Commute from Bray to Donnybrook?

swht

Myself and my partner are thinking of moving to Bray. We both like the area but are just trying to get an accurate time to get to Donnybrook. We are mostly interested in the Killarney/Herbert road areas, so we were thinking the 145 bus would make most sense.

We would both be commuting during peak times and I was wondering how long this journey would take?

Annasopra

Roughly an hour

gerbilgranny

^^^^^^^ is a succinct and fairly accurate answer!

I've a few points I'd like to add, though. (I live at the (far) end of the Herbert Road so know a bit about commuting from that part of Bray).

There's a lot of variation in the length of the bus journey depending on the time of the day.

For example, if I catch a 145 bus at 6.36 a.m. from the Kilbride Lane stop (just at the Clover Hill estate), I will be at UCD at 7.05 a.m. (As I've got an annual commuter ticket, I then get the 39A to Baggot Street, arriving around 7.20 a.m.).

However, if you're starting your journey in Bray after 8.00 a.m., you're likely to get caught up in traffic going down the town (the schools traffic from 8.30 onwards is horrendous), and it'll take a good bit over an hour to get to Donnybrook.

DART is great, of course, but not exactly close to the Killarney or Herbert Roads! However, the 6.55 a.m. 45A bus that goes from Ballywaltrim to Dun Laoghaire goes via Bray DART station, and usually arrives down there in time for a train which leaves around 7.05. Again, the later you leave it, the more time the journey to the DART station will take. The 8.35 bus sometimes struggles to get down to the DART station for 9.00 a.m.

In the evenings, I get an 84X home...it stops on the N11, and is convenient for the far end of the Herbert Road. The first 84X leaves City Centre at 16.50, and I'm home around 17.45 ish. It does make a stop at Donnybrook - but you may not get a seat at that stage. 84X in the morning isn't as useful for me, due to a few reasons.



The trouble with the 145s in the evening is that they can get clogged up in traffic, and last night, for example, 3 145 buses were coming up the Herbert Road (having come from Dublin) together. They leave Heuston Station every 10 mins, but get snarled up along the way, and people must have been waiting for 30 mins for a 145 from Bray onwards yesterday evening. (The 145 finishes its journey at Kilmacanogue).

The 45 bus terminus in town is at Merrion Square, but recently it took 1 hour and 40 minutes to get from there to Bray Main Street! Crazy! The 45 Terminus in Bray is at Oldcourt Estate, off the Boghall Road, about 10 minutes walk from Kilbride Lane.

If you happened to be travelling from Dublin to Bray very late at night on Thurs-Sat nights, the €5 Finnegan's nite bus is the best option for people who live on the Killarney/Herbert Road, as it stops at Kilbride Lane - whereas Dublin Bus night service stops only in the Main Street or near the Dell Factory at the other end of the Boghall Road.

I've lived 'up here' for over 20 years, and while it's a bit of a nuiscance not being nearer the DART and the Main Street, I think the area is nice enough, and the fact that the 145 comes up here, and is so regular, is a blessing.

Bray could really do with better traffic management, so that buses don't get delayed so much when going through the town, but at least we have the choice of bus or DART, and some people connect with the LUAS at Cherrywood.

swht

Thank you both for your replies, especially Gerbilgranny as it was specifically around that area near Kilbride lane where we were focusing our search. I am glad to hear about the journey times as I think they would manageable!

gerbilgranny

Argggghhhh!

My Halcyon days are about to end...seems no more bus from Kilbride Lane to DART Station, as 45a is changing. 45 being scrapped. Changes to 84.

I should have noticed this thread before now:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=75398827

TechMe

Hi Gerbilgranny, do you know if the 84X picks up on the N11 at the bottom of the Herbert Road on the way into town in the mornings? I know it drops off there in the evenings like you said but it would be great to be able to get it in the mornings and avoid the bray traffic!

Annasopra

TechMe wrote: »

Hi Gerbilgranny, do you know if the 84X picks up on the N11 at the bottom of the Herbert Road on the way into town in the mornings? I know it drops off there in the evenings like you said but it would be great to be able to get it in the mornings and avoid the bray traffic!

no; it goes from Greystones across southern cross; through hills garage roundabout and onto n11. Fairly sure it doesn't stop between southern cross and loughlinstown

Ophiopogon

I know up until last year it used to pick up on the N11 at the Eniskerry slip road but I think they took away the bus stop.

It's a miserable place to stand in the winter though and more than once the driver didn't see me to stop.

TechMe

Thanks for the response folks. Yeah I'd heard that they don't pick up there but was I still hoping. By the time the 145 gets to Loughlinstown the life has already been sucked out of me. I sometimes drive to Sandyford and get the Luas but it works out very expensive with parking. I might try getting an earlier 145...

Ophiopogon

Tbh the 6:30 145 is not too bad. it goes fairly quick through Bray and doesn't fill up too quick.

I gave up on the 84x before they got rid of that stop as that wood you have to walk through becomes a swamp in the winter.

I use to have to get to Glasnevin every morning there is nothing worse stuck in traffic in a stuffy packed bus with wet feet.

gerbilgranny

Yes, getting the 84X at that stop wasn't always pleasant - but I'd rather we still had the choice! I found running across the (lovely new bridge) and galloping down towards the stop was bad for my nerves - never mind my knees! - because you never knew if you'd make it before the bus appeared.

But getting it home is fine for me - certainly a lot quicker than taking the buses that go through Bray. I was lucky that a 45 only took 65 minutes the other evening, but it was 80 minutes tonight. Fridays are BAD for traffic - especially around the Wilford Roundabout (where the M11 slip road comes into Bray at the northern end of the town).

However, if anyone's getting off the 84X at that stop at the Hunting/Heating goods shop (I should be more observant - I'm not sure what they sell..)..you really DO need to have a torch with you in the dark evenings, as you're taking your life in your hands when you cross the Herbert Road at the bend, when the footpath has run out! And the torch makes 'the wood' look quite picturesque.