Famously the home patch of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Castleknock is one of the city’s most affluent suburbs, with several homes on the market for well over a million euros.
However, there is a wide variety of property available at a range of budgets, so you don’t have to be extravagantly wealthy to set up home there.
Its position at the edge of Phoenix Park makes it highly desirable, as do its proximity to the airport, city centre and M50, and a very healthy range of sporting and leisure facilities.
Aside from the Taoiseach, local residents past and present include Dublin footballers Bernard Brogan and Ciarán Kilkenny, model and TV presenter Amanda Byram and the Garrihy sisters: Aoibhín, Ailbhe and Doireann.
Fancy joining them? Here’s Castleknock by numbers...
Population*
24,356, as of the 2016 census.
*Figure taken from CSO data
Average house price 2019 H2*
€485,889
By house size**
1-bed apartment: €159k
2-bed terrace: €212k
3-bed semi-detached: €302k
4-bed bungalow: €516k
5-bed detached: €550k
*Figures provided by Perfect Property
**Figures for Dublin 15, according to the Daft 2020 Q1 house price report.
Most expensive house*
€2,495,000: 6 Homeleigh, Porterstown, Castleknock (5-bed detached house)
*Correct according to Daft.ie as of 2/6/20
Least expensive house*
€215,000: 9 Fernleigh Vale, Castleknock (1-bed apartment)
*Correct according to Daft.ie as of 2/6/20
Availability*
111 properties for sale
*Correct according to Daft.ie as of 2/6/20
Services
Garda Station: Blanchardstown Garda Station, Main Street, Blanchardstown
Post Office: Castleknock Post Office, Castleknock Square
Nearest Library: Blanchardstown Library, Blanchardstown Centre
The Northside By Numbers
No. of schools/creches*
Pre-schools: 2
Primary Schools: 6
Secondary Schools: 2
*Figures from education.ie and childcare.ie
Parks and playgrounds
There are many factors that make Castleknock a highly desirable area, but proximity to the Phoenix Park has to be high on the list. The area borders the north-west end of the park, and the Castleknock Gate is one of its main entrances, offering direct access to its main thoroughfare, Chesterfield Avenue.
Just outside the park, you’ll find the 18th century Farmleigh House with its walled and sunken gardens, and scenic lakeside walks.
Further out of the city, off the Diswellstown Road, there’s the small Riverwood Park with its tennis courts and children’s playground.
Public transport links
Castleknock station lies on the Dublin to Longford railway line line, providing access to the services between Pearse Station and Maynooth, and Docklands to M3 Parkway.
The area is also served by Dublin Bus routes 37 (Blanchardstown Town Centre to Wilton Terrace) and 38 (Burlington Road to Damastown), as well as the Nitelink 70n.
Time to city centre*
Driving: 18 minutes (traffic dependent)
Public Transport: 22 minutes (bus)
Cycling: 22 minutes
Walking: 1 hour 32 minutes
*Times (except public transport) taken from the junction of Castleknock Road and College Road to Bachelors Walk, according to Google Maps.
Food and drink
Yelp.ie lists 11 different places to eat within Castleknock – as you might expect in such an affluent area. These include Okra Green (Pakistani and Indian), DeBruns (gastropub) and Castello Bruno (Italian).
In addition, The Butle'rs Pantry is a popular deli/gourmet café, and there’s the usul range of late-night takeaways. Just Eat has 66 options, while Deliveroo and Uber Eats also serve the area.
Shopping
The centre of the village is along a stretch of Castleknock Road between Auburn Avenue and St Brigid’s Church of Ireland. There, you’ll find a selection of local shops and services, the Castleknock Village shopping centre and a large Lidl supermarket.
Castleknock also benefits from its relative proximity to both Blanchardstown and Liffey Valley shopping centres and retail parks, and convenient access to the city centre via rail, bus and car.
Sport and leisure
Castleknock boasts a wide variety of sporting facilities and clubs. Castleknock GAA club is based on the Somerton Road and caters for football, hurling and camogie.
Castleknock Celtic and Hadleigh Pines are the local soccer clubs, while rugby is played locally at Coolmine RFC and Castleknock Cricket Club is on the Porterstown Road.
There are several golf clubs in the area too – the Castleknock and Hermitage clubs are either side of the Liffey and Lower Road, while Luttrellstown Castle and Westmanstown are nearby.
There’s tennis at Castleknock LTC on the Old Navan Road with additional courts in Carpenterstown and Riverwood.
The Castleknock Hotel has a spa and health club on site, while the closest cinemas are the Vue at Liffey Valley and the Odeon at Blanchardstown.
