Moving to Sligo from Dublin. Need some help.

shagmart

Hi Everyone,

Myself and my wife are looking to move to sligo in the next 6-9 months. We've spent a lot of time wandering around the various towns and villages and would like to get some feedback and opinions (positive and negative) about the following areas.

Ballisodare
Ballygawley
Ballymote
Carney
Collooney
Grange
Riverstown

Any feedback (particularly on schools in the area) would be very very helpful, as it's one thing wandering around a village for a few hours and another thing living there.

Thanks very much

Dave.

annie19

u ave picked very small places to look around at.i know what you mean though, its hard to get the feel of a place in just a few hours. i no the west seems lovely and green but when u live here for a while its a different story. theres a very good secondary school in Tobercurry and the schools in sligo city(small city i might add) are very good.
I think its safe to say that all the small villages have very little amenities for toddlers to teenagers. i have to go 20 miles to to the cinema. u can soon get sick of the local pub in the village as the views r chat never change. Plus the weather! on average we get 800mm of rain whereas the east gets about 300mm. (if memory serves me right)
in a nutshell be aware of what ur letting urself in 4.
i know when i go to college in dublin next yr i wont like it very much, being a country girl and all. i suppose its hard to get the balance right:o
hope my ranting has helped a little bit

muffler

annie19 wrote: »

i suppose its hard to get the balance right:o
hope my ranting has helped a little bit

Ah shut up.:D Dont look for a Pr job with sligo tourism board.

OP - sit back and wait for genuine replies

annie19

sligo tourist crap??? i dont think so mate.....
its a ****hole

magnumlady

There are lots of playgrounds around for young children.
If the OP moves to somewhere like Ballisodare then the cinema is just down the road in town.
OP what age are your children?
In Collooney and Ballymote you are near the train station.
Collooney has the Teeling centre with various sports and activities for kids.
Ballymote seems to have a lot going on too, there are various activities in the Loftus Hall, theres an after school club. Theres also the fantastic Eagles Flying.

Annie I suppose its different strokes for different folks. When I was a teenager I was in the UK, you soon get fed up with all the hustle and bustle.

Sligo is a great place for tourists, the scenery is fantastic. They just don't know how to market it.

Gillie

annie19 wrote: »

sligo tourist crap??? i dont think so mate.....
its a ****hole

What's/Where's a sh*thole?

daveboy01

For reasons of convenience to town, amenities, and generally the feel of a place I would rate your list in this order (1 being best):
1. Carney
2. Ballisodare
3. Grange
4. Collooney
5. Ballygawley
6. Riverstown
7. Ballymote
You should also check out Strandhill, Rosses Point, Drumcliff and Glencar - and of course Sligo itself - depends on what your budget is.

Clueless 2

I would go for either Rosses Point or Strandhill before any of the other places.

Beautiful, beside the sea, great golf and walking and still only 10 minutes from Sligo town ( City?? hahaha).

Failing that , go for Grange or Cliffoney, the new N 15 will be built within the next 5 years and that will get you down to Sligo town in jig time.

Sligored

daveboy01 wrote: »

For reasons of convenience to town, amenities, and generally the feel of a place I would rate your list in this order (1 being best):
1. Carney
2. Ballisodare
3. Grange
4. Collooney
5. Ballygawley
6. Riverstown
7. Ballymote
You should also check out Strandhill, Rosses Point, Drumcliff and Glencar - and of course Sligo itself - depends on what your budget is.

agreed .... only problem with carney is 3 miles to nearest school

genie

I can tell you a bit about Riverstown...

Has a playgroup and a new one is currently being built
Has two national schools
Has a secondary school (Coola VEC) about three miles away
Has a doctor's surgery
Has a chemist and two butchers
Has two small supermarkets (but really needs a larger supermarket)
Has three pubs and a post office
Has a Connaught Gold Store for DIY/Garden furniture (no plants) and farming goods etc
Has broadband
Has the Sligo Folk Park and beautiful scenery on its doorstep

No public transport - unless you count the one bus per week! :rolleyes:
Nothing for older children/teenagers to do
Has a chipper that is only open at the weekend :rolleyes:
Eight miles to nearest train station - Ballymote/Collooney

Hope this helps!

shagmart

Hi Everyone,

All info is a great help so far (keep it coming). I know a few have mentioned Strandhill & Rosses Point, and they would certainly be options if the right property came up. Our price range is realistically under €450k.

