Longest ongoing Commute

The Wordress

I know a couple who have bought a house in rural Leitrim who are planning to commute to Dublin for the foreseeable future. They work in different areas and start/finish at different times. They plan to take one car up and down.

It's a 2 hour drive at least, not factoring traffic at peak times, bad weather etc.

I think it would be a short livened relationship if I had to commute with my husband for that distance and he finished work 2 hours after me so I had to wait around!

magicbastarder

Stheno wrote: »

ive a colleague who commutes from Cork o Dublin every day

by car? that would be at least 180km each way (it's 179km from the junction at the border of dublin to the one at the border of cork, driving on the M7/M8).
360km a day is 80,000km a year which would cost at least €5000 in fuel alone, let alone wear and tear on the car; and the impact upon health and sanity.

if they are doing it by car, they really, really need their head examined.

Stheno

magicbastarder wrote: »

by car? that would be at least 180km each way (it's 179km from the junction at the border of dublin to the one at the border of cork, driving on the M7/M8).
360km a day is 80,000km a year which would cost at least €5000 in fuel alone, let alone wear and tear on the car; and the impact upon health and sanity.

if they are doing it by car, they really, really need their head examined.

no. combination of car to the train then train to Dublin then a bus. still insane imo

D3V!L

Stheno wrote: »

no. combination of car to the train then train to Dublin then a bus. still insane imo

How long does this commute take ?

Stheno

D3V!L wrote: »

How long does this commute take ?

not sure i think about three hours each way

Corkgirl18

I used to work with a man with a 130km commute each way, 5 days a week on not great roads. He had savage back problems from sitting in his car for such long periods of time.

mjsc1970

positron wrote: »

Not sure if this would qualify as extreme, and I wouldn't be a minority either doing Drogheda-Dundrum, about 70 km each way, taking M50 crash park. It's miserable really. I do it on a motorbike, and filter like no tomorrow. I don't know how people drive cars there, sitting in endless crawls, not knowing when they will get going. If it wasn't for the motorbike and the generous WFH policy (2 days a week, more if weather is crap), I would've moved on a long time ago.

All that filtering on a bike must be draining. I'd be fekin knackered doing that.

positron

It is. M50 is royal pain. There's at least one incident on it every day, often more than one, tailbacks every single day.

I did 5+ years of train to city centre, and 5+ years of motorbike into city centre as well. Motorbike is infinitely better and flexible than the train even considering the weather. It's just the M50 that makes it so hard now (cutting thru city is also just as bad though).

khaldrogo

TheBoyConor wrote:

It's absolute insanity! I'd rather have a low paid job near home and have a life rather than be a highly paid hamster in a wheel that never stops.

Some people don't have the luxury of taking a low paid job......some people have bills

miamee

Currently I do a commute of about one hour door to door, 45-50 minutes on a bus into Dublin city centre and a ten minute walk from the bus. It's peanuts compared to some of the commutes mentioned above but still too much wasted time for me and something I'd rather shorten. I spent three years commuting 1.5-2 hours each way to college years ago and that nearly wiped me out altogether, I'd never do it again. Reading of commutes in this thread that are 2 hours plus each way are making me feel physically ill, fair play to you if you can make it work for you.

techdiver

I commute from Mullingar To Dublin daily. Door to door is around 1 hr 40mins. Travel by train (approx 1 hr 25 mins), which is painfully slow for such a relatively short journey.

Phil.x

Clonsilla to dublin1 for the last 12 years. 55mins in and 50min home. 10miles each way by a very slow train.

Phil.x

Stheno wrote: »

ive a colleague who commutes from Cork o Dublin every day

My old boss does that 3days per week.😰

Mancomb Seepgood

I'm luckier than many,my current commute is the longest I've had.Naas to Dublin city centre,1 hour by car/train/walking.My previous commute was a 25 minute drive with no traffic so I thought this would be horrible but it's not bad at all and gives me a chance to listen to podcasts or audiobooks.

