Buying in Ballycullen - What do you think?

Dapos

Hi all,

My wife and I are house hunting at the moment and have been looking at a number of areas. Would love to find somewhere in Rathfarnham/Knocklyon but seems out of our budget. We have been looking at Ballycullen (around WoodDale) and it seems to tick a lot of our boxes, including house price.

However, we don't really know the area that well. Looking for people's opinons on the area. So a few questions:

- Are there any areas to avoid? Is there any antisocial behaviour? What about the WoodDale area in particular?
- what are the facilities like in the area? (Buses, shops, gym, cafes, restaurants, creches/childminders)
- What is traffic like in the morning? Both of us will need to travel the M50 (northbound and southbound)
- is Wooddale in the catchment area for most primary schools and what are the better schools? Are there good feeder secondary schools?


Appreciate any advice.

Thanks,

Tabnabs

If you do a search OP, this area has been discussed in detail many times.

super_furry

I rented there for a couple of years - nice area but traffic can be absolute murder.

Dapos

Tabnabs wrote: »

If you do a search OP, this area has been discussed in detail many times.

Appreciate that and I've read a lot of them but I'm thinking about buying a house here so I was looking for up to date information.

Again, any help appreciated.

Keane2baMused

Ballycullen in general is a nice area. Good schools in the area (st colmcilles in knocklyon in particular)

There are plenty of shops and pubs in around D16 (Supervalu is the main one)

You have the 15/15b bus route. The 49/65b goes from the Firhouse road which links in with Ballycullen right into dublin city . 75 goes from Tallaght to Dun Laoghaire.

Lots of options for childcare also in the area.

seamus

Dapos wrote: »

- Are there any areas to avoid? Is there any antisocial behaviour? What about the WoodDale area in particular?

Wooddale itself is pretty settled, it's around 20 years old at this stage.
Daletree to the south has its few issues - primarily stemming from traveller accommodation in Daletree court. But so long as you're a bit away from there you won't encounter many issues.

- what are the facilities like in the area? (Buses, shops, gym, cafes, restaurants, creches/childminders)

There's a small little shopping centre at Parklands court. The chinese there is awful. The pub isn't bad, a little rough the odd time, but generally pretty quiet. The shop is a spar. There's another shopping centre on the far side at Woodstown. For doing a bigger shop, there's a LIDL and a Superquinn/Valu not far away.
No gyms, no restaurants (I wouldn't count the chinese at parklands) in walking distance. Bus service is good if you walk around to the Ballycullen Rd, every 10/15 minutes during weekdays.

- What is traffic like in the morning? Both of us will need to travel the M50 (northbound and southbound)

Leave before 7:30 and you'll be fine.

- is Wooddale in the catchment area for most primary schools and what are the better schools? Are there good feeder secondary schools?

It's in the catchment area for the Firhouse schools. So you've Holy Rosary Primary and Firhouse Community College.
This is the main reason we moved out of the area.

Keane2baMused

seamus wrote: »

Wooddale itself is pretty settled, it's around 20 years old at this stage.
Daletree to the south has its few issues - primarily stemming from traveller accommodation in Daletree court. But so long as you're a bit away from there you won't encounter many issues.
There's a small little shopping centre at Parklands court. The chinese there is awful. The pub isn't bad, a little rough the odd time, but generally pretty quiet. The shop is a spar. There's another shopping centre on the far side at Woodstown. For doing a bigger shop, there's a LIDL and a Superquinn/Valu not far away.
No gyms, no restaurants (I wouldn't count the chinese at parklands) in walking distance. Bus service is good if you walk around to the Ballycullen Rd, every 10/15 minutes during weekdays.

Leave before 7:30 and you'll be fine.
It's in the catchment area for the Firhouse schools. So you've Holy Rosary Primary and Firhouse Community College.
This is the main reason we moved out of the area.

There is the China House beside supervalu in Firhouse which does great food and Also the Speaker Connolly pub food is very nice.

Scholars pub is fine have never seen any trouble.

Also the secondary schools such as Our Ladys in Templeogue and Presentation in Terenure (for girls) or Templeogue/ Terenure college (for the lads) are where many in the area attend and all are good schools.

