New to Co. Donegal or Thinking of Moving Here? Post In This Thread.

RobMc59 · 30-08-2018 9:47am

Maldesu wrote: »

RobMc59 wrote: »

fairly near main shopping areas and secondary schools( as my wife doesn't drive)

Any particular ethos? Irish speaking? Any shopping preferences? How far is she willing to walk?

RobMc59 wrote: »

I've noticed property in letterkenny seems very reasonably priced and wondered why this is.

Mainly because we are so far away from most large cities. Donegal does not have much interaction with the rest of ROI, we have very limited pubilc transport and having a car is quite essential for the majority of people. It's around 4 hours to Dublin and Galway.
There is also the IT, which brings a lot of students to the area, which of couse attracts the usual associated idiots/anti-social behaviour, but its about on par with most places. Only down side is there is a lot of housing aimed at students which would be in walking area of shops/schools - basically, you could be stuck next to students.

Wife is an Irish citizen and granddaughter and I are British-2 -3 km from shops would be ok and preferably the same with schools-a quiter area would be preferable but we're not 'the neighbours from hell'who would be complaining all the time about a little noise ðŸ˜Š

RobMc59 · 30-08-2018 9:48am

Maldesu wrote: »

RobMc59 wrote: »

fairly near main shopping areas and secondary schools( as my wife doesn't drive)

Any particular ethos? Irish speaking? Any shopping preferences? How far is she willing to walk?

RobMc59 wrote: »

I've noticed property in letterkenny seems very reasonably priced and wondered why this is.

Mainly because we are so far away from most large cities. Donegal does not have much interaction with the rest of ROI, we have very limited pubilc transport and having a car is quite essential for the majority of people. It's around 4 hours to Dublin and Galway.
There is also the IT, which brings a lot of students to the area, which of couse attracts the usual associated idiots/anti-social behaviour, but its about on par with most places. Only down side is there is a lot of housing aimed at students which would be in walking area of shops/schools - basically, you could be stuck next to students.

Wife is an Irish citizen and granddaughter and I are British-2 -3 km from shops would be ok and preferably the same with schools-a quieter area would be preferable but we're not 'the neighbours from hell'who would be complaining all the time about a little noise ðŸ˜Š

Maldesu · 30-08-2018 11:33am

RobMc59 wrote: »

Wife is an Irish citizen and granddaughter and I are British-2 -3 km from shops would be ok and preferably the same with schools-a quieter area would be preferable but we're not 'the neighbours from hell'who would be complaining all the time about a little noise &#55357;&#56842;

Maybe I should clarify - there are a number of schools in Letterkenny. I was mainly wondering if you'd rather proximity to the Catholic schools, multi-denominal, Church of Ireland etc. If you are looking for a particular type of school it would help us narrow the area for you and be able to tell you what shops/walking distance it might be

RobMc59 · 30-08-2018 12:30pm

Maldesu wrote: »

RobMc59 wrote: »

Wife is an Irish citizen and granddaughter and I are British-2 -3 km from shops would be ok and preferably the same with schools-a quieter area would be preferable but we're not 'the neighbours from hell'who would be complaining all the time about a little noise ��

Maybe I should clarify - there are a number of schools in Letterkenny. I was mainly wondering if you'd rather proximity to the Catholic schools, multi-denominal, Church of Ireland etc. If you are looking for a particular type of school it would help us narrow the area for you and be able to tell you what shops/walking distance it might be

Catholic schools preferably thanks.

Maldesu · 30-08-2018 2:15pm

RobMc59 wrote: »

Catholic schools preferably thanks.

Scoil Mhuire gan Smál is the main primary school then, though I hear the Scoil Cholmcille is now taking girls (was boys only). They are in close proximity regardless. Both schools are located very close to the main street of the town. Most housing around this area is pretty old, eg terraced houses such as in Ard O'Donnell (not actually a bad area but the houses are pretty dated). Other types are more modern apartments but they are pretty seedy.
Glenwood Park and Dr. McGinley Road have had a poor reputation. Meadowbank probably has the worst rep, though others might have different views.

If you were to go through the park, Whitethorn area is about 20 mins away (3k) and there are school buses passing in the area. Shops from here for example, is just about 1.5 k (Aldi and Tesco). Around the same with Ard O'Donnell.

