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Going to college - probably not a usual question

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  • 24-06-2009 9:29pm
    #1
    geewhiz
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭


    Hi everyone,

    I'm heading off to college in Dublin and would like some input. I'll be going to TCD as a mature student. I currently live in the backend of Leitrim in a nice house, drive a car, have a dog etc.

    I like the city-life but I need a place to retreat to every once in a while so originally I said that I will keep renting the house down here to come back to at weekends and stuff.

    But I figure that would be a severe waste of money. So the new plan is to rent a house somewhere reasonably rural within commuting distance of Dublin.

    I sussed out parking in Dublin already - either for free at a friends house in Rathmines, for 15€/day (TCD subsidised parking) or somewhere else.

    Any suggestions which area to look at for a house? I don't want neighbours. I want a nice little stone cottage in the middle of nowhere within maybe 45 mins drive of Dublin. Money is no object really.

    I don't mean to come across as pretencious - I just don't want to partake in "typical college life", I'm too old and settled for that. And my dog is a major factor too - I would not consider moving into an apartment with her!

    Thank you for answers in advance.
    Tagged:


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    #2
    parker kent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,289 ✭✭✭parker kent


    I'm very biased here but Wicklow is a great option given your needs. You could move to somewhere like Newtownmountkennedy and you are in the countryside but are still close enough to Dublin. Dublin Bus even has buses to Newtown. There are plenty of nice places around Wicklow you could look into, once you are on or close to the N11 you will be in communting distance to Dublin. Wicklow Town, Ashford, Rathdrum (poss. a little too far) would all be examples of places you could stay


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    #3
    jdivision
    Registered Users Posts: 4,260 ✭✭✭jdivision


    Somewhere on the train line? Why endure the stress of Dublin traffic. Donabate could be a good choice, handier to get home to from Leitrim from than somewhere like Wicklow.


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    #4
    ztoical
    Registered Users Posts: 4,788 ✭✭✭ztoical


    Second looking around Wicklow area. Try driving along the N 81 from City West to Blessington all the way to Baltinglass really pretty country side, nice and quite yet you turn the corner after Brittas and your in Dublin and there is Dublin Bus Service to Blessington. I know you said you've a car but still nice not to be totally cut off in case there's car trouble and you need to get to a class. Also don't know if you've had to drive in Dublin during rush hour but it can be a nightmare.

    From Carlow to Dublin now is nearly all motorway now, it's less then an hours commute [once you can get past the hell that is the red cow at 6pm] Or you can train it from Portlaoise or Carlow - I know a number of people who've gone back as mature students who've commuted from both Portlaoise and Thurles going by train to Cork or Dublin.


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    #5
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,304 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    geewhiz wrote: »
    I sussed out parking in Dublin already - either for free at a friends house in Rathmines, for 15€/day (TCD subsidised parking) or somewhere else.

    I'm not sure about this - TCD lost a few hundred spaces to a building site this year.


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    #6
    silverharp
    Registered Users Posts: 17,849 ✭✭✭✭silverharp


    maybe somewhere around greystones , you have the option of the Dart. You get the coast and plenty of hill walking close by

    A belief in gender identity involves a level of faith as there is nothing tangible to prove its existence which, as something divorced from the physical body, is similar to the idea of a soul. - Colette Colfer



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    #7
    parker kent
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,289 ✭✭✭parker kent


    jdivision wrote: »
    Somewhere on the train line? Why endure the stress of Dublin traffic. Donabate could be a good choice, handier to get home to from Leitrim from than somewhere like Wicklow.
    Wicklow is on the train line too plus as poster said above the DART goes to Greystones. Very good Bus Eireann services too for a rural destination, a bus every half an hour at certain parts of the day and fairly regular at all other times.


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    #8
    jdivision
    Registered Users Posts: 4,260 ✭✭✭jdivision


    parker kent wrote: »
    Wicklow is on the train line too plus as poster said above the DART goes to Greystones. Very good Bus Eireann services too for a rural destination, a bus every half an hour at certain parts of the day and fairly regular at all other times.
    He lives in Leitrim and wants to go home regularly, therefore somewhere on the northside makes more sense than going all the way to Wicklow.


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    #9
    TiwstaSista
    Closed Accounts Posts: 76 ✭✭TiwstaSista


    jdivision wrote: »
    He lives in Leitrim and wants to go home regularly, therefore somewhere on the northside makes more sense than going all the way to Wicklow.

    i believe that's the former plan but he realized that's a waste of money so he's giving up his rental house in Leitrim and wants nice stone cottage with no neighbors, somewhat rural. I'd go for Wicklow.;)


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    #10
    doctor evil
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,114 ✭✭✭doctor evil


    OP Wicklow is the most expensive county in Ireland.


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    #11
    convert
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,338 Mod ✭✭✭✭convert


    If you are planning on living outside Dublin just bear in mind the extra time you'd have to spend commuting during peak time traffic. I've often travelled up from Baltinglass to UCD if I've stayed with friends and while it'll take just about an hour during off peak times, it can take up to an hour and a half to two hours during peak traffic (and that's using the back roads!!)

    The 65 bus regularly takes more than an hour to travel from the city centre to Blessington, more if it's during peak time, so you'd really need to take the commuting time into consideration - the last thing you want to do is move down from Leitrim only to spend about two hours commuting into and out of college each day. If you're not in 9-5 each day, then you could probably alter your schedule so you could go into college late and stay late the library to avoid rush hour traffic.

    North of Dublin may suit you better, especially if you're from Leitrim, which could make it handy to travel home. East Wicklow may be easier for you either, especially considering that there's the train and buses to and from Dublin.

    If it was me, I'd look for somewhere outside the city centre (ie from Clonskeagh, Donnybrook, Stillorgan, Dundrum, Goatstown, Stillorgan, Blackrock, Dalkey outwards) where you would still be within easy reach of TCD, but sill mean that you'd be in the quieter areas of Dublin, though I will admit it's not a substitute for the countryside.

    Before you make a decision re. a property, weigh up all your options, and maybe even drive to different areas during rush hour traffic to give you a sense of how long it would take you to commute, and take all factors into consideration before deciding on what you do.


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