I've no idea how people are able to do longer commutes year in,year out.It has to be corrosive to relationships and your health.In my previous job there was a guy who had been commuting from the outskirts of Galway to west Dublin for years,he was very well paid but I just couldn't see how it could be worth it.

CrankyHaus

Mancomb Seepgood wrote: »

I've no idea how people are able to do longer commutes year in,year out.It has to be corrosive to relationships and your health.In my previous job there was a guy who had been commuting from the outskirts of Galway to west Dublin for years,he was very well paid but I just couldn't see how it could be worth it.

It's not unless you're doing it for a very short time as part of a plan for advancement to a better role.

I've gone cold on changing jobs before when I went to the interview and realised I'd be stepping up to a 2 hr + commute. A lot of employers are blinkered in failing to see how flexible work time to avoid rush hour, working from home and cycle facilities would help them by giving them a healthier and less tired workforce. Instead they begrudge these things as a concession to shirkers and troublemakers.

road_high

CrankyHaus wrote: »

It's not unless you're doing it for a very short time as part of a plan for advancement to a better role.

I've gone cold on changing jobs before when I went to the interview and realised I'd be stepping up to a 2 hr + commute. A lot of employers are blinkered in failing to see how flexible work time to avoid rush hour, working from home and cycle facilities would help them by giving them a healthier and less tired workforce. Instead they begrudge these things as a concession to shirkers and troublemakers.

Totally agree- they are ignoring and missing so much potential talent with the "we want you chained to a desk" mentality. Which is all too common in Irish business.

Apocalypticism

I live in Youghal and work in City Gate, Mahon. Travel Monday to Friday every week.

I wake up at 6:00 eat breakfast and head to the bus stop at about 6:40 and the bus from Youghal to Cork is at 7:00 or 7:10. I arrive in the Cork city parnell place bus stop between 8:00 or 8:30 depends on the traffic then I take 202 bus and I am at the final bus stop 30-40 minutes after boarding the bus, then I walk for about 10 minutes and I am at the office I work in.
So I leave house at 6:40 and I am at the office usually between 8:50 and 9:20.
Heading back is about the same and usually I am at home at 20:00. So painful.

Wish rents in Cork city were less expensive, I wouldn't like to share a house with others.

_Kaiser_

Apocalypticism wrote: »

I live in Youghal and work in City Gate, Mahon. Travel Monday to Friday every week.

I wake up at 6:00 eat breakfast and head to the bus stop at about 6:40 and the bus from Youghal to Cork is at 7:00 or 7:10. I arrive in the Cork city parnell place bus stop between 8:00 or 8:30 depends on the traffic then I take 202 bus and I am at the final bus stop 30-40 minutes after boarding the bus, then I walk for about 10 minutes and I am at the office I work in.
So I leave house at 6:40 and I am at the office usually between 8:50 and 9:20.
Heading back is about the same and usually I am at home at 20:00. So painful.

Wish rents in Cork city were less expensive, I wouldn't like to share a house with others.

This is the key point... despite all the focus/reports on the problems in Dublin, it's getting so any of the main employment centres are just as bad - maybe not as expensive as Dublin, but taking into account further/costlier commutes and lower wages it works out as having the same effects

Chris_5339762

road_high wrote: »

Totally agree- they are ignoring and missing so much potential talent with the "we want you chained to a desk" mentality. Which is all too common in Irish business.

Its bonkers. Bosses I know have refused staff an 11 - 7 shift (rather than 10 - 6) because it would "give the impression we cover longer hours than we do". And forget about working from home, just forget it.

Drifter50

Ive a friend who does Monivea in Galway to Blanchardstown every day, says she knows every bump on the N6. Does`nt seem to bother her too much, 2 hrs each way each day

LirW

Partner is doing commute from Tinahely area to Dublin.
I drive him down to the bus stop in Gorey (15-20 minutes) because I need the car for school runs, bus takes around 1.45 minutes in and a bit longer back, where I collect him. He's doing it 3 day a week and the rest of the week it's from home to Wexford which is a 45-50 minutes trip by car.
When he has loads of work in Dublin he stays with his folks to get time on the clock and finish earlier or take a day off. That distance was what we could afford, we weren't able to find affordable rental in or anywhere near Dublin with 2 children, there is absolutely nothing around and we had the choice to either stay living with his parents or buy where we could afford it, the house is very modest. We're one of these families that make too much money for benefits but too little to live anywhere close to Dublin.

