Location, location -Maynooth V Celbridge V Leixlip

yellow hen

We are currently looking to move house and are looking at areas that although may be very suitable, are nonetheless areas that we don’t know very well.

Our key criteria for location are
1. Access to good primary and secondary schools.
2. Access to local amenities, shops etc.
3. A sense of community. This is somewhere where we want to bed down roots so a sense of belonging is really important. Local clubs such as GAA etc would be somewhat important
4. Commutability to Dublin. I need access to the M50 (hopefully at slightly offpeak times) and my husband needs to get to the city. Preferably on the Maynooth train line as he needs to get to Drumcondra.

Maynooth has always been the frontrunner for location but the cost and availability of suitability housing is a real difficulty. We are now expanding our search to Celbridge, Leixlip and although not ideal to Straffan, Sallins and Naas also.

I would be really interested in feedback from people who know any of the above areas having lived there or still currently living there.

Staplor

Leixlip is on the Maynooth train line and you get more for your money housewise in Leixlip.

I like living in Maynooth though. Given the choice of those if I had to leave Maynooth for the other 2, I'd side with Leixlip for the ease of commuting.

The Mulk

If commuting is your number 1 priority I think you need to be on the Maynooth train line ideally, if you want to commute without a car to Drumcondra every day, so that narrows it down to Maynooth or Leixlip.
If you move anywhere else you will need to drive to the train station and pay for parking.

I live in Celbridge and have friends in Maynooth and Leixlip and that all are well settled and actively involved in the local sports teams and community (some more so than others)

I've no feedback about the schools in these areas, but can only say good things about the one my boys attend in Celbridge, we have them in the local athletics and football clubs, and you meet a lot of people this way, along with attending the montessori and school.

I've a sister in Naas and they love it, although their commute is tiny to work each day, and you'll certainly get more house for your money than compared to the other 3 towns you originally mentioned.

Raminahobbin

I am from Celbridge, living in Maynooth, with friends from Leixlip.

Maynooth, all the way. If you can't do Maynooth, then Leixlip has much better transport into the City. Several buses, and all the trains. The lack of a decent supermarket in the town would irritate me though. At least Celbridge has Tesco/Supervalu/Aldi AND Lidl. And to be honest, the transport thing never bothered me growing up. I think the schools in Celbridge are brill (have experience with Aghards, then St. Wolstans and Salesians- all excellent schools).

Obviously you want the best possible town for what you can afford, but Celbridge and Leixlip are on a par. One has better transport, the other has better facilities. If your husband needed to use the train, and you lived in Celbridge, it's only a few mins to the Lousia Bridge train station by car..

yellow hen

Thanks so much for the replies. To be clear commuting is on a par with the area being family friendly. To date, neither of us have fallen for Leixlip..there doesnt appear to be much heart or soul in the village and I just can't imagine us bedding down there. If Celbridge was a better option, we wouldnt rule out the OH driving backwards to Leixlip to get the train from there.

Our hearts are in maynooth but we're trying to rationalise, at what point do you compromise on the size of your home to live in a better area?

Staplor

You need to be realistic about what you need, my bro has himself they wife and 3 kids in a regular sized 3bed semi d. My sister has 3 kids in a 5 bed. Whilst my bro would like to move the kids love the town and the house so he can't move.

The thread title is location, buy the house that you think is the best for you. I drive past one house that was great value and I'm so happy I didn't buy it.

yellow hen

Staplor wrote: »

You need to be realistic about what you need, my bro has himself they wife and 3 kids in a regular sized 3bed semi d. My sister has 3 kids in a 5 bed. Whilst my bro would like to move the kids love the town and the house so he can't move.

The thread title is location, buy the house that you think is the best for you. I drive past one house that was great value and I'm so happy I didn't buy it.

I hear you. Bedrooms are actually quite far down the list. A house that we feel comfortable in with a little sun and a decent garden will suffice. We're coming from a 2 up/down so we have learned to live in a small space.