Digs

Dapos wrote: »

Hi all,

My wife and I are house hunting at the moment and have been looking at a number of areas. Would love to find somewhere in Rathfarnham/Knocklyon but seems out of our budget. We have been looking at Ballycullen (around WoodDale) and it seems to tick a lot of our boxes, including house price.

However, we don't really know the area that well. Looking for people's opinons on the area. So a few questions:

- Are there any areas to avoid? Is there any antisocial behaviour? What about the WoodDale area in particular?
- what are the facilities like in the area? (Buses, shops, gym, cafes, restaurants, creches/childminders)
- What is traffic like in the morning? Both of us will need to travel the M50 (northbound and southbound)
- is Wooddale in the catchment area for most primary schools and what are the better schools? Are there good feeder secondary schools?


Appreciate any advice.

Thanks,

If in budget the estates Carriglea/Carrigwood/Monalea over the other side of the ballycullen road to me are a better option. They are a quieter, older more settled estated.

The supervalu within this estate serves its purpose, small but has the essentials, there are two chippers, cafe (not worth rating really), two hairdressers, a barber, dry cleaners, bookies, butchers and a vet. The speaker Connolly pub is here also, very friendly staff and excellent food, not a beautiful building but again does the job. Five minutes up the road the supervalu in knocklyon is a much better option for the weekly shop.

There are two new schools built within the carriglea estate (bit of a bone of contention with the residents) as it seems to be built to serve the majority of the people living in the ballycullen area across the road. One is a gaelscoil and one is an educate together.

The schools issue is the main reason we are moving to Rathfarnham/dundrum. Colmcilles in knocklyon for example catchment area does not include firhouse/ballycullen children even though it extends to the far side of Rathfarnham/Rockbrook.

The bus services are great in my opinion. 49 runs from Tallaght through carriglea/Carrigwood and then into dame street. The 15 runs from ballycullen every 10mins or so hitting rathmines/Camden street and the 65b runs from city west, down the knocklyon road and through rathmines/Camden street etc.

It's a nice, settled, quiet area all in all. Facilities for children could be much better though. No playgrounds really to speak of except for one small one opposite scholars pub although there are plenty open green fields to play in.

Digs

Sorry I should add there is a fantastic montessori in the ballycullen shopping centre called the learning curve, it's upstairs.

The traffic in the morning has calmed a good bit but again you'd want to be hitting the road before abou 7:50am. Coming from ballycullen out of woodstown etc turning right to get to the M50 is usually jammed but does move quick enough.

Keane2baMused

Killakee is another estate which is older but very settled and quiet (know people living there)

Dapos

seamus wrote: »

It's in the catchment area for the Firhouse schools. So you've Holy Rosary Primary and Firhouse Community College.
This is the main reason we moved out of the area.

Hi Seamus,

Just on this, what is the problem with the schools? Education is important to us so we are try to get an honest opinion of the schools.

Cheers for the post by the way.

Dapos

Digs wrote: »

There are two new schools built within the carriglea estate (bit of a bone of contention with the residents) as it seems to be built to serve the majority of the people living in the ballycullen area across the road. One is a gaelscoil and one is an educate together.

The schools issue is the main reason we are moving to Rathfarnham/dundrum. Colmcilles in knocklyon for example catchment area does not include firhouse/ballycullen children even though it extends to the far side of Rathfarnham/Rockbrook.

Hi Digs,

Just wondering if you have any more info on the gaelscoil and educate together or any other primary schools? We are interested in a Gaelscoil but obviously we would like to have access to a good school regardless of the kind of school.

From your post, I get the impression the schools in area aren't great. Just looking for an honest opinion, we don't know the area that well.

Keane2baMused

Dapos wrote: »

Hi Seamus,

Just on this, what is the problem with the schools? Education is important to us so we are try to get an honest opinion of the schools.

Cheers for the post by the way.

Holy Rosary isn't the only primary school in the catchment.

There is also Scoil Carmel and Scoil treasa primary schools which are both fine. There is also a gael scoil in ballycullen called Gael Scoil Na Guise AND an educate together school which I have heard are both excellent.

Firhouse Community school I would personally avoid (and also Sancta Maria) but any of the previously mentioned secondary schools are good.

Digs

Dapos wrote: »

Hi Digs,

Just wondering if you have any more info on the gaelscoil and educate together or any other primary schools? We are interested in a Gaelscoil but obviously we would like to have access to a good school regardless of the kind of school.

