Dublin lad thinking of moving to Sligo

AskMyChocolate

Anywhere except for Enniscrone.:pac:

Okay, so having taken on board all the comments from my previous thread it seems that Enniscrone could be a very lonely place. From my thread in AH it seems that Lahinch is turning into a total kip. The most common advice has been to move to Sligo town and commute to Strandhill if surfing is what you want. Anyway, to fill people in on a couple of my personal details,(without making the world a present of my business) I have an invalidity pension, am entitled to rent allowance, but don't drive.
Any advice on where in Sligo town is nice (maybe all) or if there are any particular estates I should stay away from would be greatly appreciated.
Also, would I be allowed take a surfboard on the bus?
My budget for rent is about €500 p/m. And if anybody knows anyone in any of the local auctioneers/letting agencies who they would consider trustworthy I would appreciate the info.

Thanks again everyone (except StarBelgrade :P) for all your help. Go Sligo!

Chocolate

P.S. Could anyone recommend a cheap hostel as I would like to spend a couple of days checking places out before I make a more permanent arrangement.

Thanks

Chocolate

EverEvolving

Are you looking for a house or apartment or not fussed? Sharing or want your own place? Asking this as it will be tough to get a place on your own for €500 pcm but not impossible.

The Strandhill road area is probably the best - it's close to town, the bus station and on the road to where you want to be. Rusheen Ard, Caltragh, Knocknaganny area is quite nice and on the bus route, 10 - 15 minutes walk from town, even nicer again is the Cleveragh Road, Ardcairn and Woodtown Lodge areas.

Rathbraughan, Garavogue Villas and some areas of Cranmore have had a bad rep but it really depends where you are in those estates as some parts are quite nice. Also, around the college and hospital areas are student laden so quite prone to ususal student antics.

Try getting a copy of the Sligo Champion to get all the local landlord advertisments for accomadation, I have always found direct landlords to be cheaper than letting agencies. Oates Brehony is a reputable one.
http://www.obg.ie/Internal_search.aspx?pMode=R&PR=0&HT=0&Ar=0

Never had to bring a surfboard on the bus but I'm sure someone has at somestage :pac:

Good luck!

CityMan2010

IMO a wise move...you can always move out to Enniscrone in time, as beautiful a place as it is, I think it would be too big a change.

The back packers hostel in Strandhill called Knocknarea House should do the trick...google and you'll get address. You can network there with like minded folk/surfers...

To be honest...do you need auctioneers nowadays? there are more than enough apartments up for rent...

The Spar in strandhill always has notices up for places to rent/people to share. I am sure one of boards.ies will kept you posted if you need that.

Also, Ring the Housing Department in Quay Street and register on the housing list...from my knowledge and experience, you stand a very good chance of being offered a range of brand spanking new apartments for very little...

AskMyChocolate

EverEvolving wrote: »

Are you looking for a house or apartment or not fussed? Sharing or want your own place? Asking this as it will be tough to get a place on your own for €500 pcm but not impossible.

The Strandhill road area is probably the best - it's close to town, the bus station and on the road to where you want to be. Rusheen Ard, Caltragh, Knocknaganny area is quite nice and on the bus route, 10 - 15 minutes walk from town, even nicer again is the Cleveragh Road, Ardcairn and Woodtown Lodge areas.

Rathbraughan, Garavogue Villas and some areas of Cranmore have had a bad rep but it really depends where you are in those estates as some parts are quite nice. Also, around the college and hospital areas are student laden so quite prone to ususal student antics.

Try getting a copy of the Sligo Champion to get all the local landlord advertisments for accomadation, I have always found direct landlords to be cheaper than letting agencies. Oates Brehony is a reputable one.
http://www.obg.ie/Internal_search.aspx?pMode=R&PR=0&HT=0&Ar=0

Never had to bring a surfboard on the bus but I'm sure someone has at somestage :pac:

Good luck!

CityMan2010 wrote: »

IMO a wise move...you can always move out to Enniscrone in time, as beautiful a place as it is, I think it would be too big a change.

The back packers hostel in Strandhill called Knocknarea House should do the trick...google and you'll get address. You can network there with like minded folk/surfers...

To be honest...do you need auctioneers nowadays? there are more than enough apartments up for rent...

