Dunshaughlin Opinions?

Kalikat

We're looking into buying a house commutable to Dublin, and there are some really nice things coming up in Dunshaughlin and the surrounding areas (Ratoath, etc). Thing is, I'm not from 'round here, so I've no idea what sort of area it is. People in work have turned up their noses when I mention the name, but it seems nice enough from a visit - small, quiet, a coupla interesting-looking antiquey shops, some nice cars, and even nicer houses. We'd be buying a few miles out of the village, so our neighbours would probably be sheep n'stuff.

The buseireann website quotes an hour into town, and people I've spoken to have said it can take anything from 40 mins to 2.5 hours to get into town on the bus! We drove it in about 30 mins off-peak, and that was driving slooowly, but I'll bet the N3 gets nasty during the rush hour.

So, anyone live around there? What's it like? Is it *really* commutable into town?

DMC

Let me tell you, its not a nice commute. Into Blanchardstown it can get really backed up. Fairyhouse Cross is a nightmare, even for Ratoath people; I've heard one morning this week that the traffic was tailed back as far as the County Club from there! No bus lanes until you get past the Blanch shopping centre.

One example. I used to commute from Kells on the bus, it left Kells at 6:50am and arrived at O'Connell Street before 8:30am, that was back in 1997. The same people who get that bus NOW, get the 6AM! (I'm still renting in Dublin.)

Don't be fooled by off-peak travel, or by nice antique shops, thats the guff of the estate agent. Dunshaughlin in itself is a nice community, but a bypass is badly needed, and with the toffs in UCD worried about the Hill of Tara stopping any progress on the M3 motorway ever being built, and even at that, you still have to get beyond Blanch.

My advice is... don't. Pure and simple. This is your hundreds of thousands of euros, it might get you a nice house, but your quailty of life and time actually spent living there wont make it worth your while.

Please try the commute a couple of times before you commit to buying a house in the area. Its vitally important.

It's sad, I know.

decob

well going from my experience this morning, it's not nice. Had to go to Dunsaughlin to collect something from an post and their retarded office hours (really requires a seperate post). Anyway left Ashbourne 7.15. Arrived in Dunsaughlin about 7.30, back on the road to dublin at 7.40.

8.50 sitting in traffic in Blanch. 9.50 arrive in work (baggot street/merrion sq)

Ratoath might be easier to commute from if you use the n2, generally about an hour in the morning in, at most 1.5. On the bus it's normally 40/50mins from ashbourne to o'connell street.

Fully agree with what DMC says about trying out the commute a few times.

Kalikat

Thanks for your input, guys. And, yikes, it's really not what I wanted to hear!

Do you know anyone that makes the commute regularly? I can cope with an hour and a half, but anything longer is really, really not good. I wouldn't actually be driving - I'd have to take the bus/coach/whatever, but the boyfriend will drive me anywhere within a 5-ish-mile radius in the mornings (s'okay for him - he works from home!), so I could commute from Ratoath, right? My work is also pretty flexible, so I could start earlier or later to try to miss the rush. As it is, I get up pretty early to leave from Sandyford (stupid Industrial Estate/Dundrum traffic), so it wouldn't be such a new thing for me.

There just doesn't seem to be anywhere else with the kind of property/price we're after! Anywhere closer is muchos expensive. *sigh*

Big Nelly

Ok I live in Blanch but GF lives in Clonee and drives into town most morning! the trick is to be on the N3 from about 6.50-7.10.....u will fly in then usually unless it rains(nobody in Dublin can drive if it rains!! they all turn into feckin Driving Miss Daisy drivers).....friend of mine is actually about to buy in Ratoath and she says it takes her about 15 min to get to Blanch from her house! you see once u get there u will find all the little back roads that u can go down! once ur in Blanch jump on the 39 and straight into town! not that bad!!