Orion

Maynooth has a great community feel. Good schools, active GAA, rugby, soccer, cricket clubs. All the major supermarkets. Good pubs. Commuting links: the train is a very good service - especially at peak - and two city bound bus routes. Also a hopper to the airport which also goes through Leixlip. Cost will be your barrier though - prices in Maynooth are quite high in comparison to other towns.

Moonbeam

We choose Maynooth for many of the reasons that you mentioned above.
We did have school place issues but they eventually got resolved.
I love the sense of community here,I love the fact that everything is within walking distance,I love that we are beside the M4 and multiple bus and train routes,I love the walks and that it is still a small town but has all the amenities that we need though I still want a cinema and swimming pool!

Riskymove

Orion wrote: »

Maynooth has a great community feel. Good schools, active GAA, rugby, soccer, cricket clubs. All the major supermarkets. Good pubs. Commuting links: the train is a very good service - especially at peak - and two city bound bus routes. Also a hopper to the airport which also goes through Leixlip. Cost will be your barrier though - prices in Maynooth are quite high in comparison to other towns.

Maynooth has a great community feel. Good schools, active GAA, rugby, soccer, cricket clubs. All the major supermarkets. Good pubs. Commuting links: the train is a very good service - especially at peak - and two city bound bus routes. Also a hopper to the airport which also goes through Leixlip. Cost will be your barrier though - prices in Maynooth are quite high in comparison to other towns.

TBH living in Celbridge we have exactly the same things (except maybe a cricket team!)

I am of the view that there isn't much between any of the towns

The commute to Drumcondra may make the Maynooth line more of an option but there is also a plan to open then loop line this year meaning you can soon go from Hazelhatch into Drumcondra

L1011

That's likely pushed to 2016 now and will be a few trains a day at first. Not something to rely on coming soon!

Staplor

Sure there's a Dart coming to Maynooth!

The Mulk

Have you looked at Dunboyne?

They've trains into Drumcondra, I haven't a clue about the area but it looks nice from the times i've visited it.

Moonbeam

Dunboyne is nice,has lovely houses and a similar population to Maynooth and has good schools but there is nothing there.

The Mulk

Moonbeam wrote: »

Dunboyne is nice,has lovely houses and a similar population to Maynooth and has good schools but there is nothing there.

True, you'd be travelling to Blanch for all you shopping, but you'd be nearer to a Penny's

Riskymove

Staplor wrote: »

Sure there's a Dart coming to Maynooth!

and to Hazelhatch...with added underground link!!:)

Moonbeam

The Mulk wrote: »

True, you'd be travelling to Blanch for all you shopping, but you'd be nearer to a Penny's

I would love Pennys to be nearer to me:)

The Mulk

Moonbeam wrote: »

I would love Pennys to be nearer to me:)

Liffey Valley soon!(I don't know how soon)

I usually head to Newbridge for Pennys, although all my family are in Kill/Naas so I get the clothes shopping and family visits done in one go:pac:

L1011

The Mulk wrote: »

Have you looked at Dunboyne?

They've trains into Drumcondra, I haven't a clue about the area but it looks nice from the times i've visited it.

You need to transfer as the direct trains skip Drumcondra. Can add up to about half an hour a day in the rain in clonsilla

I do the reverse for Docklands to Maynooth and it's fine in Summer, terrible all winter

AndersLimpar

Would you consider Clane? We were like you and were debating Naas or Maynooth for access to Dublin and for whatever reason ended up in Clane!! Have to say it was a great decision though. Absolutely lovely village with all amenities and shops you need. M7 and M4 both about 10 mins away. Trains to Heuston and Connolly also both about 10 mins away. Bus to Dublin every 20 mins in the morning and evening that takes <1hr. My one complaint is that it is awkward/expensive to get home from Dublin on a night out.

Paranoid Mandroid

AndersLimpar wrote: »

. My one complaint is that it is awkward/expensive to get home from Dublin on a night out.

Anders, how do you get home from Dublin city after a night out? cheers

Staplor

Going to Maynooth from Dublin, a taxi is €40 if you get it on the south side of the quays.