The Spar in strandhill always has notices up for places to rent/people to share. I am sure one of boards.ies will kept you posted if you need that.

Also, Ring the Housing Department in Quay Street and register on the housing list...from my knowledge and experience, you stand a very good chance of being offered a range of brand spanking new apartments for very little...

Thanks a million lads for all the excellent advice and kind wishes. I will follow up on all of it. I'll PM ye next week when I know which day(s) I'm going to be in Sligo so ye can organise a prior engagement if I start a "Lonely in Sligo" thread.:)

TequilaMockingBird

Check out daft.ie and the bus route from town to Strandhill. There will be no problem bringing surf board on the bus I would imagine, it's usually mainly empty.

http://www.daft.ie/searchrental.daft?id=999271 This is €500 a month, 2 bed though. It's on a busy road, but a great spot, very central but not beside pubs/chippys etc. They look nice too, I was tempted myself a few years ago.

Look at places and come back here and check if the areas are okay with us.

Avoid Cranmore.

saywhatyousee

i would avoid any estate north of the garavouge lots of students in these estates and they can get quite rowdy

Conor Bourke

Cranmore and Garavogue villas aren't really that bad any more, I lived between both for 2 years and still visit friends there at least once a month. Very little hassle or bother there any more as far as I know.

If you're going to Caltragh/Rusheen Ard, make sure it's not crafty auctioneer-speak for New Caltragh, now THAT is a rough spot.

The student colonised estates (Mulberry Park, Elm Park, Rathbraughan, anything north of the IT/Sligo General in fact) should be avoided like the plague- poor bus service, bad quality houses, noisy neighbours. Having said that, Cartron used to be a student hot-bed but the arse fell out of that market when the likes of Yeat's Village etc opened closer to the IT. As far as I'm aware many of the houses in Cartron have been renovated from the student dives that they once were, so it could be worth a look also. Avondale, Ballytivnan, Glendallon would probably be no-go areas.

Pearse Road and up onto Cairns hill are also nice areas (Markievicz Heights, Heather View, Greenfort, Woodtown Lodge, Ardcairn, Ferndale).

Strandhill Road might be the handiest for you all though it might also be the more expensive. Maybe you might find something in Treacy Avenue/Jinks Avenue/Maugheraboy (I used to work in a house in Maugheraboy doing sleep-overs every week, it seemed ok but I don't know much about it so if it's a no-no, feel free to enlighten me anyone).

Best of luck with your search!

TequilaMockingBird

This is the web-cam on top of the Surf Shop in Strandhill.
http://strandhillsurf.eu/page/surf_forecast

There's probably somewhere you could store your surf board out there, might be worth looking into.

The White House Hostel is in the centre of town, but also beside the bus stop you need for Strandhill.

UrbanSea

That link tequilamockingbird sent to the house on Pearse Road is a good one. Literally 2 minute walk to the centre of town

EverEvolving

UrbanSea wrote: »

That link tequilamockingbird sent to the house on Pearse Road is a good one. Literally 2 minute walk to the centre of town

Agreed, really nice apartments too, just make sure you get a bedroom at the back of the house as the traffic on Pearse road can be noisy - I've lived on it!

AgileMyth

You can leave the board in the Surf Club out in Strandhill if you're taking the bus in and out. Think you just pay your membership for the year.

Theres always loads of places to rent around the place, I'd recommend the Strandhill road side of town if you can find something.

high horse

I would avoid Rusheen Ard in Caltragh unless you enjoy knowing exactly what your neighbours are up to! I lived there for just over a year and the sound proofing in these timber framed houses is terrible

AskMyChocolate

Heh lads, thanks for all the info. I didn't realise that my rent allowance would be significantly less if I chose to move to Sligo. You have to cut your cloth etc. So, rather than start a new thread, does anyone have good or bad stories about Ballymote/Colloney?

I seem to be getting farther away from the sea as I type.:(


I'd leave Drumcondra alone. There's a certain tinker element there.:pac:

TequilaMockingBird

What do you think your budget will be?

EverEvolving

Daft and Estate Agents will have the highest prices but if you get the The Sligo Champion newspaper the local landlords will have advertisments there and they are considerably cheaper so you could well find something suitable there. Also, haggle a bit with them, if they haven't had a tenent in a while, they will be desperate to get someone in - any rent is better than no rent.

