Ballinasloe to Galway commute?

keano442

Hi there.

I'm moving to Galway in a few weeks to start a new job. Scouting around for places to stay and half-thinking of Ballinasloe for the much lower rents. Any idea how long would it take me from there to Galway every morning? (I'll be working shifts so only one week a month or so will be at rush hour...)

And how long if I avoided the toll (by going Aughrim, Kilreekil etc...)?

Many thanks!

k.

DD67

What you save in rent you will pay in petrol, why not check Athenry for rentals and only 10 mins travel time on motorway.

Madame Razz

DD67 wrote: »

What you save in rent you will pay in petrol, why not check Athenry for rentals and only 10 mins travel time on motorway.

Agreed. Good deals to be had on rent in and around Oranmore/Kilcolgan area too and in Moycullen also.

Living in Ballinasloe might be good in theory but honestly that daily commute would break your heart eventually; I know people who do it because they have to and they would really rather not

keano442

thanks for that folks.

haven't checked kilcolgan. amazingly, given the number of houses in and around oranmore, rental properties are quite limited. talked to two estate agents yesterday who had nothing. daft hasn't a whole pile either. are there private letting listings anywhere?

witnessmenow

30-35 min daily recruit will break your heart? seriously?

What part of town is the job op?

Edit: 30-35 mins via motorway, 50-60mins via old road

Steamer

Why would you want to live in Ballinasloe anyhow when you could live near Galway city suburbs? I commute everyday from Galway city an hour each way and it is hard enough work but I do it because I would not like to live where I work.

Tony Almeida

witnessmenow wrote: »

30-35 min daily recruit will break your heart? seriously?

What part of town is the job op?

Edit: 30-35 mins via motorway, 50-60mins via old road

I do an hour each way commute per day.

In fairness, its starting to rattle me

keano442

Job op is in Oranmore.

If I was to get a place somewhere in the city suburbs, what's traffic like coming from city to oranmore each day? better than going the other way i'd bet?

athenry would be ideal in many ways (proximity to oranmore and motorway, rental prices look good) but have a wife and a young baby - drove through there the other day and don't know how we'd get round with a pram! a lot of the streets don't even have footpaths from what I can see....

DD67

keano442 wrote: »

athenry would be ideal in many ways (proximity to oranmore and motorway, rental prices look good) but have a wife and a young baby - drove through there the other day and don't know how we'd get round with a pram! a lot of the streets don't even have footpaths from what I can see....

Your dead right there on the footpath suitation in Athenry, lots of new estates where built on the outskirts of the town and no footpaths or lighting were provided to access them, and of the paths around the town most are to narrow and in a poor state. When we take our young one out in her stroller we have to plan our route just to be on a decent footpath. The whole infastructure i.e street lights, paths and roads in and around Athenry are a total disgrace.

KevR

keano442 wrote: »

And how long if I avoided the toll (by going Aughrim, Kilreekil etc...)?

When you take into account that the non-tolled route is approximately 10km longer in distance and the fact that you will have a lot more needless deceleration and acceleration (which is not as fuel effecient as travelling at a constant speed), the money you save by dodging the toll gets eaten up by extra fuel consumption. Not to mention the old road will cause more wear and tear on your car (e.g. - tyres won't last as long on a poor surface and brake pads will wear out quicker), it's probably cheaper to take the motorway and pay the toll.

Also, on average you are 10 or 11 times less likely to be killed driving on a motorway compared to a single carriageway road.

I would recommend Athenry. It's a lot closer so a lot less money spent on petrol and you won't have to pay any tolls. Also, there will soon be 12 trains each way per day between Athenry and Galway; Ballinasloe will only have 7 trains each way per day. If you're not working in the City Centre the train wouldn't be a great option for getting to work, it would be better to drive; but you could take the train into Galway on a Saturday for example if you're heading to the shops or anything. It's a nice option to have as it would save you looking for an over-priced parking space in Galway City Centre.

ScumLord

Steamer wrote: »

Why would you want to live in Ballinasloe anyhow when you could live near Galway city suburbs?

I think you'd be much better off living in a town than any suburb, suburbs are just rows of estates with no services, I could never live in those horrible estates that breed criminals ever again.

toadfly

I live in Oranmore, renting a three (double) bed semi-d in oranhill approx 1 mile from the village on Maree Rd. We are paying €700 a month rent (was €800 for first 4 months) but got it reduced 4 months ago.

Just giving you an idea of prices.

I personally wouldnt like to live in Ballinasloe and commute in. Oranmore is so handy (esp if u work there) but for going into town etc. There is a large Dunnes 5/10 mins away as well.

If you want more info just ask!

ScumLord

Ring for a price and haggle, there's 3 bed houses going for €300 a month out past Tuam.

swe_fi

Like above I live in Oranhill and I really like Oranmore overall, I do not think you will be disappointed if you choose to live there, but it may be too expensive for you, pay about 7-800 here for a nice place - haggle of course -

If you want to save money on rent by going outside Galway, I could maybe suggest Craughwell. It is deffo not the most inspiring of places but think you can get a cheap rent there, and you would only be 15 mins from Oranmore, 25 from town (approx). For the record I would not like to live there but it may suit you.