From your post, I get the impression the schools in area aren't great. Just looking for an honest opinion, we don't know the area that well.

Sorry I probably did come across on the negative side! Bare in mind my daughter is almost 3 and #2 is on the way so I've no first hand experience of the schools, just information I've gathered and I've also learned a bit about catchments as we are currently trying to enrol #1.

The recently built educate together and gaelscoil are temporary buildings, prefabs in fact. As I mentioned they were heavily protested against by some of the residents so I'm not too sure what will happen with permanent buildings. The schools themselves are only new so no info on how good they are.

There is a gaelscoil in knocklyon - Chnoc Liamha. It's about ten minutes from ballycullen area. A colleague of mines daughter is there and while she has no major complaints the school is quite small. Firhouse anyway is within the catchment not too sure about ballycullen.

Another one is Scoil Carmel on the firhouse road. A catholic primary, a lot of the children in carriglea/kilakee would attend. My mum is a primary teacher and a colleague of hers attended this school herself and in her own words wouldn't send her children to it, I'm sure some would disagree as everyones opinion is different. Her preference would be Colmcilles in knocklyon but again firhouse/ballycullen doesn't fall into their catchment. Holy rosary school I have no info on, my sister in law lives beside it and decided to send her daughter to a school in Rathfarnham instead.

As for secondaries I don't think firhouse community college rates. You'd be looking at templeogue/Terenure or the other direction Rathfarnham etc

Our issue is also logistical, I work in town and my husband Rathfarnham so it suits us for dropping etc to have her on his route to work. Aside from this we are both from Rathfarnham so would like to get back up there, even though it's only up the road.

I really only have good things to say about the area aside from the above. It's settled, friendly, no antisocial behaviour in our end and a nice community feel. We bought five years ago and have been very happy here, it's just time for us to take the next step.

Hope the above was somewhat of help to you!

Digs

Keane2baMused wrote: »

Holy Rosary isn't the only primary school in the catchment.

There is also Scoil Carmel and Scoil treasa primary schools which are both fine. There is also a gael scoil in ballycullen called Gael Scoil Na Guise AND an educate together school which I have heard are both excellent.

Firhouse Community school I would personally avoid (and also Sancta Maria) but any of the previously mentioned secondary schools are good.

Gael Scoil na guise is in carriglea/firhouse along with the educate together. They are the recent new builds.

Dial Hard

Digs wrote:

Gael Scoil na guise is in carriglea/firhouse along with the educate together. They are the recent new builds.

Also, I'm pretty sure the reason they were "heavily protested" by the locals, as Digs put it, was because they were being built on a much-loved local green space. Nothing to do with the ethos of the schools themselves, as far as I could see.

Digs

Dial Hard wrote: »

Also, I'm pretty sure the reason they were "heavily protested" by the locals, as Digs put it, was because they were being built on a much-loved local green space. Nothing to do with the ethos of the schools themselves, as far as I could see.

Absolutely, I was one of them

Keane2baMused

Digs wrote: »

Gael Scoil na guise is in carriglea/firhouse along with the educate together. They are the recent new builds.

Gael scoil Na Guise is right beside firhouse community centre (on ballycullen drive as I was saying), not in the estates.

Digs

Keane2baMused wrote: »

Gael scoil Na Guise is right beside firhouse community centre, not in the estates.

I live in in carriglea I can see the school from my house, I'm using it as a location reference point. Throw a rock from the school door and you hit a house in carriglea.

You had previously said it was in ballycullen, that's all I was pointing out.

Keane2baMused

Digs wrote: »

I live in in carriglea I can see the school from my house, I'm using it as a location reference point. Throw a rock from the school door and you hit a house in carriglea.

You had previously said it was in ballycullen, that's all I was pointing out.

I know, I live beside it. It's just important the OP understands exactly where it is as it's not actually in any estate but off a relatively busy road (in the mornings specifically) and there isn't much in the way of parking for the school.