Collooney is closer to Sligo than Ballymote with much better roads and the public transport is better. It's still a good 15 minute drive though. It's a pretty ok place to live as far as I know.

Mint Sauce

Not sure about the surf board on the bus, there is good luggage and plenty of room (same bus serves airport), but can get quite crowded around the school run time.

Collooney is not that far from both Strandhill and Sligo Town centre. Straight run into the Town Centre via the duel carriage way, can then head out to Strandhill from there or take the senic route via Ballisodare.

Conor Bourke

Would Grange be worth a thought? Busy enough village, on the main line for buses, probably the same distance from town as Collooney but nearer Streedagh, Mullaghmore, Bundoran. Plenty of buses passing through, a few nice pubs, decent sized SuperValu.
Not sure what the rental market is like out there, but just thought I'd mention it!

AgileMyth

Have you tried Ballysadare? Its well linked with public transport and there should be plenty of vacant properties left over from the boom times.

I'd avoid Ballymote tbh, Colloneys grand though.

You're rent allowance may be less but your cost of living should be as well.

DULLAHAN2

TequilaMockingBird wrote: »

Check out daft.ie and the bus route from town to Strandhill. There will be no problem bringing surf board on the bus I would imagine, it's usually mainly empty.

http://www.daft.ie/searchrental.daft?id=999271 This is €500 a month, 2 bed though. It's on a busy road, but a great spot, very central but not beside pubs/chippys etc. They look nice too, I was tempted myself a few years ago.

Look at places and come back here and check if the areas are okay with us.

Avoid Cranmore.

I know of a couple that lived in those when they were first built and weren't very impressed. but that was then.

shanec1928

people get real... public transport is shocking here and it is not well serviced bar maybe town to Strandhill and Rosses Point after that forget about it especially if the op cant drive. your best bet would be to try strandhill and if thats out of your budget then try town but anywhere after that and you will be spending a lot of time waiting on a very unreliable service. that has had the number of route cut.

MoveOverSeamie

Cairns Rd, Strandhill Rd are nice areas to live. No UPC Cable/Broadband in Rusheen Ard/Caltragh area.

edolan

forza rovers wrote: »

people get real... public transport is shocking here and it is not well serviced bar maybe town to Strandhill and Rosses Point after that forget about it especially if the op cant drive. your best bet would be to try strandhill and if thats out of your budget then try town but anywhere after that and you will be spending a lot of time waiting on a very unreliable service. that has had the number of route cut.

Grange's bus service is good as well what with all the buses going to Sligo from Donegal and Derry, I would say the bus service to Colloney isn't too bad as the buses to and from Dublin stop there, wouldn't be too sure about else where.

piddles

Speaking from experience... and what i said on the other thread.
Follow your dream if its the sea you want go to the sea... even if its just for a few months. We tend to live life so cautiously... too cautiously.

FoxyVixen

I'd suggest Collooney. Alot of my friends live out there and the estates are nice and quiet. Mostly "new" families with small kids so busy at Hallowe'en night My friends are all in nice four bed houses paying around E500/month, looking in The Sligo Champion is best I think, though some adverts on daft.ie

In regards to transport, the bus services are pretty dire, but they do run. And the train runs through Collooney so ya can hop into town and get the bus to strandhill. Check out train times on irishrail.ie they do run more often than in the past. Once ya get settled getting to know a nice taxi man always helps And by getting in with the surf crowd, transport would become less of an issue I'm sure

Ballymote is on the train line too but it is farther out. Once settled round Sligo ya might want a few nights out in town and to get back to Ballymote would be a hassle. My cousins live there and it is a sound wee town, fairly tight knit. Wouldn't have bad thing to say bout it except perhaps the rat-tails the boys seem to be sporting these days :rolleyes:

piddles

I was thinking (i know your getting loads of good advice here)
Ballisodare would be a good option because a. you got supervalu which is a decent shop. b. your on the bus route to enniscrone and sligo and it is ok bringing your surf board on the bus. c. While living in the sticks and near the sea is great it can be quite alienating unless you own a car, but if you don't mind solitude then thats not an issue. anyways the locals out enniscrone direction are very friendly and perhaps nosey but in a good way.

I've seen houses/apartments for rent in ballisodare on daft for 500 p/m and in this day i'm sure you would be able to get a few pound of that price.