If you find yourself priced out of Drumcondra and Phibsborough, then it may be worth looking slightly further out of town to the suburb of Whitehall.
Surrounded by Drumcondra to the south, Glasnevin to the west, Beaumont to the east and Santry to the north, the area is noted for the huge Holy Child church - a well-known landmark for traffic coming into the city - the busy Swords Road and the successful Whitehall Colmcille GAA club.
The M50 and M1 are nearby, which makes the area a good choice if you spend a lot of time outside the city.
Traditionally a working-class residential area, its ageing population has recently been augmented by young families and students - DCU's main campus and St Patrick's College are both nearby.
Here’s Whitehall by numbers...
Population*
13,023, as of the 2016 census.
*Figure taken from CSO data for the Whitehall electoral areas
Average house price 2019 H1*
€ 378,127
By house size**
1-bed: €205k
2-bed: €280k
3-bed: €387k
4-bed: €667k
5-bed: €735k
*Figure for Whitehall provided by Perfect Property
**Averaged figures for Dublin 9, according to the Daft 2019 Q3 house price report.
Most expensive house*
€525,000 : 14 Iveleary Road, Gaeltacht Park, Whitehall (3-bed semi-detached house)
*Correct according to Daft.ie as of 17/12/19
Least expensive house*
€230,000 : Apartment 11, Block 2, The Belfry, Whitehall (2-bed apartment)
*Correct according to Daft.ie as of 17/12/19
Availability*
11 properties for sale
*Correct according to Daft.ie as of 17/12/19
Services
Garda Station: Santry Garda Station, Shanowen Road, Santry
Post Offices: Collins Avenue Post Office, 408/410 Collins Avenue; Omni Park Post Office, Omni Park Shopping Centre, Swords Road; Lorcan Avenue Post Office, Lorcan Avenue
Nearest Library: Ballymun Library, 9 Ballymun Rd, Ballymun
No. of schools/creches*
Pre-schools: 2
Primary Schools: 5
Secondary Schools: 4
*Figures from education.ie and childcare.ie.
Parks and playgrounds
Ellenfield Park is in the heart of Whitehall, accessible from its main artery, the Swords Road. You’ll find mature parkland, playing fields, an astro-turf pitch, tennis cxourts and a children’s playground.
Just to the east there’s also Beaumont Wood which is a small but attractive spot for a ramble, while to the west Santry Park is a much larger facility with pitches, gardens and plenty of pathways to explore.
Public transport links
Whitehall is bisected by the Swords Road – the main route between the city centre and Dublin Airport. It’s served by Dublin Bus routes 1, 13, 16, 16c, 16d, 33, 33e, 41, 41b, 41c, 41d, 44, 740 and 740A.
Time to city centre*
Driving: 17 minutes (traffic dependent)
Public Transport: 20 minutes (bus)
Cycling: 14 minutes
Walking: 53 minutes
*Times (except public transport) taken from the the Collins Avenue junction on the Swords Road to O’Connell Bridge, according to Google Maps.
Shopping
There’s not much shopping to be had in Whitehall itself aside from a couple of small rows of shops on the Swords Road and Collins Avenue. However, Omni Park Shopping Centre in Santry is just a short drive away. It contains a Tesco Superstore and a wide range of high street stores including Argos, Boots, Easons, Penneys and New Look.
You've also got Northside Shopping Centre in Coolock, Artane Castle and Drumcondra village - all a short distance away.
Yelp.ie lists 11 hairdressers in the area but just 1 barber.
Food and drink
Whitehall is very much a residential area, and so there isn’t much in the way of a restaurant culture to be found. Yelp.ie lists 6 restaurants, though that includes a couple of student restaurants at DCU's main campus and a couple of takeaways.
Likewise, cafés and coffee shops are thin on the ground (though Anderson’s Food Hall in Glasnevin is nearby) and there are just two pubs listed on Yelp.
Bear in mind, though, that bustling Drumcondra is just down the road towards town - you won't be isolated in Whitehall.
If you fancy ordering in, Just East lists 88 takeaways that serve the area, while there are 54 on Deliveroo and 39 on Uber Eats.
Sport and leisure
Whitehall Colmcille GAA Club is at the heart of the area, with their pitches and clubhouse situated at the junction of the Swords Road and Collins Avenue.
Soccer clubs Home Farm and St Kevin’s Boys (who count Ireland internationals Liam Brady, Ian Harte, Stephen Carr and Damien Duff among their former players) are also based in Whitehall.
Combat sport enthusiasts can get involved with Krav Maga Academy, which has a base in the area. There are playing fields and tennis courts at Ellenfield Park.
There is one golf club nearby – it’s just a short drive to Clontarf GC. And if you are looking for a swimming pool, spa and gym, Regency Leisure Club on the Swords Road has all those facilities and more.
Finally, the closest cinema is the IMC at Omni Park in Santry.