Big disadvantage with Letterkenny is most modern housing is at a higher altitude to the shops, so walking and shopping is pretty annoying.

One thing to look at is on myhome.ie - they have a little neighbour hood guide that might help inform you about the area

RobMc59 · 30-08-2018 3:31pm

Maldesu wrote: »

RobMc59 wrote: »

Catholic schools preferably thanks.

Scoil Mhuire gan Smál is the main primary school then, though I hear the Scoil Cholmcille is now taking girls (was boys only). They are in close proximity regardless. Both schools are located very close to the main street of the town. Most housing around this area is pretty old, eg terraced houses such as in Ard O'Donnell (not actually a bad area but the houses are pretty dated). Other types are more modern apartments but they are pretty seedy.
Glenwood Park and Dr. McGinley Road have had a poor reputation. Meadowbank probably has the worst rep, though others might have different views.

If you were to go through the park, Whitethorn area is about 20 mins away (3k) and there are school buses passing in the area. Shops from here for example, is just about 1.5 k (Aldi and Tesco). Around the same with Ard O'Donnell.

Big disadvantage with Letterkenny is most modern housing is at a higher altitude to the shops, so walking and shopping is pretty annoying.

One thing to look at is on myhome.ie - they have a little neighbour hood guide that might help inform you about the area

Some good information there,thank you-when I`ve looked on google maps at some of the houses for sale I did notice some of them seemed high above the town and judging by the rain on the camera lens fairly windswept too!
Thanks,Rob.

Maldesu · 30-08-2018 4:05pm

RobMc59 wrote: »

Some good information there,thank you-when I`ve looked on google maps at some of the houses for sale I did notice some of them seemed high above the town and judging by the rain on the camera lens fairly windswept too!
Thanks,Rob.

Lots of hill around. Some worse than others! If you come up with a few areas we could probably tell you a bit more about them.

TreasureBin · 30-08-2018 7:54pm

Loreto Convent and St Eunan's College are the main secondary schools. I think there are houses for sale in Wolf Tone Place, very close to those schools and a short walk from the High Road and Main Street.
Nice houses in Glencar, but that's a very wide area that takes in Glencar Irish and Glencar Scotch. As others have said, most places are uphill from the town! Meadowbank and Manor View might be best to avoid but I don't think they're as bad as they used to be.
There is a town bus but I hear it's not very reliable. Plenty of delivery options available for both groceries and food.

RobMc59 · 31-08-2018 9:34am

Thanks for the information-we're going to have a look at the schools early next year and try to view a couple of properties-get a feel for the place as the times we've been in letterkenny was on holiday and we weren't looking at it as a place to live.I'll be back on asking advice about cars-best to bring UK car and transfer to Irish registration or sell and start again...

ItAintMeBabe · 08-10-2018 5:10am

Hi folks,
Have been renting in Letterkenny for the last two years but looking at potentially buying a property in the next six months or so.

Would be hoping to live in it for a couple of years and potentially rent it out then, or sell if the market is there.

I've always heard to stay away from the general Long Lane area, however to me this seems like madness as its a huge area and can't all be that bad!

Just wondering does anybody have good or bad experiences living in estates in the long lane area? Have one house in particular picked out but would rather not say which estate.

TreasureBin · 08-10-2018 10:02am

ItAintMeBabe wrote: »

Hi folks,
Have been renting in Letterkenny for the last two years but looking at potentially buying a property in the next six months or so.

Would be hoping to live in it for a couple of years and potentially rent it out then, or sell if the market is there.

I've always heard to stay away from the general Long Lane area, however to me this seems like madness as its a huge area and can't all be that bad!

Just wondering does anybody have good or bad experiences living in estates in the long lane area? Have one house in particular picked out but would rather not say which estate.

I

I lived in Hazelbrook Crescent for a couple of years and most of the neighbours were very nice. (There's always one!)

JoannieG · 11-10-2018 1:36pm

ItAintMeBabe wrote: »

Hi folks,
Have been renting in Letterkenny for the last two years but looking at potentially buying a property in the next six months or so.

Would be hoping to live in it for a couple of years and potentially rent it out then, or sell if the market is there.

I've always heard to stay away from the general Long Lane area, however to me this seems like madness as its a huge area and can't all be that bad!

