Commuting from Roundwood, Wicklow

bunk_mcnulty wrote: »

Hello,

My gf and I are resigned to the fact that we will not be able to buy a house in Dublin. We have started looking at different areas such as North Wicklow.

We drove through Roundwood a few weeks back and I in particular fell in love with the town.
I currently work near Connolly station. Is the commute from there doable? A drive to Greystones and then the dart I think is ok.
I would be worried of things like rain and snow in winter time stopping me getting to work.

Any feeedback would be appreciated.

Yes the Roundwood area is very nice, I would have thought some houses around there are expensive enough.

Knowing two people who live in the North Wicklow / area in the hills, you would want to consider having a good 4 wheel drive vehicle that can handle driving in the snow. Every year it snows up there, while the main road through the town is fine, some of the side roads can be treacherous, especially early morning when setting off.

Lovely area though and this is only for a small part of the year.

To commute, I would recommend driving to Shankill station. Plenty of parking around there, easy to get there from the N11 and more choice of trains than Greystones (and cheaper).

I used to allow half an hour from Roundwood to the Dart Station in Greystones, including the walk up from the free park and ride when I was doing it. There's a few other options, like parking in Bray or Shankill- pro's: more frequent darts, cheaper fares, more alternatives if the line is closed; cons: more traffic in and out, possibly pay parking/ longer walk. N11 from Kilmac isn't normally the worst (once you're past Bray South/ Enniskerry), but traffic into Bray can be poor enough, but I've no idea about Shankill Station. Like you, my logic was to be crossing the traffic rather than joining it and free parking. If you're doing the tax saver, I think Greystones is the same ticket cost as Bray or Shankill anyway, so you wouldn't be tied to any option and could mix and match. I think they've just opened a big (pay) car park at Shankill Station.

Snow is generally only an issue a handful of days a winter at most, most years. This winter there's only been one day that the roads were dodgy coming home (and I got home no problem). Last winter I think it was a couple of mornings, but I got down everyday. Biggest problem is other vehicles getting stuck rather than you getting stuck, if you know what I mean? Someone spins and blocks the road, it doesn't matter what you are driving, you aint getting up or down until that moves (the bend at the top of the hill out of Kilmac is a bugger for that happening). Slaughter Hill down to Newtown (on the way to Greystones) is one the steepest routes out of Roundwood, so wouldn't be on my list to do in any snow to be honest, so that's where Bray or Shankill dart might come in!

That's all at village altitude/ on the main roads - once you start going higher than the village, and off the main road down lanes obviously you bring more potential disruption, and the roads aren't as quick to be cleared. Slopes and inclines are your enemy then. Some of the estates in the village have problems in the snow (they have to park on the main road in snow) due to the incline on the road up to them.

I don't recall any issue with rain - only days like last winter/ spring when basically the whole Enniskerry/ Bray area flooded (Roundwood road was easily passable down to join the mayhem).

Be prepared that there's basically no way out of town after an evening/ night out. It's an expensive taxi or relying on someone picking you up from the dart or buses at the bottom of the mountains.

PS: an adult weekly (i.e. 10-journey) ticket on the abovementioned bus from Roundwood to Dublin is €50.

bunk_mcnulty wrote: »

That you so much for your feedback.

Basically it is doable. Overall it would take approximately an hour and half to get to work.

Depends on what time you leave at. My family live there, I moved to city years ago though. If you have parking in work and you leave about 7am you will be in the city around Stephens Green by 8am in the morning. Even 7.10 leaving you notice a massive difference in the traffic.

Also you have the option of driving to the Green Luas line as well which can be handy. My brother uses that daily on his commute. Leaves after 7.30 in work around Grafton St. at 8.45. You may need to walk or wait for the connection to be built if you need to go to Connolly.

Finally you have the 145 which will drop you as far as Westmorland St. It runs from Kilmac to Heuston. Can be a pain going through Bray but a friend of mine works in Cherrywood and OH in town so he lets her off just at the Cherrywood turn off which suits them.

The St Kevin's won't suit if you have a 9am start. It is pretty close to 9 by the time it gets to the city doesn't give you much time to walk anywhere for 9. I always wish it left at 7 or 7.15 be so much easier. It really only suits people who work in the Stephens Green area.

Great place to live, someday I hope to move back up the hills. Getting home from town can be a pain but there is a late bus eireann bus to Newtown/Ashford/kilmac at the early hours of the morning for those late night outs if someone can collect you.

bunk_mcnulty wrote: »

One last question.

what is the broadband like? Can you get UPC up there?

Cheers,

Bunk

No UPC as far as I know. Also depends where in the area you live no sure if eFibre is the village but it isn't around some of the surrounding areas as far as I know. There are loads of options with Vodafone, Eircom etc on phone line and then Wicklow Broadband etc. as well put a little aerial on your house. It is quick enough but not city quick, but netflix and youtube should work fine.