Stylish houses, chic apartments and a President coming to visit - it must be Fatima Mansions.

After a €130m makeover, the city development first occupied six decades ago has been brought bang into the 21st century.

Under the watchful eye of President Mary McAleese, residents celebrated what many were calling the new miracle of Fatima.

Today, locals are enjoying new homes and shops, a playground and a very obvious new sense of pride.

It has taken six years of work and even more of planning to redevelop the site -- but locals say the benefits will last much longer.

The regeneration of Fatima started with the demolition of the first five of the 14 blocks of flats in August 2003.

Revitalising

Over the past six years the area has been transformed, not just physically, but socially.

John Whyte, CEO of the Fatima Regeneration Board, says that what sets the Fatima regeneration project apart from past attempts at revitalising communities is its emphasis on the need for social, as well as physical, change.

Yesterday marked the completion of the physical regeneration of Fatima Mansions by Dublin City Council in association with Maplewood Elliott JV and the launch of its new community facilities, the F2 Community Centre and F2 Community Enterprise Units.

President McAleese, who performed the official duties, said that the whole community should be congratulated on the transformation.

"Isn't it something to be very proud of?" she said, adding: "When the wee ones grow up, won't people say 'you're very lucky?'

"They'll be able to say their mammies and daddies and grannies and granddads made them lucky -- they wanted a change and boy did they get it."

The President added: "There was a lot of unhappiness, a lot of mammies and daddies were afraid their children would not blossom. What did they do? They made this the best place to grow up in Dublin."

And while the flats may be gone, Mrs McAleese was keen to point out that memories haven't disappeared with them.

"The spirit and heart of people will just distil and you'll see it in the children who will flourish. The lives lived here will be rich in community and self-confidence.

"The changes that were about, you made it happen."

The father of Fatima's favourite son, Andy Reid, was also central to the celebrations yesterday. Bill Reid (56) said his parents were among the first to move into the flats in 1949 and it "was a fantastic place to grow up".

But he was one of nine in a three-bed flat, who practically lived with neighbours and friends.

"People looked after each other. If my mother had no money, she'd go next door and they'd sort her out. When she was paid, she'd help them out."

It was hoped that Sunderland player Andy would make the party but his boss Niall Quinn who was on hand said that the midfielder was simply "training too hard".

kdoyle@herald.ie

- Kevin Doyle