But in fairness, the area and the people here are absolutely lovely and there are many people working in Dublin, which is surprising.

Journo_lady

Apocalypticism wrote: »

I live in Youghal and work in City Gate, Mahon. Travel Monday to Friday every week.

I wake up at 6:00 eat breakfast and head to the bus stop at about 6:40 and the bus from Youghal to Cork is at 7:00 or 7:10. I arrive in the Cork city parnell place bus stop between 8:00 or 8:30 depends on the traffic then I take 202 bus and I am at the final bus stop 30-40 minutes after boarding the bus, then I walk for about 10 minutes and I am at the office I work in.
So I leave house at 6:40 and I am at the office usually between 8:50 and 9:20.
Heading back is about the same and usually I am at home at 20:00. So painful.

Wish rents in Cork city were less expensive, I wouldn't like to share a house with others.

Hi,

My name is Roisin Burke, I am a journalist with the Evening Echo in Cork.

(Twitter handle: Journo_Lady)

I read a board you wrote about commuting from Youghal every day due to high rents in the city and I was wondering if you would speak to me for an article about the housing crisis in Cork?

Let me know,

Thanks,

Roisin

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

XPS_Zero wrote: »

Before long Athlone will be a Dublin suburb

You're probably not far off. I live in Athlone and I know a few people commuting to Dublin. It's a bit mental but much preferable for anyone who has a house and/or a family. For a lot of people, moving to Dublin isn't an option and moving closer is a bit pointless. The train takes 1h 30m and then add on whatever you need to get to the workplace.

Commuter trains already serve Portlaoise and Longford. Athlone won't be far behind at this rate.

Bandana boy

7 km takes me 15 mins !

But was doing cabra to Leopardstown and it could take anything from 35 mins to 90 mins on a bad day , will never take that on again regardless of money

TheBoyConor

I commute to Cork city centre every day from GN-z11 (currently the most distant known astronomical object in the observable universe). It's 32 billion light years each way, every day. Definitely, the bulk of the travel time is taken up in the jams at Dunkettle N40 interchange an the Jack Lynch Tunnel rather than the traversing of universe, which is a usually an unobstructed cruise. There are some bad black pot holes on the outskirts of the Milky Way which the lazy shítes in the Galaxy Council really ought to get the finger out about and get sorted but I won't hold my breath.

I'm thinking would I be wise to switch to a diesel car - would the fuel savings justify the cost? And with a 64 billion light year daily round trip, I'd want something fairly comfortable as I won't have any opportunity to stop between home and Cork to get a coffee and stretch the legs because there is feck all along my route - it's literally a vacuum.

Have I won the longest commute competition yet?

_Kaiser_

TheBoyConor wrote: »

I commute to Cork city centre every day from GN-z11 (currently the most distant known astronomical object in the observable universe). It's 32 billion light years each way, every day. Definitely, the bulk of the travel time is taken up in the jams at Dunkettle N40 interchange an the Jack Lynch Tunnel rather than the traversing of universe, which is a usually an unobstructed cruise. There are some bad black pot holes on the outskirts of the Milky Way which the lazy shítes in the Galaxy Council really ought to get the finger out about and get sorted but I won't hold my breath.

I'm thinking would I be wise to switch to a diesel car - would the fuel savings justify the cost? And with a 64 billion light year daily round trip, I'd want something fairly comfortable as I won't have any opportunity to stop between home and Cork to get a coffee and stretch the legs because there is feck all along my route - it's literally a vacuum.

Have I won the longest commute competition yet?