Gonzo

I live in Dunshaughlin and started college recently in Loughlinstown where I had to be in by 8.30am, the first bus from Dunshaughlin to town is supposed to arrive at 6.40am but the bus this week often didnt come till 5 or 10 minutes later which makes an enourmous difference as the traffic build-up is so much worse in that short space of time. On Tuesday last I was waiting for the 6.40am bus In Dunshaughlin and the bus just drove by coz it was full and we had to wait for the next bus which was at 6.55am, we were only 3 minutes left Dunshaughlin when the tailback from O'connell Street started just beyond the workhouse and we inched our way into town eventually arriving there at around 8.30am so I was extremely late for college as I still had another journey on the number 45 bus to go. The bus service from Dunshaughlin generally is rarely on time and sometimes bus's either dont arrive or they just drive by, its a nightmare. I have since stopped using the bus service since the disaster last Tuesday and instead get a lift to Dunboyne where I can use the quite reliable Dublin bus service to quickly get into town on time and out to my college well before starting time.

daymobrew

If you can afford it try to get on a train line - maybe Clonsilla, Leixlip or Maynooth.
While the train is often packed India-style (we get the same usage increase when kids go back to school/college) it is quite reliable and Senator Morrissey says that the line will be electrified (to Maynooth) in the next few years, with some ground work already in place. This will mean increased frequency.
You can go to http://www.platform11.org and ask questions on their forum for more info, they'll know more than me.

Of course maybe I should be selfish and keep you looking somewhere other than 'my' train line because how packed it can be.

Furp

Kalikat I know the feeling regarding the house price.

I live in Navan and moved out there only just over a year ago, Navan is about 15 miles further up the N3 past Dunshaughlin. I work in Dublin mostly on the southside and sometimes I need to travel right into the city and beyond to Ballsbridge.

The commute is hell although I leave Navan at usually 6.30 to seven and I get into work between 8.30 usually that is sometimes it can take a lot lot longer ironically getting home has never taken much longer than 1.25 leaving at 5.30.

During the summer it was great as I was getting into work in an hour or less.

There are a few badspots along the route but it is doable for a while anyway, having said that I am possibly getting a new job now only a 15 minute drive from where I live, and also to give you an idea of why we where mad enough to move so far out, we bought our large new 3 Bed semi and decent size from and back gardens for "only" €179,000 compared to the same house being built just of the M50 by the same builder and developer selling for €300,000+

Dunshaughlin is a nice little village but not much in it, Navan is a lot large with a decent size shopping centre, with most of usual shops you would find in any Dublin shopping centre, e.g. Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Hallmark, Exit, Penneys, Budget Travel, Pharmacies and some boutiques, also there are lots of very good and reasonably priced furniture shops in Navan to furnish your house.

The problem is though this road is only going to get busier with the amount of houses and being built along it and the amount of people moving out from Dublin, also if the developer tells you about the new M3 motorway being built, well this is not due to start till 2006 and the NRA says it will be built in 4 years max, if you know anything about the M50 you know that this is being very optimistic.

Faddymackshyte

I live in Ratoath and it generally depends on what time you are thinking about commuting at, between 7 and 9 it can be hectic but the traffic usually flows at a good rate. On the plus side, there are many back routes that you can take, which rarely get blocked up. For example through Kilbride and onto Dunsink Lane, it takes us 40/50 minutes to get in by car. Both Dunshaughlin and Ratoath are nice areas, its in the countryside so its deadly!! Its totally up to yourself!!!!

DMC

Er, Ratoath Road passing Dunsink Lane isn't a good option at the moment!

Just The One

Basically there seems to be congestion on all roads into Dublin these days. It is kind of like six of one and half a dozen of another

JimmySmith

That Dunshaughlin commute is a disaster. Even a bypass will still stick you in Major traffic when you come off it unless it goes all the way to the city center.
Definitely try the commute for a week. Even though the schools are off now and you wont get a completely realistic idea of the disaster it will be in September.

I would also say, when you are looking to buy a house, buy on a train line. Its the only thing not affected by traffic.

If you want a bargain though, then buy somewhere on the not yet built Metro line. You will have to commute for a few years but you will get a train eventually.
At the moment people arent even thinking of the benefits this Metro will bring, so you will not pay the premium that you will for an already established rail service.
As the Metro gets closer to reality prices will go up along its route relative to prices not served. There are other planned train services too. I just took the Metro as an example.

EmerBaggott

Hi, just wondering is this commute still as bad. I am not from Dunshaughlin & I don't know the area very well but my partner & I maybe consider buying there...All information in relation to Dunshaughlin greatly greatly appreciated... Thanks in advance