On the topic of uninspiring places - Ballinasloe, Athenry, Tuam - I hold no grudges against the peoples of these towns but I do not like them and I think you will be doing yourself & your family a favour by not moving there.

Actually Claregalway might suit you, as you are working in Oranmore traffic would not be too bad as you are going "across". Never lived there but much better "feel" to the place than above.

I wish you luck.

Chris_5339762

Might want to look around Craughwell or Clarinbridge too, if you're working in Oranmore you should avoid most of the traffic in Galway. Although you wont be on the motorway.

KevR

Craughwell would be much better traffic-wise for getting to Oranmore. There isn't a huge deal of traffic on the old N6 (now the R446) since the motorway opened.

Clarinbridge-Oranmore, in comparison, is the current N18 which carries all Galway-Limerick long distance traffic as well as commuter traffic.

keano442

swe_fi wrote: »

Like above I live in Oranhill and I really like Oranmore overall, I do not think you will be disappointed if you choose to live there, but it may be too expensive for you, pay about 7-800 here for a nice place - haggle of course -

If you want to save money on rent by going outside Galway, I could maybe suggest Craughwell. It is deffo not the most inspiring of places but think you can get a cheap rent there, and you would only be 15 mins from Oranmore, 25 from town (approx). For the record I would not like to live there but it may suit you.

On the topic of uninspiring places - Ballinasloe, Athenry, Tuam - I hold no grudges against the peoples of these towns but I do not like them and I think you will be doing yourself & your family a favour by not moving there.

Actually Claregalway might suit you, as you are working in Oranmore traffic would not be too bad as you are going "across". Never lived there but much better "feel" to the place than above.

I wish you luck.

I was thinking the same as you about Craughwell. Drove through it last week and nothing against those who live there but think I'll be looking for somewhere else.

Interesting what you say about Claregalway. Haven't been there, just read about the traffic congestion/27,000 daily vehicles etc and that kind of put me off. But I'll be looking again after your comments. At the moment I have viewings lined up for the weekend in Lackagh (out past Claregalway - anyone know anything about it?), Oranmore-Craughwell road and Ballybrit.

Haven't seen anything in Oranmore beneath €825 for what I want, which will hopefully have some sort of a garden (I've a wife, a baby and a perfectly house-trained dog...)

Many thanks for all your help!

k.

unJustMary

keano442 wrote: »

... for what I want, which will hopefully have some sort of a garden (I've a wife, a baby and a perfectly house-trained dog...)

Interesting attitude.

Does you wife have any thoughts on what sort of community she'd like to live in? Will she be job-hunting at some point - if so, where do you think she might find work, and how does that affect your commuting decisions?

keano442

unJustMary wrote: »

Interesting attitude.

Does you wife have any thoughts on what sort of community she'd like to live in? Will she be job-hunting at some point - if so, where do you think she might find work, and how does that affect your commuting decisions?

The wife is taking a few years off to look after babs so commute-wise it's just me. She doesn't want to be stuck out in the country on her own, so if we can't get any place in Oranmore somewhere like Ballybrit could be perfect...

Acoshla

Hiya,

For a while recently I was living in Ballinasloe and driving to Oranmore everyday to work, it was ok, the drive was grand, 35 minutes each way, but the petrol and toll costs were cruel. Also, Ballinasloe is ridiculously boring, stay near Galway!

unJustMary

keano442 wrote: »

The wife is taking a few years off to look after babs so commute-wise it's just me. She doesn't want to be stuck out in the country on her own, so if we can't get any place in Oranmore somewhere like Ballybrit could be perfect...

Glad to hear that.

If Ballybrit doesn't work, consider Doughiksa or Roscam. Some good deals to be had in those neighborhoods if you negotiate. Good public transport, close enough to town, and your commute would be opposite to most traffic.

?Cee?view

You could also look a bit closer to town - Renmore.

A very established area - most houses there around 40 years old. Plenty of amenities and easy access to town and Oranmore.

?Cee?view

Whatever you do, don't be tempted to live on the west side of Galway if you're working in Oranmore.

Galway has some of the worst traffic (if not the worst) in Ireland. There's no bypass, so living to the West of Galway or in its western suburbs could add easily an hour to an hour and a half to your commute to Oranmore every day.

AutumnComission

I live in Claregalway - I cant believe it hasn't been suggested before now. Its ideal for someone working in Oranmore. Its just a matter of flying tru Carnmore and straight through the roundabouts. I have friends over there and its a doddle. Claregalway is a beautiful village and I work in a creche one day a week here too. There is a brilliant community spirit with local markets, parent and toddler events etc. Hughes Supermarket is as good as any other SuperValue and Briarhill is also only in the road do you have a Dunnes there. I live in a newly built 4 bed bungalow just outside the village and pay €650 per month. It doesn't compare to places we have lived before whatsoever. My mate is also living in the village in a 4bed semi and pays €650 pm too. That's pretty average around here but I'm sure if you bargain, you will bring em down. Can't recommend it enough. Hope I helped!