Chronicle"s 'improbable" headline!

The Meath Chronicle made international headlines at the weekend when it featured in Saturday"s edition of the Financial Times newspaper. In a feature page on 'world in recession", Matthew Engel"s column was headlined 'Prosperity just a blip for old Ireland". He wrote: 'The most improbable headline of the week in Ireland - perhaps in all Europe - came in the Meath Chronicle. It was so startling, one had to check the date on the newspaper to make sure it wasn"t left over from February 2007, or last April 1. 'House-buying frenzy in Johnstown," it said. 'Johnstown is just outside Navan, 30 miles from Dublin. It"s a commuter exurb of dreary looking new estates, though it became practically inner-city as Dublin property prices exploded in the early 2000s. Young families had to move farther and farther to find something affordable, committing themselves to a grim life of hefty repayments, lengthy commutes and kids in crèches. 'This was not good news for the poor saps who bought high. But perhaps one difference between Ireland"s crash and everyone else"s is that here cheerfulness has a habit of breaking through the clouds. The Irish are used to being put-upon; prosperity was just a brief blip.' The columnist was referring to the Meath Chronicle story on T&J Gavigan"s sale of 25 properties in Athlumney Wood following a Valentine"s weekend advertising campaign 'Love is in the Air" . Gavigans and developers Andrews Construction decided to reduce the price of houses and apartments in Athlumney Wood by 50 per cent of their prices at the height of the boom and 25 units were sold in three days. The apartments sold at €129,950 for a two bed of 68 square metres, and €149,950 for the larger 76 square metre properties. A number of three-bed semis were released at €175,000. 'It was a limited offer at those prices and as we only advertised locally, most of the buyers were local, and mainly first time buyers,' Sarah Ryan of Gavigans said.