General Dunshaughlin news

Gonzo

right now I think Dunshaughlin really needs the following over the next few years, especially with all the new houses being built and in planning stage:

- A hotel with business conference setup, decent restaurant and a leisure centre with gym attached to it that locals can join up to.

- Two really good restaurants, one which is comfortable and cozy and not too expensive, with craft beers and a fairly extensive menu. The second restaurant would be more up an upmarket restaurant with a really good chef, the sort of place that gets 5 star reviews consistently on Trip Advisor.

- Dunshaughlin needs another decent pub, the only pub I really like is Carberrys but it is quite small, doesn't serve food other than pizza and doesn't really have craft beers. If we could have a decent size pub with 10 or 11 beers on tap, 5 normal ones and 5 craft beers e.g. Sierra Nevada, All Day IPA, Brewdog, that sort of beer. Something similar to the Black Wolf in Blanchardstown.

- Dunshaughlin really needs a decent coffee shop/lunch/deli place, something similar to the Centra in Ratoath.

- a healthy eating place like Chopped.

- a proper and competitive craft butcher like Gleesons. One with a large selection of meats, fish and special offers, run properly not like the ones that kept closing down near SuperValu.

- a proper off license with a world of choice. We had the wine barrel, but that sadly closed years ago, before the village expanded.

- A better and more on time bus service.

- A Garda station that is open 9 to 6 and not closed most of the time.

- we may eventually need a retail park, but that's a few years away from being any way profitable in a place like Dunshaughlin.

Metalpanic

There is a gym planned for The Willows next phase isn't there?

rizzee

Metalpanic wrote: »

There is a gym planned for The Willows next phase isn't there?

Was just about to say that - Yep - I've a mate who just moved in within the last 2 months and said it was planned. He's offered to run it too. I'll try update with any information I get on this.

Metalpanic

rizzee wrote: »

Was just about to say that - Yep - I've a mate who just moved in within the last 2 months and said it was planned. He's offered to run it too. I'll try update with any information I get on this.

Yeah that would be brilliant thanks rizzee. If it's a proper set up with a pool I would probably join. How is your friend finding The Willows? I know someone just waiting to move in.

rizzee

Metalpanic wrote: »

Yeah that would be brilliant thanks rizzee. If it's a proper set up with a pool I would probably join. How is your friend finding The Willows? I know someone just waiting to move in.

He's rarely there as he works abroad most of the time. He's going to be renting it out, it was bought as an investment to see how the village builds up in a couple of years. From walking through it seems like a nice enough area! Some of the houses definitely appeal to me. We're living up near the secondary school at the moment, it's definitely food for thought when we buy next year.

vapor trails

It's one of these strange things where people might be of the view that one restaurant might work because of the perceptions of supply and demand but I honestly think 2-3 arriving at once in close proximity to each other fuels the demand even more. The town/area becomes known as a place to go get some food. I think optically a restaurant going solo in somewhere like Ivy Hall could end up struggling again. However, 2-3, especially with the upcoming expansion of the Willows, will give Dunshaughlin a foodie reputation which it doesn't have at all.

I'd even happily admit that sometimes I'd avoid places like Massimo's because of this underlying fear that I'll end having to sit beside someone I half know and feel obliged to have to talk to ......(because where else can anyone go but this one single restaurant) With 2/3 comes variety, new people, atmosphere etc.

Maysa07

Gonzo wrote: »

Dunshaughlin definitely has a market for a decent restaurant. There are many small villages around Ireland, much smaller than Dunshaughlin with some very good and busy restaurants.

The problem with Dunshaughlin is that we've had no restaurants for decades, and most people living here will go to either Navan, Ratoath, Ashbourne or somewhere around Dublin for a meal and we've all gotten used to that.

Massimo's in Dunshaughlin is good but they are an Italian restaurant with no pizza oven so no pizza's, and that definitely hurts their footfall.

There was a decent Italian restaurant in Dunshaughlin nearly a decade ago behind Ivy Hall in a terrible location, they didn't do any marketing and they closed. Once that closed, an Indian restaurant opened and they didn't do any marketing either, not sure the place even lasted a month. That same unit has been empty for the past 5 years. (now there is new apartments being built right beside it).

All we have right now is the Shibin, which in my view is completely overpriced for pub grub and Massimo's which has no pizzas.

There is definitely a market here for a decent restaurant with extensive menu, a nice atmosphere and perhaps some craft beers.

I'm not so sure. I had a small restaurant for 3 years in Ashbourne
(in a previous life ) and the costs are fees\ are extranomical. Myself and my girlfriend walked up to the village for a drink last Friday night and the 3 pubs we visited were empty, The village was like a ghost town. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see a nice restaurant open in the village but taking the costs into consideration from experience, it's not a runner in my eyes. I guess it's a risk someone will have to take.

