The neighbouring east Meath villages of Donacarney and Mornington are a real hotbed of activity for developers. They're catering to buyers who want convenient transport links to Dublin and Drogheda and are keen to live near the Meath Gold Coast, a 10km stretch of sandy beach running from the mouth of the river Boyne at Mornington to the river Delvin at Gormanston.
In 2018, the Donacarney Wood development launched on the grounds of the 19th-century Donacarney House, following in the footsteps of Maydenhayes, a large scheme that was developed in a U-shape around the same historic building.
The latest residential scheme in the area is Ard na Mara. The boutique development of nine homes is being built by Duplass on the site of an old residential property, and its four-bed detached houses are aimed at first-time buyers and locals planning on trading up.
Three of the homes at Ard na Mara have been reserved since sales began last weekend, with the development launching officially tomorrow.
Despite the relatively small size of the scheme, there are five house types: the Starling, the Skylark, the Moorhen, the Dove and the Robin.
All but one design of the two-storey houses has 1,668 sq ft of living space, while the Robin spans 1,744 sq ft. Prices for the remaining homes on the market start at €425,000 for the Moorhen, while the Skylark goes from €425,000 to €435,000. The Robin also costs from €435,000.
The most distinct house type is the Starling, which is the only double-fronted style, with two front bays. To the left of its entrance hall is a living room with a bay window, and this space connects to a rear 'snug', or lounge, with sliding doors out to a patio. In the centre of the ground floor is a guest WC, a utility room, and a central staircase.
To the right of the main hallway is a kitchen/diner that spans the entire depth of the ground floor, with the dining area overlooking another front bay window.
On the first floor of the Starling style, there are three bedrooms, a family bathroom, and a front master bedroom that comes with a walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite.
The front exterior of all the house types is mostly faced in a handmade red buff brick, with a monocouche render around the entrance.
There is a metal-finished canopy over the front door, which itself is surrounded by glazed panels. The double-glazed PVC windows supplied by Munster Joinery have a sandstone effect to their surrounds.
Immediately to the front bay of each house is an area planted with shrubbery, and soft landscaping is also used to divide each cobble-locked front driveway from neighbouring properties. A low steel fence acts as the front boundary. To the rear, there is a garden enclosed by fencing.
Each home has a contemporary-style kitchen with worktops and room for fully integrated appliances. The feature island unit also has space for an integrated dishwasher and bins, while the separate utility room can accommodate a washing machine and a tumble dryer.
Energy-efficient credentials at the Ard na Mara properties include a charging point for an electric car, a Drymaster ventilation system that provides clean filtered air, and an air-to-water heat pump for the heating system. There is underfloor heating throughout each ground floor, with contemporary-style radiators to the first floor.
The development is a five-minute drive from the Southgate Shopping Centre, which has a Dunnes Stores, while the centre of Drogheda is less than ten minutes away. Access to the M1 is a ten-minute drive away, with the drive to the centre of Dublin taking about 40 minutes.
Viewings of the showhouse will take place from 11am to 1pm tomorrow, but appointments for those viewings must be made beforehand.