OP at the end of the day you have to go with your gut. There will be downsides to every area. Ballycullen all in all is a nice place to live and there's no reason your family wouldn't be happy there. Best of luck whatever you decide.

jayjay2010

I rented in Wood Dale Close for a year and a half. I thought it was a very quiet area and felt very safe. The 15 bus into town is so handy and its only a 5 minute walk away. I would definitely buy there as it is good value. Only issue is traffic, it would take me 40mins + to get the the Square in the mornings if I didn't leave before 8.10am

Dapos

Thanks to everyone for all the great advise. It's helping us a lot. A good few people have mentioned St. Colmcilles in Knocklyon. I understand Ballycullen is outside the catchment area anyway but what makes it so much better that the rest? Would it not be a very large school?

Digs

Dapos wrote: »

Thanks to everyone for all the great advise. It's helping us a lot. A good few people have mentioned St. Colmcilles in Knocklyon. I understand Ballycullen is outside the catchment area anyway but what makes it so much better that the rest? Would it not be a very large school?

Yes you're correct it is very large, for me it's the better school in comparison to the rest in the area but still wouldn't be ideal for us.

It's a newer building, great facilities, good location and good staff, personally I think it's size is the negative aspect.

My brother attended there but it's over twenty years since he left!

ETA: these are only my opinions, to be fair the schools are fine, just not right for us, one or more could be perfect for you and your family. It might be worth while to take a drive around and visit them, even drop in to get a feel for the schools or ring and speak to the secretary.

Keane2baMused

St Colmcilles is an excellent school. I have personal experience of it so know first hand.

The size may put people off as yes it is huge but the school manage this extremely well. It runs like clockwork.

The facilities and faculty are brilliant and the benefit of its size allows the children access to resources that smaller schools may not.

Dapos

Digs wrote: »

Yes you're correct it is very large, for me it's the better school in comparison to the rest in the area but still wouldn't be ideal for us.

It's a newer building, great facilities, good location and good staff, personally I think it's size is the negative aspect.

My brother attended there but it's over twenty years since he left!

ETA: these are only my opinions, to be fair the schools are fine, just not right for us, one or more could be perfect for you and your family. It might be worth while to take a drive around and visit them, even drop in to get a feel for the schools or ring and speak to the secretary.

Thanks again

seamus

Dapos wrote: »

Hi Seamus,

Just on this, what is the problem with the schools? Education is important to us so we are try to get an honest opinion of the schools.

Cheers for the post by the way.

There's no problem with the schools really.

Holy Rosary is classed as a disadvantage school. As a result it's one of the best resourced schools in the country, but it mean it also has breakfast programmes and things like that. While I'm sure plenty of successful people have and do come out of the school, at the end of the day the disadvantaged kids are going to take the lion's share of staff attention. It's the one thing I'm unashamedly snobby about.

I'm sure the rest of the schools are fine - Scoil Carmel, etc. But we don't know them at all. Don't know anyone who went there, don't know anyone who sent their kids to them. So we have zero frame of reference for determining whether they're any good. And we also had the concern that our kids wouldn't get in there and would get bounced to Holy Rosary.
But I went to Colmcilles and we know hundreds of people who went there or to the other schools in that area, so we felt more comfortable knowing what those schools are like.

Though in reality we were mainly looking ahead to secondary school. Colmcille's post-primary is regarded as one of the best in the country and you won't get in there without being in the catchment area.

Dapos

Sorry to dig up an old post, just looking at houses in the Killakee area of Firhouse.

Seems a nice spot, anyone know these estates well?

Keane2baMused

Dapos wrote: »

Sorry to dig up an old post, just looking at houses in the Killakee area of Firhouse.

Seems a nice spot, anyone know these estates well?

I do, it's very quiet and settled, no problems that I know of!

Dapos

Keane2baMused wrote: »

I do, it's very quiet and settled, no problems that I know of!

Thanks

gandalf

Just to give an update to the Educate Together and Gaelscoil situation in Firhouse.

The Council granted planning permission for the schools late last year. This resulted in an appeal by some of the residents to An Bord Pleanála and their decision on this is due next week.

As a parent of a child in the Educate Together I can report the quality of education is extremely high and my son is very happy there. I have heard very good things about the Gaelscoil as well.

There is no traffic chaos at all. The schools have different start times and there is drop off parking at the front of the school and a dedicated car park at the back of the schools as well.

gandalf

Just coming back to update this. The Educate Together and Gaelscoil primary schools both got confirmation from ABP that the appeal against their planning permission failed. This means from September 2017 both schools will be in new permanent buildings and offers the parents of Firhouse additional choice for their children's education.