Other than that you can ask for fare and negotiate. Some taxi drivers will go for it, some won't. The meter is the max they can charge you, they can charge less if they want to. I know that the wife was in Dublin, and the taxi man agreed €50 to Maynooth, and then to drop someone else to Enfield. That was a ridiculously low price though.

Riskymove

Paranoid Mandroid wrote: »

Anders, how do you get home from Dublin city after a night out? cheers

Nitelinks operate Friday and Saturday

Paranoid Mandroid

Riskymove wrote: »

Nitelinks operate Friday and Saturday

cheers but that was about getting to Clane. I don't think there are nitelinks to Clane, or are there?

Riskymove

Paranoid Mandroid wrote: »

cheers but that was about getting to Clane. I don't think there are nitelinks to Clane, or are there?

oh sorry....well at least a Nitelink to Celbridge or Maynooth and then a taxi would be far cheaper than a taxi direct to Clane

Talula_d

Maybe kilcock? We have moved here and although neither of us travel to the city centre, our new next door neighbour travels each morning and seems not to mind it, we love the area and relatives of our live here and have their kids in Scoil Riada and i have heard it's a great school, we would however shop in Maynooth and kilcock, usually Lidl in kilcock, aldi and Dunnes in Maynooth( both on the kilcock road), we had also being looking at your other choices but the house was right for us, we were slightly out of by Maynooth for two reasons- traffic and students! Also we found for our money we got far better by moving to kilcock rather than Maynooth.

AndersLimpar

Paranoid Mandroid wrote: »

Anders, how do you get home from Dublin city after a night out? cheers

I dont!! I usually just book a cheap room in town and stay there as it's cheaper/similar price to getting a taxi home and a lot less hassle!

When I used to go home to Clane I would get the Bus Eireann nitelink to Clane or get the Dublin Bus nitelink to Celbridge and then get a taxi from there.

I dont get out much anymore (kids, older!!) so I couldnt be dealing with the hassle and time it takes with buses and taxis so just stay in town now.

Hellrazer

Originally lived in Celbridge but moved to Maynooth 7 years ago.
Would much prefer Maynooth.I commuted to City Centre for 5 years.The drive isn't too bad--allow an hour (except if theres a crash on the N4 then all bets are off) and if the weather is bad like the snow a few years back-Train to Connolly or Drumcondra and youre sorted.
Schools are in my opinion much better in Maynooth.We`ve a range from 6 up to 17 and the schools have been great.
Pub / restaurant wise Maynooth is miles ahead..loads of new restaurants have opened in the last couple of years and if youre still young at heart then you can fall out of the Roost or Mantra(well the cathedral when it reopens)

For the late nights in Dublin you have a nitelink for a fiver that brings you home aswell..ok they all have that but it is one thing we based our move on..Taxis from Dublin are expensive.

Corruptedmorals

I live in Leixlip and am very familiar with the other two. Community wise, I wouldn't say there's much between them, they all have a lot of facilities, groups, sports clubs, amenities etc. Maynooth would be the most social with the college. Celbridge would be the most awkward of the 3 as mentioned since it's the only one not on the Maynooth train line. Maynooth itself often has traffic build-up outside of and through the village even at times outside of rush hour, which can be annoying unless you can go an alternative route.

yellow hen

Thanks for all the replies. Despite positive comments for other towns/villages, Maynooth still wins out. We're at a point of location v House sq.footage and right now the location is still winning.

In terms of location in maynooth, would the area around Beaufield, Castle Dawson etc be the best location for access to train, motorway and all primary schools (we don't know yet which we'll be going to)?

Moonbeam

Castle Dawson is quite far from the motorway and the train.
Beaufield,Maynooth Park,Parklands,Silkenvale,Rockfield are all within a few minutes of the train.
The primary schools are spread out,The Gaelscoil and Educate Together are on the Celbridge Road,the other 2 are the other side of town but Maynooth isn't exactly big so it is a about 15-20 minutes walk from the Gaelscoil to the girls school.
If you have kids and their names are not down in the schools on the Celbridge Road already just be aware the waiting lists are 4-5 years long.