Just wondering does anybody have good or bad experiences living in estates in the long lane area? Have one house in particular picked out but would rather not say which estate.

I know some people living at the top of the Long Lane. It's very quiet and there are no problems with neighbours. Beautiful views from up there.

RobMc59 · 16-02-2019 2:34am

We've recently had a look round letterkenny with a view to moving there (I've posted on this thread before )we did notice a lot of the houses were at altitude in relation to the shops(we were only there for a weekend and only really looked around long lane and meadowbank areas)could anyone recommend a decent area more on a similar level and reasonably near to the shops?

TreasureBin · 16-02-2019 12:53pm

Having lived in an apartment in town for 6 years, I would point out that the closer you are to the shops, the closer you are to the pubs so can be pretty noisy at night, especially weekends. Letterkenny is very hilly! Pretty much the only level road in town is Pearse Road and I think the only houses there are B&Bs, it's mainly apartments in that area. A reasonable compromise may be Ard O'Donnell. It's still on a height but close to the Main Street. Ballyraine is only slightly further out, a level road and near Letterkenny Shopping Centre & Aldi.

retalivity · 16-02-2019 1:17pm

Lower gortlee or out towards ballyraine would be level, if not exactly that close it is still walkable. Beechwood across from the orchard is handy close too

RobMc59 · 19-02-2019 9:27pm

I've posted earlier about Letterkenny and am also interested in Raphoe as a possible place to move to-it would be my wife and I and our granddaughter who is approaching secondary school age.Granddaughter and I are British and wife is Irish-could anyone give us any advice on living in Raphoe and might we encounter any problems?-we've been to Donegal many times but only once to Raphoe but didn't look at it as a possible place to live at the time.

seanfitz · 20-02-2019 8:30am

Raphoe is pretty central. It has 2 national schools and 2 secondary schools, both are very good schools. Its has plenty of sport clubs, football, boxing and badminton being the most popular. There is a couple of butchers and shops. I live here and have no problem recommending it as a place to live.

echo beach · 20-02-2019 1:44pm

seanfitz wrote: »

Raphoe is pretty central.

It is central but like almost everywhere else in Donegal transport is a problem if you don’t have have your own car. If you do then Letterkenny, Strabane, Ballybofey and Derry are all within half an hour’s drive. Schools, churches and a good variety of shops and services are easily reached on foot from all the residential areas which is the big advantage over Letterkenny which is more spread out. Other advantage is house prices are a lot lower so your money will buy more.
Some of the newer housing estates are on high ground so it is an uphill walk back from the shops which can be a problem for the less mobile but is good for keeping fit.

RobMc59 · 20-02-2019 2:15pm

echo beach wrote: »

It is central but like almost everywhere else in Donegal transport is a problem if you don’t have have your own car. If you do then Letterkenny, Strabane, Ballybofey and Derry are all within half an hour’s drive. Schools, churches and a good variety of shops and services are easily reached on foot from all the residential areas which is the big advantage over Letterkenny which is more spread out. Other advantage is house prices are a lot lower so your money will buy more.
Some of the newer housing estates are on high ground so it is an uphill walk back from the shops which can be a problem for the less mobile but is good for keeping fit.

I've had a look on a couple of property sites and the area near St Eunans looks ok-we are on holiday in Letterkenny in August and will hopefully have a look a a couple of houses then-is the area near St Eunans reasonably level?Looking on Google maps it seems fairly close to the schools and shops but I couldn't really tell if the roads were particularly steep or not.

Joshua J · 20-02-2019 11:06pm

RobMc59 wrote: »

I've had a look on a couple of property sites and the area near St Eunans looks ok-we are on holiday in Letterkenny in August and will hopefully have a look a a couple of houses then-is the area near St Eunans reasonably level?Looking on Google maps it seems fairly close to the schools and shops but I couldn't really tell if the roads were particularly steep or not.

Letterkenny is built on hills I'm afraid, including the main street. Only places I would say are at sea level with residential housing are Old Town and Ballyrane Road. The rest are up hill to differing degrees. Anywhere is town to St Eunans or passed is up hill all the way.

muffler · 21-02-2019 12:20am

Joshua J wrote: »

Letterkenny is built on hills I'm afraid, including the main street. Only places I would say are at sea level with residential housing are Old Town and Ballyrane Road. The rest are up hill to differing degrees. Anywhere is town to St Eunans or passed is up hill all the way.