It's not a competition... it IS however a sad indictment of the state of planning, housing and public transport in this country!

Gaspode

Driving from near Arvagh in Cavan to Dublin & back daily. 90 mins each way on a good day, but so many numpties driving out there it can be well over 2 hours some trips. Dont mind the driving part its the expense of it that bothers me.

clintondaly

Worked with a guy who traveled from Youghal,Co.Cork to Shannon 5 days a week and every second full weekend.

denismc

TheBoyConor wrote: »

I commute to Cork city centre every day from GN-z11 (currently the most distant known astronomical object in the observable universe). It's 32 billion light years each way, every day. Definitely, the bulk of the travel time is taken up in the jams at Dunkettle N40 interchange an the Jack Lynch Tunnel rather than the traversing of universe, which is a usually an unobstructed cruise. There are some bad black pot holes on the outskirts of the Milky Way which the lazy shítes in the Galaxy Council really ought to get the finger out about and get sorted but I won't hold my breath.

I'm thinking would I be wise to switch to a diesel car - would the fuel savings justify the cost? And with a 64 billion light year daily round trip, I'd want something fairly comfortable as I won't have any opportunity to stop between home and Cork to get a coffee and stretch the legs because there is feck all along my route - it's literally a vacuum.

Have I won the longest commute competition yet?

Your motoring costs must being astronomical !!:D

fg1406

I’m flabbergasted by some of the commutes and my heart breaks for anyone trapped in such a situation. My husband and I moved out of Dublin to the south east to his hometown. I was able to transfer my job but my husband wasn’t and had to commute. He drove from just outside Kilkenny to swords 5 days a week and it nearly killed him. He took a €15k drop in salary and a demotion of sorts to work 20 mins from home. His boss in Dublin lived in Thurles and drove to their Blanchardstown office daily, and the bosses wife drove to their cork office daily. Madness!

marno21

fg1406 wrote: »

I’m flabbergasted by some of the commutes and my heart breaks for anyone trapped in such a situation. My husband and I moved out of Dublin to the south east to his hometown. I was able to transfer my job but my husband wasn’t and had to commute. He drove from just outside Kilkenny to swords 5 days a week and it nearly killed him. He took a €15k drop in salary and a demotion of sorts to work 20 mins from home. His boss in Dublin lived in Thurles and drove to their Blanchardstown office daily, and the bosses wife drove to their cork office daily. Madness!

Thurles-Cork is quite a reasonable commute, provided that the destination is quite easily accessible from the M8/N40

PlaneSpeeking

fg1406 wrote: »

I’m flabbergasted by some of the commutes and my heart breaks for anyone trapped in such a situation. My husband and I moved out of Dublin to the south east to his hometown. I was able to transfer my job but my husband wasn’t and had to commute. He drove from just outside Kilkenny to swords 5 days a week and it nearly killed him. He took a €15k drop in salary and a demotion of sorts to work 20 mins from home. His boss in Dublin lived in Thurles and drove to their Blanchardstown office daily, and the bosses wife drove to their cork office daily. Madness!

He has my admiration!

I do Portlaoise to Stephen's Green daily - 2 hours each way, so a 20 hour commute each week - walk, train, LUAS, LUAS.

Bass Reeves

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

It's not a competition... it IS however a sad indictment of the state of planning, housing and public transport in this country!

It is not just down to planning. Some commuting is down to life factors. You may have couple where one is working a distance from family home which is near the spouses work. In later life people are unwilling to have to move schools and house if job circumstances change. Some people just do not want to live in Dublin.

PlaneSpeeking

Bass Reeves wrote: »

It is not just down to planning. Some commuting is down to life factors. You may have couple where one is working a distance from family home which is near the spouses work. In later life people are unwilling to have to move schools and house if job circumstances change. Some people just do not want to live in Dublin.

Nail - Head - BOOM!

I wouldn't live in Dublin if you gifted me a free house.

Countryside all the way.

