Living in Portlaoise

Lanfear · 08-08-2006 1:05pm

Thanks pclancy

jennifer26 · 15-08-2006 8:59pm

Hi, I am moving to Colliers Lane in Portlaoise in a couple of weeks - anyone know it? One person we know from Portlaoise told us it was right beside a really bad housing estate, we have been up there but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Would really appreciate opinions if anyone knows where i'm talking about.

I didn't realise Portlaoise was so bad with drugs until reading some of the views on this site - part of the reason, i'm leaving Dublin is to keep my little boy away from drugs (I mean later on in life - he's only 4). Is it really as bad as what some people have said?

drdre · 16-08-2006 1:04am

jennifer26 wrote:

Hi, I am moving to Colliers Lane in Portlaoise in a couple of weeks - anyone know it? One person we know from Portlaoise told us it was right beside a really bad housing estate, we have been up there but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Would really appreciate opinions if anyone knows where i'm talking about.

I didn't realise Portlaoise was so bad with drugs until reading some of the views on this site - part of the reason, i'm leaving Dublin is to keep my little boy away from drugs (I mean later on in life - he's only 4). Is it really as bad as what some people have said?

DRUGS are everywhere in the world, whats that got to do with buying a place.

pclancy · 16-08-2006 10:51am

Weird, Colliers lane isnt near any bad housing estates unless their talking about kilminchy but thats grand? Its a nice mature part of portlaoise, most of the houses on colliers lane have been there as long as i can remember. I dont think you're going to have problems with drugs unless you go looking for them. Portlaoise has a heroin problem in a few small areas but like any town/city its not really out in the open that much, I wouldnt worry for your son its a nice town to grow up in, i've turned out allright. The estates that do have "bad people" have far more nice decent families there so its unfair to brand em all as scumbags. This thread was a bit harsh in places, you willl feel safe walkiing around the town and will meet 99% nice people. The town park is lovely now with stuff for the kids to play on and you've got roll and bowl, supermacs, blacks toystore and other stuff to keep u/them busy. Dont worry, you'll be fine

Oh and if you like soul music come see us next time we play in town....:)

road_high · 16-08-2006 2:43pm

The problem I can see with Co Laois, and Portlaoise in paricular is the break-kneck speed with which the county council has encouraged huge re-zonings and consequent sprawling housing estates.
They should slow down a bit and ensure some decent services are put in place alongside the new population.

I think they shouldn't be promoting this long distance commuting (Dublin) so heavily either.Build sustainable employment locally.
I mean the employment oppurtunities in Co. Laois are pretty limited with most people tending to work in surrounding counties.It sure must be an attractive location (very central) for further commercial development.

pclancy · 16-08-2006 2:56pm

Very true. Loads of well qualified and educated people living in poorly planned towns with poor infastructure. Id love to see them take an active approach to attracting new business to portlaoise and surrounding towns. Local business coudl really do with some help too, the chamber of commerce is a joke.

I got excited one day when driving somewhere i say a sign that said about the website www.workinlaois.ie then very dissapointed when I saw the site. Purely to register skills on and nothing of use for anyone really. No updates now since Nov 2005. Thanks Mr local governemnt.

road_high · 16-08-2006 3:12pm

pclancy wrote:

Very true. Loads of well qualified and educated people living in poorly planned towns with poor infastructure. Id love to see them take an active approach to attracting new business to portlaoise and surrounding towns. Local business coudl really do with some help too, the chamber of commerce is a joke.

I got excited one day when driving somewhere i say a sign that said about the website www.workinlaois.ie then very dissapointed when I saw the site. Purely to register skills on and nothing of use for anyone really. No updates now since Nov 2005. Thanks Mr local governemnt.

Had a look at that one alright, was fairly pathetic despite the big signs outside Plaoise for it!I mean, you wouldn't want to be depending on decentralisations as a means to creating employment locally. This was a whitewash and I can't see it succeding on the scale Parlon said as the workers mostly don't want it.
One of my family works in Laois, I live close to it, but apart from her she is the only one I can think that works there. On the other hand, I know loads here in KK from Laois and working here. Not that KK is great for jobs or anything, but Laois must be worse going by this anecdotal evidence. There doesnt seem to be any big private employers I can think of in Laois, despite as you say the many local qualified individuals.Surely the IDA and Enterprise Ireland can do more for the county in promoting it as an attractive location.

And surely the M7 must be an attraction for commercial development in the county?

Stheno · 16-08-2006 3:26pm

Hi, I am moving to Colliers Lane in Portlaoise in a couple of weeks - anyone know it? One person we know from Portlaoise told us it was right beside a really bad housing estate, we have been up there but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Would really appreciate opinions if anyone knows where i'm talking about

I live in Colliers Lane Upper, the newer bit that was built in 1999/2000 along with kilminchy.