Our preference is really for a stand alone property within walking distance of a nice village. We have lived in semi-detached suburbia for over 10 years and feel the time is right to get some space (not a huge amount, but a house on a half-acre is ideal). We're not sure of the various suburbs around the town, but if you guys (with the knowledge) can recommend any, we would appreciate it. We're heading down this weekend for a couple of days, so will take everything into account.

Thanks again and please keep the info and opinions coming.

Dave

tuppence

I would have to say Collooney followed by Riverstown, and Strandhill.
Collooney although may not be the cutest, (it was cuter) it has the railway for mates of yours to visit from Dublin. It has the national schools (used to have 3?) It has access to ballisodare secondary school, 2 miles away with a bus service. Its got a credit union,pharmacy, doctors surgery and club for the kids. Plenty of reasonable pubs, a cafe, walks as in to "union wood" (must be new access now, new road messed with original access?). Markree castle less than 2 miles away has a country fair every couple of years, and different events throughout the year.( check out website) Has a ball alley and tennis court, and pitch/fair green/field (albeit in dis repair). Heard from someone that they need people on their tidy towns committee so they have plenty of volunteering opportunities too.

GG66

You should probably give more info on what exactly you're looking for as your outline could be satisfied in any of those listed.

Budget wise..bear in mind I'm no expert

I think you'll generally find South Sligo (Riverstown and Ballymote) have lower property prices than North Sligo or Collooney/Balisodare .

If I was moving from Dublin with a budget of 450k I'd be looking to clear my mortgage and have some spare cash.

In South Sligo a lot of villages have had a large growth in housing estates developed to avail of Rural Renewal Grants.

Better check these figures yourself but this is my understanding of it. These can be 50% of the cost of the house given as TFA per annum. This can be quite attractive. For e.g. House at 300k @ 50% leaves you with 150k over 10 years. This is 15k TFA per annum. If you pay tax at the higher rate 41% then you can save approx €6150 per annum in tax (for 10 years).

Villages where you'd find such properties - Riverstown, Ballymote, Collooney....they tend to be new estates which isn't exactly what you're looking for but you may find one off house also. worth taking into account and these properties are proving difficult to shift so you could negotiate a very good price..

As for transport, most of these towns are within reasonable driving distance of Sligo town.. although if your kids are approaching teens then they may want to go there more often. In this case public transport becomes handy otherwise you're a full time taxi...but you could pay for a lot of taxis with an extra 6k in your pocket...

bennyc

OK for a budget of 450K heres my opinion,

Get a site in ballisodare 3 miles or so out the Ballina road. for around 150K that leaves you 300 to build with (finished 4-5 bedroom gardens driveway 1/2 acre site).
As for Cinema and nights out , I personally dont think you should base where you live if its going to be an inconvenience to get a 20 euro taxi to Sligo town I am sure you paid more in Dublin (or would have if you could get a taxi) The far side of town is at the very most depending on how far you go out 20 minutes. But tbh more like 10 minutes.

I moved from there a few years back I and built up near to Ballymote but I have kept the kids in Ballisodare school they also play most of their sports there still. The schools there are excellent and the community is second to none.

You could always move to Ballymote and get a very nice new semi d for less than 200k all in. I am a few miles in the country outside Ballymote and love it up there so far. The fact is that it suits us to keep the kids in Ballisodare school other than that we would be in Ballymote in the morning.

daveboy01

I'd go North Sligo myself... even if you have to pay that bit extra... great scenery, beaches, good pubs, decent roads and not too far from town... look at Rathcormac, Drumcliff, Glencar, Carney, Lissadell, Grange, Cliffoney

folkswagen

Tubbercurry is also in rural tax incentive scheme - a growing town - or live a few miles out for your country location..

got great new secondary school
new library/one stop shop
banks
supermarkets
9 hole golf course
pubs
usual shops......

dingding

OP would it be an idea to post up some houses that you would be interested in say from Daft, or myhome.ie and ask us our oppinion.

AlmightyCushion

Seriously, what the fúck?