In saying that... There is a restaurant in kilmessan that's been around a while.I think it's called Monto or something? It seems to be surviving really well and from what i remember, the food wasn't to my liking.

rizzee

Montos is BYOB I think that could be part of the reason it's popular!! I'm nearly 20 years in Dunshaughlin- I must pop over for a visit, have heard positive reviews.

Diddleydoo

rizzee wrote: »

Montos is BYOB I think that could be part of the reason it's popular!! I'm nearly 20 years in Dunshaughlin- I must pop over for a visit, have heard positive reviews.

I've been to Montos twice in recent months. I found that although spacing between tables is poor the friendly staff compensate for that. As pricing goes it's very reasonable, the food is not bad, I haven't been disappointed. For a small place like Kilmessan it is surprisingly busy.

A320

Looks like Cafe Bella is gone...however a new place is opening called plate and palette cafe....

Metalpanic

Anyone noticed water from the mains is discoloured?

Exile59

We ate in Wokpok last night, we usually get a Chinese from the Golden Phoenix about once a month if we've had a few scoops the night before. We both agreed we'll stick with the Golden Phoenix for out monthly Chinese fix...

The got a fairly simple order wrong, the chicken was rubbery and the 'home made' sauces were poor. I was hoping for a Camile Thai style place, but they're going for the same product as Dragon Takeaway and Golden Phoenix and the quality of their meat isn't as good as the latter.

Bella Cafe was just located in the wrong place and I think the decor was very 1990's. I think it's a good point re the pubs being empty on a Friday night, therefore questioning the true need for a restaurant. Still though, I do feel the village/town could definitely do with one good place to eat.

Also, I wonder if The Willows are going to expand at the rate originally expected...? House prices dropping significantly, and many are saying demand is already being met in places like Dunshaughlin. Fairfields are doing show houses for over 8 months now and it isn't a massive estate, Dun Rioga still has houses for sale, so maybe there won't be the explosion of housing people thought.

The parking going into Maldeuin alongside the new apartment block build definitely has to be sorted, there's cars taking up too much of the road.

GeneHunt

Exile59 wrote: »

We ate in Wokpok last night, we usually get a Chinese from the Golden Phoenix about once a month if we've had a few scoops the night before. We both agreed we'll stick with the Golden Phoenix for out monthly Chinese fix...

The got a fairly simple order wrong, the chicken was rubbery and the 'home made' sauces were poor. I was hoping for a Camile Thai style place, but they're going for the same product as Dragon Takeaway and Golden Phoenix and the quality of their meat isn't as good as the latter.

Bella Cafe was just located in the wrong place and I think the decor was very 1990's. I think it's a good point re the pubs being empty on a Friday night, therefore questioning the true need for a restaurant. Still though, I do feel the village/town could definitely do with one good place to eat.

Also, I wonder if The Willows are going to expand at the rate originally expected...? House prices dropping significantly, and many are saying demand is already being met in places like Dunshaughlin. Fairfields are doing show houses for over 8 months now and it isn't a massive estate, Dun Rioga still has houses for sale, so maybe there won't be the explosion of housing people thought.

The parking going into Maldeuin alongside the new apartment block build definitely has to be sorted, there's cars taking up too much of the road.

As Wokpok has just opened in the last week or so, and I wish them all the best in the future, but I think we should give them a few days (2 - 3 weeks max) grace to try to iron out any issues they may have starting off, however if they don't fix these issues, they will not last. Another issue for them, which is outside there control, is parking or access to parking, I think a takeaway needs about 3 to 4 spaces minimum, if you can't park near a takeaway, you'll not us it. Take The Golden Phoenix for example, they would have that and at peak times even more then that. Wokpok will have to share the limited number of spaces on the main street with Macari's and possibly even Apache Pizza, as the car park in the Ivy Hall is closed to public access with the last few years and parking in front of Apache Pizza can be difficult.

I think it can be difficult to park (short term - say 10 - 15 minutes) on the main street at times to just run into any shop or takeaway, there are a number of vehicles (that I could name) parked on the main street all day Monday to Friday. I don't know if they know it, but they are hurting the trade in the village, these people are working in or owning the businesses in the village. I frequently have to park in the Lidl car park these days, just to use the ATM at Boyle Sports or to pick up some other bits and bobs from the village. I could use the SuperValu car park, but getting out on the main street again at Tara News can be a nightmare.