The estate you are probably talking about is I *think* called Colliers Way, it's on the lhs after the old road and new road join back up. The council bought a lot of properties in there and moved residents from other estates to that estate.

Personally (and I live literally across the road from it) I've never had a problem and it's been there at least 18 months, apart from the odd speeding car.

As for the hospital I've just come out after being in with suspected appendicitis, went in at 10:15 on a Sunday night, was admitted and in a ward by 12:45 and got excellent care, same happened a year ago when I fractured my hip, in and out of a and e in four hours, and my dad had a heart scare last year and recieved excellent care.

My OH works for a private ambulance company and they would rate Portlaoise as one of the better hospitals in the midlands.

the shops are rubbish in terms of the large multiples,but there are some fantastic independant retailers for clothes, furniture and accessories, and there is an excellent doctor recently opened in kilminchy with superb hours.

The traffic is terrible though at some times, but doesn't affect me as I commute to Dublin each day to be honest.

Long term I'll move further out into the country as Portlaoise is becoming terribly built up, but overall it's certainly not the worst. A recent Sunday times survey ranked it in the top five towns for commuters :rolleyes: ahead of newbridge, kildare and monasterevin.

Mr. Green Genes · 18-08-2006 2:33pm

I may the be the only person in the history of Portlaoise who unashamedly loves the town. I've lived here all my life and have never been anything short of comfortable, even with my slightly eccentric nature amidst a sea of white tracksuited skanger types.

If you enjoy rock/metal/funk as much as me, there's a great live music scene in the town lately, and the quality of bands (both covers and original) has vastly improved over the last few years. Plus there's the tantalising prospect of the Electric Picnic festival 10 minutes down the road next month.

I have no qualms with Portlaoise and provided you don't pick a ****ty area to live in (there aren't many), I'd never hesitate to recommend the place. I don't drive so the layout or roundabout situation has never bothered me.

Marksie · 18-08-2006 4:33pm

I have lived in portaloise for seven years now. About a mile out on the tullamore road.

TBH the traffic can be crazy, very badly planned though i believe they are bypassing the whole town centre

The shopping isnt great to be honest but newbridge is ony half an hour away and that has the whitewater centre.

I have GIVEN UP going into town at the weekends, just too dangerous. There always seemed to be fights.

There is an excellent theatre there, the dunamaise and a restaurant that was clssified in tth top 100 in ireland: The Lemon tree. I have been there and it is mouthwatering. Loads of takeaways. Kingfisher is good.

The estate i am on is small and most people get on. But watch out for the white City!!

I am not going to say much about the locals.

Agree with some of the posts... someone was on the take when planning the town

Mr. Green Genes · 21-08-2006 1:26pm

marksuttonie wrote:

I have GIVEN UP going into town at the weekends, just too dangerous. There always seemed to be fights.

Only outside Supermacs and Egans to be honest. I'm up town all the time and they're the only real danger areas because of the types that frequent those places and general areas. It's where trouble looks for trouble. Stay around the square or middle main street and you'll never have a problem.

pclancy · 21-08-2006 2:45pm

Yeah its just like any other town really. I lived on Main St for about a year and a half and though its a bit rowdy around when the clubs empty theres not really much action except egans and supermacs as said above. Usually theres plenty of cops walking around at night through the town as well.

Dont be afraid of the locals! Most of us are lovely

Mr. Green Genes · 21-08-2006 5:34pm

pclancy wrote:

Dont be afraid of the locals! Most of us are lovely

Ahhh you're lovely.

Most of us would let you buy us a hamburger for which we would glady pay you Tuesday.

pclancy · 21-08-2006 11:15pm

Okay. Hamburgers are good.

Mr. Green Genes · 22-08-2006 11:36am

As are large spoons doling out the funky soul with an enigmatic moustachioed pint-sized singer.

pclancy · 22-08-2006 12:53pm

Mr. Green Genes wrote:

As are large spoons doling out the funky soul with an enigmatic moustachioed pint-sized singer.

He has borderline dwarfism

The singing and reckless dancing is probably all just a cry for height.

Playing Lethean this saturday if you want to come buy me a burger....

Mr. Green Genes · 22-08-2006 2:39pm

I better make an appearance then! You are a very very happy band, yourselves and snes too. Warms me right up.