TheBoyConor

I wouldn't live in Dublin for all the tea in china. Overpriced rat race kip.

heretothere

Gaspode wrote: »

Driving from near Arvagh in Cavan... Dont mind the driving part its the expense of it that bothers me.

Said like only a true Cavan person could :pac:

I commuted from the Meath/ Cavan boarder to south Dublin daily for over a year. 2.5 - 3 hours each way! Drive - Train - Dart repeat. Soul destroying stuff.

I work 15 minutes down the road. "Less" money (About €15k gross) but with commuting costs I think financially and most definitely life balance wise I am way better off.

Bass Reeves

Bass Reeves wrote: »

It is not just down to planning. Some commuting is down to life factors. You may have couple where one is working a distance from family home which is near the spouses work. In later life people are unwilling to have to move schools and house if job circumstances change. Some people just do not want to live in Dublin.

Most folk commuting long distances for whatever reason chose to do so. They might try and dress it up as my home is an hour + from work etc etc so what can I do but we all largely end up where we put ourselves.

Bass Reeves

Augeo wrote: »

Most folk commuting long distances for whatever reason chose to do so. They might try and dress it up as my home is an hour + from work etc etc so what can I do but we all largely end up where we put ourselves.

Not necessiarly. It all very good if you are a public servant and can refuse to move with for your employer. But lots of lads have to move jobs. Ab example is lads working for large civil's contractors. They could be on a road project in Mayo for 6-8 months and then in Cork on a sewer job. Neighbour of mine would consider haveing to travel 60 miles at thsi type of work as a hand commute.

It is quite commonplace with large number 's of mobile jobs in utility's contracting nowadays. As well you may have lads working in ajob in a factory in Cork, Limerick or Galways or any number of large towns when when it shuts or down sizes have to take a job 20-60 miles away.

Yeah ............. there's a cool story bro element to that
Do your examples cover most people doing long commutes? Nope
Utility contractors and factory workers don't have the Dunkettle interchange, N7 and M50 jammed every morning me thinks.

TheBoyConor

Bass Reeves wrote: »

N...... But lots of lads have to move jobs. Ab example is lads working for large civil's contractors. They could be on a road project in Mayo for 6-8 months and then in Cork on a sewer job. Neighbour of mine would consider haveing to travel 60 miles at thsi type of work as a hand commute.

It is quite commonplace with large number 's of mobile jobs in utility's contracting nowadays. ......

That's 100% true of people employed in construction on an on-site basis. You're always chasing work around the country, commuting, difficult to settle anywhere. Even lecturers told us in final year in Civil Engineering that just to bear that in mind if we were to go down the route of working for contractors. Many of us went into the consultancy side of things or for state jobs which are much better in terms of stability and commute.

But to compensate, consultancy and state jobs are paid a good chunk less than contractors' engineers who are paid a premium due to a number of factors - long hours, transient workplace and always going site to site, living and working in portocabins, muck, dust etc, long and constantly changing commutes, a highly stressed and pressurised working environment.

Luckily I avoided the contractor jobs. No money is worth that lifestyle.

Bass Reeves

Augeo wrote: »

Yeah ............. there's a cool story bro element to that
Do your examples cover most people doing long commutes? Nope
Utility contractors and factory workers don't have the Dunkettle interchange, N7 and M50 jammed every morning me thinks.

I think you live in a sheltered enviorment. They may still have to encounter them in the last few miles of there commute, most work 9 hour days ( 8+1hour meal breaks) not 7-8 and allowed to skite of 10 minutes early. However they also may not be accessing work via national primary routes but travelling seconday roads for a good portion of there journey. Like I stated they consider 60 miles a handy commute and often was travelling 100+. It is not just civils workers lads working for contractor to Irish water, ESB, wind farms, different telecoms and mobile companies etc.

Bass Reeves

Bass Reeves wrote: »

I think you live in a sheltered enviorment...........

Not at all.... well it depends on your prerogative of course but in general terms, not at all.
Self employed, live in Kildare, currently working (mainly) in Dublin, God knows where next.

