Considering a move to Dundalk and have some general questions

PoniesRGr8

Hi everyone,

First off, let me say right up front that I know that a lot of my questions would be best answered by me going to Dundalk and finding this stuff out by experience, but I live in the States right now and my next trip over to Ireland will likely not be until next year. So, any help and answers that you can provide for me until then would be very much appreciated!

I am considering a move to Dundalk within the next 2-3 years, or sooner if I can manage it. My main purpose in moving there would be to become involved in a church called Grace Fellowship Family Church. I plan to support myself through earnings derived from my work as a freelance writer.

I have been doing a lot of research and have come up with some questions:

-Is Dundalk a town that is easily walkable? I do not drive, and in the place I am now living, I walk or use public transport to get around. For the times where walking is not feasible, are taxis usually available?

-What does Dundalk have to offer as far as places to buy groceries/general needs? Are there places such as Penney's, Dunnes, Tesco, etc.?

-Could you give me a rough estimate on how much a single person living alone could expect to spend on food per week? Or, if it is easier, can you simply give a comparison of the cost of food in relation to Dublin? I have spent large amounts of time in Dublin recently and am familiar with what I usually spend on groceries there.

-I've been looking at some small (1BR, 1 bathroom studio type) apartments in the Dundalk area. Could you tell me how much I might expect to pay as far a my monthly utility bill? I've been resident in the States all of my life and have a good idea of what I spend per month here, but really am not sure how much to budget for utilities if I decide to move to Dundalk. Is there any sort of website that compares the rates for the major utility providers in Ireland?

-Who are the main providers of Internet access in the area, and how much should I expect to pay per month?

-How hard is it to get transportation from Dundalk to other parts of Ireland? I've seen the Matthews Coach website and that looks like a fabulous option, but are there any others such as Irish Rail/Bus Bus Éireann?

Thanks a million for any help you can offer!!

Sorcha

KeithM89_old

PoniesRGr8 wrote: »

-Is Dundalk a town that is easily walkable? I do not drive, and in the place I am now living, I walk or use public transport to get around. For the times where walking is not feasible, are taxis usually available?
Yes its easily walkable - the only thing slightly out of walking distance is the retail park but its only a short taxi ride away and yes, there are plenty of taxis in town

-What does Dundalk have to offer as far as places to buy groceries/general needs? Are there places such as Penney's, Dunnes, Tesco, etc.?
It has all of the above - and theres more than one of them too


-Could you give me a rough estimate on how much a single person living alone could expect to spend on food per week? Or, if it is easier, can you simply give a comparison of the cost of food in relation to Dublin? I have spent large amounts of time in Dublin recently and am familiar with what I usually spend on groceries there.

Not too sure on this but id expect its slightly cheaper than Dublin but probably not too much

-I've been looking at some small (1BR, 1 bathroom studio type) apartments in the Dundalk area. Could you tell me how much I might expect to pay as far a my monthly utility bill? I've been resident in the States all of my life and have a good idea of what I spend per month here, but really am not sure how much to budget for utilities if I decide to move to Dundalk. Is there any sort of website that compares the rates for the major utility providers in Ireland?


Give this a read: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/categories/consumer-affairs/energy-and-water-services

-Who are the main providers of Internet access in the area, and how much should I expect to pay per month?

Eircom and digiweb are - you could pay upwards of 50euro a month for a broadband/phone bundle but note that some apartment buildings dont let you install wireless dishes and you may have to use mobile broadband from networks such as 3 or Vodafone

-How hard is it to get transportation from Dundalk to other parts of Ireland? I've seen the Matthews Coach website and that looks like a fabulous option, but are there any others such as Irish Rail/Bus Bus Éireann?

Yes theres both - Irish rail isnt cheap but the Dundalk station is fairly central and theres also Bus Eireann

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Thanks a million for any help you can offer!!

Sorcha

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Dunny

-What does Dundalk have to offer as far as places to buy groceries/general needs? Are there places such as Penney's, Dunnes, Tesco, etc.?
It has all of the above - and theres more than one of them too

There is also Lidl and Aldi