The burger thing was an out of the blue Popeye reference, but if you bring the joy, i'll bring the meat - or as they say in Mountrath: mait.

mysterious · 22-08-2006 4:37pm

I'm not a fan of Portlaoise. Even though it's a thriving place, still has doughnut feel. Fintan Lawler avenue has got to be the most hideous town centre developments ever built.. Its madness. Mountrath and Mountmelick are smaller towns but do have a market town character with a uniform streets pattern etc.

double yellow · 04-09-2006 5:00pm

I have recently moved down to Portlaoise and live in the new Fairgreen estate which is currently having a new shopping village constructed. I love the place as the houses are varied (i.e. not too ribbon-developed) but still work well together. The problem with Kilminchy imo is it feels like some kind of old sim-city game with its hills (read builder's rubble heaps) like the bulldozer feature in sim-city and things are juxtaposed beside each other in great big chunks and there is no coherency to the place.

To combat the lack of shopping argument I should point out that a new shopping centre anchored by a new Dunnes (to be the largest Dunnes outside Dublin apparently) is to be opened in November behind Tesco's and there will also be some other shops opened this year including a large homewares place (something like Texas in Tullamore). There is also going to be the new rail depot, the National Business Park (about 50 or so mixed business units) and a new leisure centre where the old swimming pool was. Like said previously the place is thriving and although I can well appreciate the argument of JFL avenue being a bit of a "strip-mall & roundabout" eyesore the traffic has been again imo a lot less than the traffic problems of Carlow or Newbridge for example. In fact you might argue that whereever decent shopping areas are located in towns the price to pay is traffic congestion.

I like Mullingar as a town that has got a lot of the planning things right compared to the areas Portlaoise has been let down by (read no Lidl in the town centre, fewer roundabouts, a decent but not overly large shopping centre and many of the UK chain stores in abundance in any town worth its salt.) However every town has its detractors and some might say Market Point in Mullingar is a Ballymun (in terms of the buildings outsizing the area) waiting to happen.

To end I think Portlaoise is a great place and for anyone new coming to the town (like myself) a few sites that may interest you are: www.laoissports.ie (click on list of clubs to see just how many varied sports and leisure options there are in Laois) www.hume.ie (for its fairly useful list of contact numbers and addresses in Portlaoise and www.agriculture.gov.ie/decentralisation/Portlaoise.pdf (for its list of what the town has to offer to decentralised ag staff!)

accordman · 05-09-2006 10:44pm

Portlaoise can go only one way, up. The town is badly laid out but the council seem to be working out an inner relief road network and a new shopping centre is not far from being finished. I cover a lot of the country for work and I can assure anyone that every corner of the counrty is saturated with drugs, scumbags and fights on a Saturday night. So called success towns like Carlow, Kilkenny and Tullamore are now turning into min Dublins with crime and anti social behaviour rocketting......
It is a gamble going to any new town but the people in portlaoise seem to be nice, and there are 165 Gardai in the station just in case!

RSF · 23-09-2006 7:09pm

Portlaoise is no different than any other town in Ireland, it has its fair share of problems that are constantly getting worse, but these are shared with every other town in the country.

I've lived in Portlaoise all my life, and so has my family. It has gone from bad to worse, with the new estates suffering from the same problem as the old ones. The population is rising rapidly because of its short distance from Dublin, the Midlands Prison, and of course, the influx of Eastern European migrants.

The town itself is quite limited and in my opinion, unable to support these rapid changes to its environment. I don't think it will get any better in future, especially if this current trend continues, it won't be a very nice place to live at all.

Chris2005123 · 27-06-2007 2:06pm

Hi,

Can anybody tell me is Lake Glen Portlaoise Co Laois is an ok area to live in, has anybody ever lived there??

Thanks
Chris

User21027 · 31-03-2008 1:07pm

I grew up in Clondalkin in Dublin. Moved here 13 years ago. And Dublin was far far nicer. Friendly community. If your not from here {Laois} the people will always call you a "blow in". There's a click and you'll never break it. My father is a Laois man, left 34 yrs ago. He always said "the best thing to come out of Laois is the Dublin Rd and me on it..." I'd love to move back to Dublin , but cant afford to. I hate this place with it's small people with small minds.Guards are so laid back, they bug young people with fancy cars to pass the time, instead of policing the town {PortLaoise}. Nothing but 'aul lad pubs in the town. Night clubs only have kids in them. Age 15-18, in over 21's only clubs...!?! Everything's the way it is, cos thats thats the way it always was..Town needs fresh, young vibrant blood in it.. You have to drive 40 mins to Tullamore at least to shop, or Kilkenny, Carlow etc. Nothing in the town. No classy parts, all of its run down and rough. Some lovely people in it, but you have to live here a long time to see it. Visiting would give you a depressing, one dimensional image to leave with. 13 yrs is a fair chance to give a place to have your oppinion changed, Portlaoise hasnt done it for me...

pclancy · 31-03-2008 10:41pm

My father said the very same, he was born in Ballacolla and lived there and in Portlaoise for years but never liked it and it is a very small minded town by and large. Different strokes for different folk though, I know a lot of people, my freinds and family included that are very happy there but I do totally understand where you're coming from. Ive lived there for years and the best thing Ive ever done is get out of there and live abroad or in Dublin. The last few years the live music scene for me got really good and that was the only thing keeping me there apart from my mates. I hope things get better for you though, maybe a change of circle of friends or something would be an idea...?