I think RobMc59 was talking about St Eunans Terrace in Raphoe

RobMc59 · 21-02-2019 5:49am

Joshua J wrote: »

Letterkenny is built on hills I'm afraid, including the main street. Only places I would say are at sea level with residential housing are Old Town and Ballyrane Road. The rest are up hill to differing degrees. Anywhere is town to St Eunans or passed is up hill all the way.

Apologies,my mistake-i meant in Raphoe

seanfitz · 21-02-2019 9:01am

Yes the area near St Eunans is pretty level.

RobMc59 · 21-02-2019 11:25am

seanfitz wrote: »

Yes the area near St Eunans is pretty level.

Thanks,I reckon Raphoe ticks all the boxes-it's 18 years since we were last in Raphoe and that was only a visit to where my family originated from in the 19th century-it never entered my head we might end up living there!:)

seanfitz · 21-02-2019 12:05pm

I'm from the area and if you need anymore info, don't hesitate to ask.

graeme2 · 20-04-2019 8:44am

Hi all,

We’re moving to Letterkenny in October. Any advice would be appreciated with regards to good areas to look at renting in, and areas to avoid. We’re relocating from Cape Town with two young kids.

Cheers,
Graeme

muffler · 20-04-2019 4:57pm

graeme2 wrote: »

Hi all,

We’re moving to Letterkenny in October. Any advice would be appreciated with regards to good areas to look at renting in, and areas to avoid. We’re relocating from Cape Town with two young kids.

Cheers,
Graeme

First of all welcome to Boards.ie

I wouldnt know the residential areas of Letterkenny that well myself but 3 areas to avoid (have been mentioned previously in this thread) would be Long Lane / Meadowbank area, Lower Main Street and Ballymacool (I think). Im sure others who are more familiar with the town will offer up their opinions and advice.

Maybe have a read back through the last 4 or 4 pages of this thread or if you have the time read the whole thing. You would also need to look at the likes of Google maps to see where the areas are.

graeme2 · 21-04-2019 9:41pm

muffler wrote: »

First of all welcome to Boards.ie

I wouldnt know the residential areas of Letterkenny that well myself but 3 areas to avoid (have been mentioned previously in this thread) would be Long Lane / Meadowbank area, Lower Main Street and Ballymacool (I think). Im sure others who are more familiar with the town will offer up their opinions and advice.

Maybe have a read back through the last 4 or 4 pages of this thread or if you have the time read the whole thing. You would also need to look at the likes of Google maps to see where the areas are.

Hi muffler thanks for the reply, much appreciated. Have looked back through the post & saw similar comments in the past about those areas.

My wife and I will be working at Letterkenny University Hospital, so we’re looking at places up the Kilmacrenan Road - Ashfield, Thornberry, Foxhills, etc. Also saw some nice places further afield like Ramelton and Stranorlar. I’m using daft.ie - are there any suggestions for other sites?

Cheers
Graeme

Donegal Storm · 22-04-2019 10:38pm

Letterkenny is perfectly safe & pleasant to live in no matter where you are really. A few small pockets here and there that have a bad reputation (like mentioned above) because of anti-social behaviour but thats typically just bored teenagers & a few troublesome families that are easily avoided.

Have a look at Glencar if you're working in the hospital, walking distance to both the hospital and the town centre, has a neighbourhood shopping centre and there's a lot of schools in the area.

daft.ie is generally the go-to site for renting so most available houses will be on there, could check with local estate agents as well though I'm not really familiar with any of them

fawlty682 · 01-10-2019 8:49pm

Letterkenny is a nice town that suffers from bad planning. The town is on two levels. The shopping areas are on the level and up the hill are the hospital, schools and several housing estates. It rains a lot, is windy and traffic is bad due to lack of a bypass.There is a town bus but it is only a token effort at transport. The Kilmacrennan Road is very convenient for the hospital and Glencar for schools. Oakland’s Park, Ballyraine area is good too. However, it is a friendly reasonably safe town with good variety of people, good leisure centre. Beautiful beaches and scenery and cheap golf too.Delay in upgrading the road in Northern Ireland makes Dublin a long trip at peak times.

New to Co. Donegal or Thinking of Moving Here? Post In This Thread.

Comments