I said most people doing long commutes.......... you're still bleating on about "not just civils workers lads working for contractor to Irish water, ESB, wind farms, different telecoms and mobile companies etc" ....... there's life beyond the high vis vest & breakfast roll for those who seek it.

TheBoyConor

Bass Reeves wrote: »

It is not just civils workers lads working for contractor to Irish water, ESB, wind farms, different telecoms and mobile companies etc.

Sure a lot of those sectors would have a very significant civil engineering element also. At first thought you mighn't think it but even the likes of mobile telecoms companies would have a lot of civil engineering infrastructure - compounds, access roads, yards, chambers, drainage, mast structures, exchange & substation buildings etc etc and of course, many thousands of kilometers of ducting and cabling that all has to be built, maintained, repaired upgraded etc over time.

Bass Reeves

Augeo wrote: »

Not at all.... well it depends on your prerogative of course but in general terms, not at all.
Self employed, live in Kildare, currently working (mainly) in Dublin, God knows where next.

I said most people doing long commutes.......... you're still bleating on about "not just civils workers lads working for contractor to Irish water, ESB, wind farms, different telecoms and mobile companies etc" ....... there's life beyond the high vis vest & breakfast roll for those who seek it.

It is immaterial there will still be people working in these jobs. they will still have to commute from somewher to preform these jobs. The presumption is that all people and couples, family's have a choice and can live in an apartment or a house that is within 30 minutes or less from there place of employment. If they do not people blame planning or public transport system.

Bass Reeves

Bass Reeves wrote: »

.............The presumption is that all people and couples, family's have a choice and can live in an apartment or a house that is within 30 minutes or less from there place of employment. If they do not people blame planning or public transport system.

.......or their employer in your speel?



As I said.....

Augeo wrote: »

..........we all largely end up where we put ourselves.

......that's the whole shebang .........work, life and home

Zascar

Friend of mine commuted from Clonmel to north Dublin city for 2 years. Was 3 hours each way. Absolutely insane I have no idea how he did it - despite this was one of the most upbeat and happy guys in the office. Luckily he got a job in Cork so less than an hour and can work from home sometimes.

I don't know how people do it. Anything over an hour and I'd move. I get very pissed off when my commute takes 45 mins.

Chris_5339762

marno21 wrote: »

Thurles-Cork is quite a reasonable commute, provided that the destination is quite easily accessible from the M8/N40

To me Thurles to Cork is absolutely cracked as a commute!

Lord Glentoran

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

To me Thurles to Cork is absolutely cracked as a commute!

Thurles to Cork by train, using a bike at each end? That’s it cracked completely.

GavMan

XPS_Zero wrote: »

These long commutes are the price we pay for our obsession with owning a house and having a back garden, going out not up, and it's only going to get worse unless we change our attitudes. Before long Athlone will be a Dublin suburb

If you think this is a uniquely Irish problem or a problem with not building high rises, then you have quite a sheltered view of the world.

Take a look at high rise cities around the world and you will still find mega commuters in large numbers.

FDI is ALWAYS higher in cities. It's a fact of life and it always attracts people from outside the city into itThe likes of an Intel, investing in Kildare is a rarity, relatively speaking.

Tell me how

GavMan wrote:

Take a look at high rise cities around the world and you will still find mega commuters in large numbers.

Former work colleague is from Manila.

Back home, he traveled the same distance as from Tuam to Galway for 18 months.

It took him 4 hours. Each way. I spent 30 minutes discussing it with him and he was adamant that that was the reality.

Combination of 3 buses. I asked why the hell would you not cycle and he said pollution and road safety are so problematic, it wouldn't be advised. I asked could he sleep or work on the bus and he said that no, they were so busy, everyone was crammed in so not possible.

In his job, they sometimes had to meet deadlines so did overtime until 8 pm.

I said "sure that would mean you wouldn't get home until midnight and have to leave at 4 am" he said yes but it was only for about 2-3 weeks every quarter.

He's the only guy I know who thinks traffic in Galway is wonderful.