AlmightyCushion

Quick question, mel. Could you not have put that all in one post instead of 6?

il gatto

Beware of small villages with big housing developments being built in them. Schools and other facilities (if there are any) might not be able to cope 5 years down the line.
Public transport is almost non existant. If it's important to you, your list of potential villages is decimated. Walking distance is all fine on a summers evening. In the winter, the cold, wind and rain means you'll drive EVERYWHERE. And walking on unlit country roads at this time of year is dangerous. Be prepared to rack up pretty big miles just scooting around doing messages and giving people lifts.
Ballygawley wouldn't appeal on the same levels as the other places you mentioned. There's two pubs (well apart from each other) and a shop/filling station. That's pretty much it.
You should also check out Coolaney, Dromahair (Leitrim) and Ballintogher. They're all nice villages within the sphere you've indicated.
If you're originally from Dublin, it's great move, but be prepared to take a long time to acclimatise.

bennyc

il gatto wrote: »

Ballygawley wouldn't appeal on the same levels as the other places you mentioned. There's two pubs (well apart from each other) and a shop/filling station. That's pretty much it.
.

Thats well and good but they do have one of the best new golf courses in the country if that tickles your fancy

il gatto

Very true. And it's not far from Markree either. And convienient to town. Put it back on the list OP:D

tuppence

I was going to mention Leitrim as a good spot close to sligo to live.
Dromahair and Manorhamilton anyway.

Dromahair and its environs is extremely pretty, developers havent spoilt all of it. The lake road to Sligo (20 mins) imo is the prettiest road in the country (2nd only to the delphi road. Dont get distracted by the lake many have and have come a cropper. ) Theres a national school, playschool, a very good doctors surgery. I think you can qualify for the rural renewal tax relief in the new estates too. Has an award winning chef in the new restuarant in the town. Has plenty of shops and good pubs, one particularly good for a heaving trad sessiun (every two weeks in Stanfords). Its got a little gaa ground. Oh yes its a hotel for your mates who will be very keen to come down from Dublin to visit.;)

Manorhamilton, got a secondary school, not sure how many primary schools.(At least two one of which is a new gael school.) Great array of pubs and has the Glens centre for arts/gigs etc , co-op veg shop and couple of bigger supermarket types. It has the Bee centre,which has multiple social enterprises under one roof. Its got a sculpture centre. So its got an artist ecletic mix.

*ballygawley; take it off your list again OP. its only useful as a means to get somewhere. And the golf. Not mature enough apparently as a course.. (cos I know, Not.)

annie19

every village has the above!!!! is it still enough?:rolleyes::mad::mad:
its not 4 me

gustavo

tuppence wrote: »

*ballygawley; take it off your list again OP. its only useful as a means to get somewhere. And the golf. Not mature enough apparently as a course.. (cos I know, Not.)

Dont be dissing Ballygawley!

tuppence

gustavo wrote: »

Dont be dissing Ballygawley!

Ahem, let me see, Ballygawley* is near to Ballintogher, Collooney, Riverstown (ish) and Dromahair places that should be legitimately on the list.

Okay, put it back on the list OP! :rolleyes:

*but bring an ordanance survey map.

Slidey

Well being from Ballymote i may give an opinion. It has 2 large supermarkets, a large secondary school. train and bus services to sligo each day with talk of a commuter service being started on the train.
Couple of nice pubs, very nice town park with pathsand a public playground. Two very well kept football pitches.
To top it all off has a good few unsold houses at the min, could mean a real bargain if that was to your taste. With 450 to spend you will def have money left over. Live in the country side about 2 miles from the town and even though it can be a pain in the ass if ya want a litre of milk the benefits far out weigh any negatives
john

Tiesto

buy somewhere on the strandhill road..

Dagon

I grew up in Tubbercurry and it wasn't too bad at all. The best thing about it, for me, was the local drama group! Great way to kill those long winter nights and have a bit of fun, and meet new people. It's probably the best social scene if you're not into football and soccer - which is without argument the most popular scene in most of these towns). If you are into soccer and GAA, you wil have plenty of new friends in any of these small towns. Dromahair also has the Lough Gill drama group, and they are a really nice gang also. If you do move to any of these towns, the best way to enjoy life is to try and get involved in stuff that has a social scene around it, so take into account what groups/organisations are there. You will be very bored and won't have any connection to the place if you just watch telly every evening or go to the pub on yer own! If you do that, these towns can make you a pretty depressed human being (I should know, I was there in my early 20's)...

Tubber also has two large supermarkets, an excellent library / one-stop-shop, mobile cinema visits, one of the best and most state-of-the-art secondary schools in the country, and low property prices. A friend of mine bought a house there a couple of years ago and it wasn't much more than 200k, and it's a lovely house. He works across the road, the lazy fecker