estate, built in 1954.

"These are attractive, solid houses, many with garages and the space to extend. Lorcan Avenue is another popular spot because gardens are as long as 190ft. And Shanliss and Shanard are also popular with young couples."

Rental market Santry has a strong rental market, with Dublin City University and Beaumont Hospital in walking distance. According to Daft. ie a twobed apartment in the Parklands development on Santry Avenue rents for between 1,200 and 1,300 a month, while a four-bed, two-bath house on Shanowen Grove rents for 2,000 per month.

Transport Santry has a good bus service accessing the city centre and Dublin Airport. Routes include Nos 16, 16A, 41, 41C, 41B, 33, 33B.

Amenities

The Omni shopping centre, Omni Cinemaplex, Santry Stadium, Dublin City University and plenty of local shops, banks and businesses.

Schools

As Santry is within short walking distance of Glasnevin, Drumcondra, Whitehall and Beaumont, there are dozens of primary and secondary schools in the area, including Our Lady of Mercy College on Beaumont Road, Plunkett College on Swords Road and Whitehall College of Further Education on Swords Road.

Future development plans

Although still undecided, the Metro may go through Santry in the next decade, serving the city centre to Dublin Airport line.

On the market

No 102 Shanliss Road, Santry, Dublin 9

Price: 450,000
Bedrooms: three
Details: This ready-to-walk- into family home has been recently refurbished and is in good decorative order. Floor space extends to 78sq m (840sq ft) with accommodation briefly comprising a large living room; spacious kitchen/dining room; three double bedrooms (master en-suite); and main bathroom. To the rear is a generously sized south-facing garden with potential to extend further (subject to pp) Gas fired central heating is installed and an alarm itted
Agent: Sherry FitzGerald 01-837 3737