User21027 · 01-04-2008 1:30pm

New friends would be nice. But i've done well for myself through hard work, endurance and ambition and i find most people/ other girls are either jealous of it or want to use it. Cant meet ambitious, friendly, young people like me. My mates are all on welfare, no cars, no jobs... Cant be doing with that... Need mates like me.. Hard working , going places.. Portlaoise can have some rough girls in it. You cant make eye contact with 'em in a club or ten of their mates jump you in the ladies..My mates: If u like her fella, you must fancy him, if you dont, your a jealous cow... Grrrrr! Are there no mature, decent people around?????????
Thanks for your reply tho PClancy...

pclancy · 03-04-2008 6:57am

No worries, a lot of my mates who I would describe as ambitous etc are gone, moved to Dublin or England or abroad and myself i'm just starting a new life in New Zealand after being bored out of mind in Portlaoise for the last few years and moving on then to Oz and Japan if possible, its defo not somwhere i want to settle. Iou're prob just not gunna find like minded people within the mainstream I guess, maybe try new avenues like go to some of the gigs in Lethean upstairs or the Arts related stuff in the Dunamaise. There are some tho, I guess I was lucky to meet em. Met lots of good that dont think 12 pints and a row outside supermacs was a good weekend

User21027 · 03-04-2008 11:16am

Thanks for your encouragement.. I find it hard to meet people "in the middle". Last place i lived was very mixed in so far as "horsey" people on one side of me and -unemployed, sleep with the nighbours wife -type on the other. Didnt really want to associate with either of 'em... ha ha Wasn't born with a silver spoon in me gob or anything, but not one for the fine arts or wine tasting evenings... Ah...i live in hope...mind urself.

Resident · 10-08-2008 11:12pm

hamrog wrote: »

Hi, I'm thinking of moving to Portlaoise in the next few months. Can anyone tell me what the town is like, good for shopping, any good pubs, any good restaurants? Basically is it a good town to live in? Also any advice on good estates? Was looking in Kilminchy village, but it seems quite built up? Any body got any experience, good or bad of Kilminchy?

Portlaoise is a good town and it all depends where you live. Remax are good estate agents well for buying it was the cheapest. Kilminchy village is on the Dublin Road. It is quite busy but if you have a car you will be ok. It is something like the IFSC well a smaller version there is a pub, off licence, takeaway, bookies, pharmacy, shop and hairdressers. It is a large place and you can easily get lost. It is a long distance from the centre of town. You can live nearer to town or on the mountmellick road where there are good estates as well so look around. On mountmellick road there is a dunnes stores shopping centre, train station, central more towards to town that end as you could walk into town. the furthest place you can live there is in Fairgreen. There is a new petrol station there and eurospar and a pub will be opening shortly. It is up to you which way you would like. But all I can say is Dublin Road is far from town if you wanted to walk it whereas Mountmellick Road is not too bad or even in town. Have a look around and ask the real estate agents and even people living there if you see any.

fretsomaniac · 04-10-2008 5:48pm

Been living in Portlaoise for a few months now. It has a good connection to Dublin. Does anyone know any good places to go out (preferably nightclubs) on a Saturday night (for a 19 year old person)?

amylouise88 · 07-12-2009 6:29pm

Hi,

I have grown up in Tullamore. When it came to moving to college I couldn't wait to move to Dublin. After three years of traffic, crowds, over priced food - I couldnt wait to move home.

Tullamore is a lovely town - there are enough amenities that some one from Dublin would be accustomed to but closer range.

There are three leisure centres 2 private - 1 public, a bowling alley, an adventure centre, cinema, 3 shopping areas, with a fourth to open in 2012. Recently a new store opened that has many high street brands that a woman would be happy with.

A by pass has also just opened so traffic on a Friday in the town centre wont affect you.

The gepgraphic location is also unique - while not being on the main Dublin Road - the new N4 motor way is just a stones throw away, we also operate on the main Galway Dub train line.

Bus Eireann have a number of busses that travel through the town also.

In terms of night life - the town has quitened down alot - thats due to recession more than boring venues. Just pick a good bank holiday to go out on , or a saturday night.

Hope this helps you on your decision.

Also - even though I have grown up in the midlands I have never ventured over to Portlaoise as there is really nothing to entice anyone there - actually I was born there and have never been back!!

Living in Portlaoise

Comments