Gonzo wrote: »

...There was a decent Italian restaurant in Dunshaughlin nearly a decade ago behind Ivy Hall in a terrible location, they didn't do any marketing and they closed...

The Italian was called Venice Restaurant, I totally agree as to the location, but that size unit needs to be on the main street with easy access to car parking. We regularly used it as a take away and sometimes as a restaurant, I would say 80% of footfall to Venice that time was takeaway, but getting in and out of that location just wasn't easy.

Gonzo

Exile59 wrote: »

We ate in Wokpok last night, we usually get a Chinese from the Golden Phoenix about once a month if we've had a few scoops the night before. We both agreed we'll stick with the Golden Phoenix for out monthly Chinese fix...

The got a fairly simple order wrong, the chicken was rubbery and the 'home made' sauces were poor. I was hoping for a Camile Thai style place, but they're going for the same product as Dragon Takeaway and Golden Phoenix and the quality of their meat isn't as good as the latter.

looks like I'll have to continue getting my Chinese takeaways from Ratoath. Dunshaughlin seems to be plagued with poor/average quality takeaways.

GeneHunt

The new LED street lights are getting installed on the poles today on the Drumree Road, with probably switching on of these new lights to be 23rd Dec 2019 :rolleyes:

rizzee

Could do with lights all the way up to the bridge at Leshamstown lane and then between the roundabout at the new estate all the way to the Battertown/Trim roundabout

Borderfox

Looks like Boyne dental is in the unit in between Costa and the Chemist

Gonzo

Borderfox wrote: »

Looks like Boyne dental is in the unit in between Costa and the Chemist

was hoping something more interesting would move in there. Dunshaughlin is well catered for now with dental surgery's, pharmacy's and hairdressers.

Maysa07

GeneHunt wrote: »

The new LED street lights are getting installed on the poles today on the Drumree Road, with probably switching on of these new lights to be 23rd Dec 2019 :rolleyes:

Just need the ramps installed now and it will be safer.

Gonzo

Dunshaughlin Harvest Festival is next weekend, unfortunately I am expecting the weekend to be a washout, the forecast is very poor for the next 10 days. Hopefully it won't be as bad as predicted, the festival was a washout 2 years ago, hopefully this year won't be a repeat.

GeneHunt

I heard a rumour that the amusements are not coming to the Dunshaughlin Harvest Festival this weekend, did anyone else hear it?

Borderfox

GeneHunt wrote: »

I heard a rumour that the amusements are not coming to the Dunshaughlin Harvest Festival this weekend, did anyone else hear it?

Please God they aren't

Gonzo

GeneHunt wrote: »

I heard a rumour that the amusements are not coming to the Dunshaughlin Harvest Festival this weekend, did anyone else hear it?

The forecast is so bad, they probably know it isn't worth it.

Borderfox

There is a planning application notice gone up on the derelict site beside me (opposite the arch bar) for a retail unit???? And 14 apartments

They cant even rent the units they have

Maysa07

GeneHunt wrote: »

I heard a rumour that the amusements are not coming to the Dunshaughlin Harvest Festival this weekend, did anyone else hear it?

Yes, they will be here again this year! Personally i love it. My daughter has a great time at it. I know there is a social issue around them but can great fun during the day. If it is raining, It will be slightly messy im sure.

Harvest festival .pdf..

http://dunfest.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Dunfest-19-web.pdf

GeneHunt

Borderfox wrote: »

There is a planning application notice gone up on the derelict site beside me (opposite the arch bar) for a retail unit???? And 14 apartments

They cant even rent the units they have

Wow, Is there even room for 14 apartments on that little site?

ciaran76

I was jogging down from The Willows towards the Industrioal estate at 5.30am this morning and saw someone standing just before the bus-stop.
Thought he looked weird and as I was getting closer I was thinking this fella is very strange.

As I got within a few feet I realised it was one of those straw men dressed up as a worked with hard hat etc for the festival.

It was misty this morning and seeing this creepy fcuker standing in near the hedge had me right on edge ! lol

andreac

ciaran76 wrote: »

I was jogging down from The Willows towards the Industrioal estate at 5.30am this morning and saw someone standing just before the bus-stop.
Thought he looked weird and as I was getting closer I was thinking this fella is very strange.

As I got within a few feet I realised it was one of those straw men dressed up as a worked with hard hat etc for the festival.

It was misty this morning and seeing this creepy fcuker standing in near the hedge had me right on edge ! lol

There was one at the irish school as well that i saw when out walking the dogs last night, threw me for a minute too :D

Gonzo

Borderfox wrote: »

Please God they aren't

They are, they are in the field beside the Arch Bar setting up.

Borderfox

Yeah seen that