Newly moved to Balbriggan - what goss should I know!

Moonbeam

Dunnes staff are mostly lovely and friendly.
It is open suitable hours and if you treat it like a local shop rather then a supermarket it surpasses itself.
Best way is to think at least it isn't a really expensive spar:) and there is clarehall and clearwater and Drogheda for porper food shops!

SeoirseB

whats with the nighlife in balbriggan it sucks. O Sheas badly needs doing up and proper lighting to get to it. Their staff and bouncers and unprofessional and have no sense of customer service. De Bruns bar has never taken off. The other pubs have not made an effort and will not attract newcomers who decide to stay in or go to an adjoining town. Town on weekend night looks like a scene from Thriller. More Gardai presence required. Some new restaurants opening and hotel resaurant is very good value for money with nive ambiance with live paino in background but not attracting numbers as there is no where decent to go after. There a very few towns that lack at least one or two good pubs. It might be okay for natives but blowins have higher standards.

CherieAmour

SeoirseB wrote:

. It might be okay for natives but blowins have higher standards.

Sheesh!!! Be prepared to come under some heavy fire for this statement!!!:D

SeoirseB

I will take that as you agree with me, admiring my guts to say what you really wanted to!:)

MAYPOP

I agree with you about the nightlife.

Chinafoot

SeoirseB wrote:

It might be okay for natives but blowins have higher standards.

Well to be honest there are night links and nightrider services that operate from the city centre out to Balbriggan so it's not like you have no other choice. You can be assured that that is where a lot of the "natives" head at the weekend.

As for DeBrun's not taking off...well I can't say it'd be my pub of choice but anytime I've been there on a Saturday night it's been fairly packed, both upstairs and down.

If you have a complaint about the staff in O'Shea's you could always notify the management. Probably have a better chance of getting some sort of response instead of coming on a message board and insulting the people from the town.

MAYPOP

Chinafoot wrote:

As for DeBrun's not taking off...well I can't say it'd be my pub of choice but anytime I've been there on a Saturday night it's been fairly packed, both upstairs and down.

So does O'Sheas...but 10 - 15 year old dance music says a lot about their clientele!

Chinafoot

MAYPOP wrote:

So does O'Sheas...but 10 - 15 year old dance music says a lot about their clientele!

Yeah but the fact is they have people going in there. They might not be the type of people you want to be around on a Friday or Saturday night, but from a business point of view once the place is packed every weekend why would they try and change things? Money is coming into the place so the owners are happy.

Don't ge me wrong, I'm not a fan of either pub and I agree that the nightlife in Balbriggan does leave a lot to be desired. However, like I said in my previous post, you have options. Go into town, go to Skerries, head for Drogheda. I'm sure you'll come across something to suit your tastes. No need to come on here insulting people though.

SeoirseB

Sorry no intention to offend locals. They are grand people. And I know many are going elsewhere. I am sure that down the line with all the development we will have better choice but in the meantime people will vote with their feet.

Dors1976

I'm a Balbriggan blow in and I have to say I've had a good laugh everytime I've gone out local, think it also depends on the people you are with.

clg23

Have you tried upstairs in the Milestone? try it on a Sunday night i'm sure your opinion of the brigs nightlife will soon change...

P_1

clg23 wrote:

Have you tried upstairs in the Milestone? try it on a Sunday night i'm sure your opinion of the brigs nightlife will soon change...

Oh god don't mention the war

Chinafoot

Hehe upstairs in the Miler. The last bastion of those who were refused entry elsewhere.

Moonbeam

Walking home from Dunnes yesterday I saw an application for planning permission up in the green/wasteland area in front of martello road,the area beside the primary school is covered too for loads more houses:(

It is the only open area at that end of the estate:(

Fingleberries

"Those who don't learn from the mistakes of history are doomed to repeat them"

Surely someone, somewhere has an ounce of sense and can't keep rezoning land or approving applications for housing indefinitely without once thinking about the long term implications of these decisions. Look at all the areas of Dublin they are now spending millions on "rejuvinating" (see: trying to remove the unsavoury elements) to correct mistakes that Balbriggan had the opportunity to avoid from the outset.

Just a fairly obvious example the School is tiny, with only prefabs and no real play area for the children. If they need more room to cope with the increased capacity (for the new houses) then it won't be available (because of the new houses using the neighboring space).

[heavy sarcasm]
Just as an aside, I don't know by what twist of fate or misplaced application but it actually looks like there is a "green area" at the front of Moylaragh. I'm serious - I saw it with my own eyes. Someone deliberately levelled the ground and planted real grass. I'd heard rumours of such things as this happening before, but never thought I'd see it happen.
[/heavy sarcasm]

On a more serious note, why can't they include more things like that in more planning applications (approve 'x' number of houses, if 'y' amount of space is provided for amenities or green space). I mean Ashfield has had a sizeable green area for ages. It's a simple thing, but makes a big difference and breaks up the boring stretch of housing estates and gives kids somewhere to play and entertain themselves instead of on the roads.

