First you hear the birdsong, and then the stillness. Carrig Dolgen is three quarters of the way up Barnaslingan Lane, which climbs above the Scalp between Kilternan and Enniskerry.

The views everywhere are of lush fields, and in the distance the sea to Howth and the Dublin Mountains.

Walks further up the lane wind through hillsides and forestry, and the area is full of horses and golfers.

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Carrig Dolgen has a tennis court, a stable and field that would suit a small pony, plus there’s a hen run.

The house was built in 1977 and enlarged over the years – the current owners added a storey in 2000. At 464sq m (5,000 sq ft) it’s spacious without feeling massive, and there are five bedrooms, two en suite.

The owners, moving because their children are grown up, say that their main hope is for another family to love living here as much as they have.

“We came here over 30 years ago, it was a wet day, and we got out of the car and my son said ‘wouldn’t it be lovely to live here?’ Since then, we’ve celebrated all sorts of occasions here, our daughter’s wedding, anniversaries, birthdays.”

Carrig Dolgen is beautifully secluded, but not isolated. “You’re only half an hour from the airport, and the Luas is now nearby at Carrickmines. There’s a great community in the area too,” the owner says, also citing local shops including Leavy’s Butchers at Lambs Cross, the Country Market at Kilternan, and the shops and restaurants in Stepaside.

The best way to describe the house would be “contemporary country” – there’s a big and comfortable kitchen, with an Aga, a boot room that includes a separate shower – ideal for muddy children and dogs, a cosy familyroom and a more elegant drawingroom. There’s also a games room big enough to take a snooker table.

Upstairs, the bedrooms are in the eaves, and the master suite also has a dressing room. For sale by auction through Lisney, with an AMV of €1 million.

Viewing is this Saturday, May 7th, between noon and 2pm.

ALSO ON VIEW, ACROSS THE ROAD ...

Description: Four-bed house with separate apartment

Agent: Lisney

Directly opposite Carrig Dolgen, Lisney is also selling Merrifield, this time by private treaty, for €695,000. Built to a smaller scale, it is approximately 145sq m (1,560 sq ft), and the garden, though large, is smaller too. Similarly secluded, it shares the same lovely views. Though the house is on two levels, it is laid out as a one-bedroomed apartment with a separate entrance on the lower ground floor, and a four- bedroomed house on the main level. The apartment can also be reached through an internal stairs.

There's a bright lounge, large kitchen and conservatory. The maple finish kitchen needs little work and, overall, any changes would be mainly cosmetic. On view this Saturday, 12-1pm.