House beside Croke Park

coluter

I have put an offer on a house right by Croke Park and am wondering can anyone throw some light on what its like on match day/ concert day. Is it a nightmare or is it bearable?

Wanna go in with my eyes wide open!

Cheers....

The_Conductor

Pro's and cons.
You may be entitled to Match tickets/Concert tickets for events in Croke Park, in recognition of the inconvenience- which is a Pro.
Negative- you can be effectively barricaded inside your own home on match days, and I have seen stories about people urinating in gardens and general hooliganism.

I don't live anywhere near Croke Park myself- perhaps someone more au-fait might shed a little light?

Borzoi

Mostly cons to be honest, depends where the house is.

If the house is within the typical Garda cordon, you're in the raffle zone too, so you get a chance at tickets for games/concerts. Don't know how many. Also this area is heaily policed on match days, so not much general hooliganism. But you've the noise, the fact that friends can't visit or park nearby etc.

Outside the cordon is worse, no ticket raffle, less Garda, so more chaos

Rented just outside the cordon years ago, it was a pain in the arse, and now there are more matches

patrickolee

Have a friend who lives just outside the cordon area. Lived there all his life. He hated it. Once had someone try to pee in his letter box.. that someone got a nasty surprise!

Ballyman

I lived on James Avenue (entrance to the cusack) a few years back and the only issue I had was my car was towed away as it was parked on the wrong side of the street on a matchday. I had to pay to get it out of the pound but that was returned to me after I wrote a letter to the Traffic Corp.

You get a few clowns knocking on the door as they are walking past but that was about it. Noise wasn't really a problem and never felt like I was barricaded inside the house.

Never heard of this phantom raffle for tickets though!!

mikemac

I’m on Clonliffe Road for almost a year now ( behind Hill 16)

I think it’s better to be within the cordon than outside it.
There is an issue with people throwing papers and other rubbish inside our gate but it’s not a big deal.
And to be fair, the GAA have street cleaners out and about after a game. I wouldn’t say noise is a problem I’d complain about.

Do you have a car OP?
If you’re outside the cordon and park on the street this will be an issue.
Inside the cordon, you’ll just have to accept that before and after games you cannot drive on your road. So just plan around this as you do become a prisoner in your own home at certain times.

Regarding the raffle. This was badly organized for a long time as it was the same families getting tickets for all the events.
Now you just register your name and address with the stadium management and you’ll be notified if you win. A much better system

I’ve seen letters from our local TD’s about urination behind people’s walls. It does go on that depends on the house your looking at.

There are more cons than pros but tbh honest you can’t move into the area and then complain about matchdays. It’s good that you are getting the information first.

godtabh

Big match coming up this weekend. You should have a look around as I dount the crowds would get much worse.

jdivision

I lived outside the cordon for a few years. People having sandwiches and tea in your garden (without asking obviously). All the parking spaces gone from early in the morning. People pissing in your garden. People shouting and roaring early in the morning. The list goes on.

coluter

Thanks for all the advice. Maybe Ill go check the area this match day.. I still feel none the wiser, I suppose its such a big decision to buy anyway but with the added Croke Park issue it makes a bigger decision again.

The house is on St. James Avenue if that makes any difference to anyone out there with advice.

Thks

intheknow

If the house is nice, go for it, I live here in drumcondra and the biggest pain is not being able to park anywhere near your house. I normally go out for the day and dont come home till after 7, Bit of hill walking etc, a nice lunch.Overall its just a bit of a pain, but all quiet from end of september till 17 march...Go for it !!

Mrs. MacGyver

Ballyman wrote:

I lived on James Avenue (entrance to the cusack) a few years back and the only issue I had was my car was towed away as it was parked on the wrong side of the street on a matchday. I had to pay to get it out of the pound but that was returned to me after I wrote a letter to the Traffic Corp.

You get a few clowns knocking on the door as they are walking past but that was about it. Noise wasn't really a problem and never felt like I was barricaded inside the house.

Never heard of this phantom raffle for tickets though!!

Yes ther is a raffle for tickets. we got them from U2. I live just outside the cordon area. It's noisy on match day and hard to get on-street parking. also the people can be quite loud and annoying. The worst thing that happened is that people carve their initials with keys etc into the redbricks on the houses on our street. On 'normal' days it's a nice area to live in. quiet.

James road is nice though as is Clonliffe. i know the area quite well and the Mater Dei students are quiet and keep fairly much to themselves so you will have no problems there.

Boston

coluter wrote:

Thanks for all the advice. Maybe Ill go check the area this match day.. I still feel none the wiser, I suppose its such a big decision to buy anyway but with the added Croke Park issue it makes a bigger decision again.

The house is on St. James Avenue if that makes any difference to anyone out there with advice.

Thks

Thats not on the direct path to or from the stadium, you'll be grand. Parking will be a pain, and the pub at the top of the road may be an issue, however it's generally considered to be a decent pub without much trouble. You certainly wont be trapped in doors on match days at that location.

mikemac

I'm fairly sure this is the road you use to enter the Cusack Stand and Ballyman above seems to confirm this. So it would be crazy on matchdays as it's fairly narrow.

OP, if you're looking at the house I'm thinking of, there was an article on it in a Sunday newspaper a few months ago.

I'll pm the link

Boston

micmclo wrote:

I'm fairly sure this is the road you use to enter the Cusack Stand and Ballyman above seems to confirm this. So it would be crazy on matchdays as it's fairly narrow.

OP, if you're looking at the house I'm thinking of, there was an article on it in a Sunday newspaper a few months ago.

I'll pm the link

Ok, I'm thinking of the avenue beside cusacks pub, I may be wrong.

patrickolee

Did OP visit the area for the match? What was it like?

coluter

I couldnt make it to the match on Sunday unfortunately and still havent made a final decision on the house. If you have that link to the article on it in the newspaper that would be great. Its right beside the railway bridge on St. Jame's Avenue...

Cheers for all the advice...

Nightwish

I lived inside the cordon on Clonliffe road while I was in college, and I found it to be fine. Its outside the cordon, you have most of the problems. I had hassle a few times, trying to get to my house on match days, when the cops wouldnt believe I lived there, but other than that, I didnt mind it.

ixoy

My Dad grew up living on Clonliffe Road and there was a fair few times that he'd visit his parents afterwards, with myself, during a match.

There were never any issues within the cordon, as far as I'm aware. Residents get a permit for vehicle access that was also able to extended to visiting family members.
I don't recall there being trouble within the area as there were Gardai around. The only notable thing, small as it was, is that the corner shop nearby got sold out of practically everything on the day and wouldn't be re-stocked until a few days later. There would be a bit of a rubbish issue too.

Within the cordon there was also the chance to get free tickets. Alas, my Granny had moved out of her house when U2 were playing and, it being unoccupied at the time, we all missed out on a chance for free U2 tickets.

Didn't seem like a biggie and never heard my Granny complain about it and she lived there for over fifty years.

Ballyman

coluter wrote:

I couldnt make it to the match on Sunday unfortunately and still havent made a final decision on the house. If you have that link to the article on it in the newspaper that would be great. Its right beside the railway bridge on St. Jame's Avenue...

Cheers for all the advice...

I have a funny feeling that this is the house I used to live in!! Is there a lane at both sides of the house??

As I said above, I never had any issue with living there and as there is no lawn at the front you don't have to worry about people pissing in it!!

Also, as this is the actual entrance to the Cusack stand, there are plenty of cops and people around so I found that there was very little messing going on.