Or was it just a case that they realised that there is a culverted stream running under that patch of land and building anything on it would be more trouble than it was worth?

The Hill Billy

Moonbeam - Get on to your FCC councillors & ask them WTF is going on. (They are directly responsible for planning matters.) Lodge an objection yourself to the planning application.

Moonbeam

I plan to:)

will write downt he exact details and share them with the internet tomorrow;)

Moylaragh does indeed have a designated green area in front of it,it is pretty and makes the place look alot nicer:)

About the only planning permission I would agree to in front of Martello road is a proper school building,or maybe some more usfuil amenities but to be fair there are actually some:)

emsy g

hiya,
Can anyone tell me what's happening with the havannagh house?That's a nursing home right?When is it opening?I'm looking to work as a care assistant

Morpheus

Originally Posted by SeoirseB
. It might be okay for natives but blowins have higher standards.

As a Native...

Do you REALLY want me to tell you what to do with those so called higher standards?

Or where you can happily have me insert them for you?

With my FOOT!!


This is my town, and if ya don like it, ya can get the [INSERT PROFANITY HERE] out.

Chinafoot

Morph&#233 wrote: »

As a Native...

Do you REALLY want me to tell you what to do with those so called higher standards?

Or where you can happily have me insert them for you?

With my FOOT!!


This is my town, and if ya don like it, ya can get the [INSERT PROFANITY HERE] out.

*sigh*

Have to be honest with you Morphéus, this "local town for local people" attitude you convey so forcefully is getting old.

This is a friendly forum to be used by everyone and comments like the above are not warranted or welcomed. Enjoy your week off.

dubmick

yeah agreed no need for that

Bluetonic

Train station being upgraded.

Development at Balbriggan Railway Station which is a protected structure. The development will consist of the demolition of the external wall between the ticket hall and platform, removal of doors and windows between the ticket hall and entrance porch and the demolition of the walls under the windows, demolition of internal walls and partitions and the extension of the ticket hall by construction of a new flat roof and installation of a glazed screen wall with automatic sliding doors between the platform-side returns of the existing building, the installation of a glazed screen and automatic sliding doors to the entrance porch and internal reconfiguration to provide dual height ticket windows, fully compliant accessible toilet accommodation and waiting areas and reconfigured staff facilities.

Chinafoot

Good to hear. Badly, badly needed.

Fingleberries

I agree an upgrade is needed, and is long overdue. There's something in the description I don't understand, though ... It says that the Railway Station is a "protected structure", but it looks like there'll be an awful lot of demolition going on as part of this upgrade - how does that add up?

sgarvan

yes, badly needed.
plans for upgrade are hanging on the wall just right of the train station door.

EmiliaK

I like old stations, there's something charming about them. I think it's an awful pity that this is going to be lost. There are enough generic looking buildings around these days

I know that the doorway and ticket area can't cope with the amounts of people getting off the train, but it would be a shame to lose the old appearance of it.

If it's a protected structure, as Fingleberries says, I don't understand either how the scale of demolishment described in that news item could be approved.

Is there no way of retaining the original building and perhaps extending it???

Bluetonic

EmiliaK wrote:

Is there no way of retaining the original building and perhaps extending it???

Have you read the text above? This is exactly what they are doing, removing part of the internal walls and the northern platform facing wall to allow for a small extension (for exit validation).

How on earth you got it into your head that the original building wasn't being retained is staggering.

EmiliaK

Bluetonic wrote:

Have you read the text above? This is exactly what they are doing, removing part of the internal walls and the northern platform facing wall to allow for a small extension (for exit validation).

How on earth you got it into your head that the original building wasn't being retained is staggering.

Yes I did read the text. I also looked at the plans last night when I got home. Perhaps I could have phrased myself better in the last sentence,

"Is there no way of retaining the original building and perhaps extending it???"

By this I meant retaining the whole building in its current state and facilitating entrance/exit via extension only rather than demolishing one wall of the original building to put in sliding doors.

I realise the whole building isn't being demolished, but the alterations will significantly change its old appearance on the platform side.

I must say, I find it "staggering" that you had the capacity to be so patronising to me.:(

Bluetonic

EmiliaK wrote:

I must say, I find it "staggering" that you had the capacity to be so patronising to me.:(

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. :rolleyes:

EmiliaK

Bluetonic wrote:

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. :rolleyes:

And sarcasm is the lowest form of wit