Riverstown v Dromahair?

Frenchbebe

Hi all, debating between these two villages to move to and need help.
Have lived in Dromahair and really liked it. However, the local roads aren't great at all. But it has a lot in terms of community and primary school. Riverstown seems to have the same community spirit and primary school etc...
We've narrowed it down to these villages due to cost... can't afford to buy a house nearer to Sligo such as in Collooney or Strandhill. Well, we could but we don't want to buy a 3 bed semi-d as we're already a family of four and it would be a poor investment. Whereas in Riverstown and Dromahair, we can get a lot more for our small budget.

Anyway, am looking for any insight people might have into these areas... experience of living there or experience of commuting from these villages. Or life as a non-native in the area!
Many thanks.

Carson10

Hi there.

I live quiet close to Dromahair and use the Ballintogher road. Dromahair is a beautiful village. The only issue is the roads, while they are not in bad condition, it is a good 20 minute drive out winding road whichever side of the lake you go.

The main question you need to answer for either Village is why are you moving there other than the price of the house? Theres no point moving to either if you dont have a love for the country side.

Second question regards your family kids. Are they young or old? If they are say very young as in primary school, Dromahair is idylic for raising young kids, however if they are teenagers not so good an option. Anything they'l want to do for example going to the cinema in sligo will involve going on an hour round trip to leave them off. Same for secondary school. Will they go to Sligo or Manorhamilton?

The house may be cheaper in Dromahair, but in reality if you have 2 cars and are in and out to sligo, both of them will definitely spend E100 per week on petrol/diesel thats E200 a week.

I have to be honest some days i feel dizzy going in and out that road.

whatswhat

From a commuting aspect I dont think you can go wrong with Riverstown. As its just off the main N4 road, its great access for all directions really. Love Dromohair though, head out that way for picnics in good weather but would not want to negotiate some of those roads in Winter!! Good Luck with your decision anyway:)

Carson10

whatswhat wrote: »

From a commuting aspect I dont think you can go wrong with Riverstown. As its just off the main N4 road, its great access for all directions really. Love Dromohair though, head out that way for picnics in good weather but would not want to negotiate some of those roads in Winter!! Good Luck with your decision anyway:)

Thats True. Riverstown has a good road most of the way out and only about 10 mins from Collooney or even pop to Carrick on Shannon. Its even more rural than Dromahair and didnt suffer from any ghost estates.

thebuzz

Joseph Ndo lives in Riverstown so you don't need any more reason to live there. Lock thread.

mountainy man

thebuzz wrote: »

Joseph Ndo lives in Riverstown so you don't need any more reason to live there. Lock thread.

Who he?

overshoot

plays for sligo rovers and picked up 20something caps for cameroon till he fell out with the management. getting on in years but still a top player.
was actually on the bench v ireland in the 02wc
*soccer lesson over... cant help with the villages, dont know sth sligo too well

thebuzz

mountainy man wrote: »

Who he?

Mods, surely this is a bannable offence?

genie

thebuzz wrote: »

Mods, surely this is a bannable offence?

Well, you'll have to ban me, too, because I've never heard of him either. :rolleyes: I have no interest in Sligo Rovers or football at all.

Back on topic, Riverstown isn't a bad village but it only has one vastly overpriced grocery shop, and the bus only passes through once a week. On the plus side, it has two schools and a secondary school only a couple of miles away.

Ham Sambo

I'd stick to Dromahair, Its a fantastic village and closer to Sligo than Riverstown, I found the people in Riverstown resentful to anybody who is not local moving into their town. The local secondry school believe me is no reason to move to Riverstown

genie

Ham Sambo wrote: »

I'd stick to Dromahair, Its a fantastic village and closer to Sligo than Riverstown, I found the people in Riverstown resentful to anybody who is not local moving into their town. The local secondry school believe me is no reason to move to Riverstown

Well, if you think Riverstown is resentful to non-locals then you'd better never ever set foot in Geevagh!

I never said that the local secondary school was a reason to move to Riverstown, it is simply that Riverstown has a local secondary school and Dromahaire does not.

thebuzz

Ham Sambo wrote: »

I found the people in Riverstown resentful to anybody who is not local moving into their town.

Well practically all of the Sligo Rovers players live there and they're not from there. Ndo is like a local there now, they love him there.

DULLAHAN2

Ham Sambo wrote: »

I found the people in Riverstown resentful to anybody who is not local moving into their town.

How So?

sligono1

i think every small village in the country has a bit of resentfulness to anybody who is not local,its small town syndrome.

just thinking outside of the box for a minute what about some where like Carney, Grange or Cliffoney good roads near sligo and good facilitys and the countryside isnt too bad down there either.

Frenchbebe

We were thinking south Sligo as it's nearer to relatives in Ballisodare and husband's work. However, Dromahair is a 25 min spin to see them, which clocks up the miles. Riverstown won't be much better in that respect. But in Riverstown we can afford a detached house but in Dromahair it would be a detached house in an estate which will probably not be resellable if we wanted to move in a few years. Stressballs.

Kids are toddlers so primary school is my only concern for the next decade

I haven't heard good reports re Coolaney. Collooney seems ok but again would be in an estate which we might not be able to get out of.

Thanks for the honest replies... still struggling to find somewhere nice to live within budget. I swear the staff at Daft must think I'm some sort of stalker! But can't find any other source of houses. uuugh

House prices in Sligo are very overpriced. I could get better houses 50 mins from Dublin for the same price. The market must be very slow here as some sellers are just not getting the message that prices have dropped. And that banks aren't giving out a whole lot of money - trust me, I know all about it!

genie

sligono1 wrote: »

i think every small village in the country has a bit of resentfulness to anybody who is not local,its small town syndrome.

My family (all non-locals) moved to the Riverstown area (not the village) and we never experienced any outright resentment and we integrated (if that's the correct word) very well. This was pre-Celtic tiger and the only new development in the village were the houses on the Diamond so I don't know how people who now live in the other housing developments are regarded and treated and attitudes may have changed in recent years, which would be a great shame.

The Geevagh area where I now live, on the other hand is completely different. There is outright resentment to newcomers - not just me but every non-local/national that I know - newcomers are not just resented, they are ignored and in some cases there is outright nastiness directed towards them by the locals so I can only urge housebuyers to avoid this village and area at all costs.

magnumlady

I've never heard of yer man either so I'll have to ban myself.

red sean

[QUOTE=magnumlady;78618969]I've never heard of yer man either so I'll have to ban myself. [/QUOTE]

Sorry to see you go M'lady, but this is unforgiveable.

However, if you were to go the Showgrounds for the game against Shams tomorrow, it would help in mitigation.

Ham Sambo

DULLAHAN2 wrote: »

How So?

It’s a case of ‘small town syndrome’, I found this to be true in the local shop in Riverstown, I was asked twenty questions by a very polite but nosey shop assistant, butchers was the same and so was the post office. I found that if you appeared to do well for yourself they resent it and if you haven’t an arse in your trousers they have sympathy for you.

thebuzz

Frenchbebe wrote: »

I haven't heard good reports re Coolaney. Collooney seems ok

You sure it wasn't the other way around?

Ham Sambo

thebuzz wrote: »

You sure it wasn't the other way around?

I have lived in Collooney and have found it just ok, depends what part of Collooney you live in, Coolaney on the other hand in a diffrent kettle of fish, most of the estates are not a great place to bring up kids, you can't let them out to play without watching them the whole time, We have two tots and I would hate to bring them up in Coolaney, Thankfully we only go there to visit friends.

MrsMcNearly

I am a non native ( non football loving ....) living in Riverstown and have no regrets. My experience is that the people around here look out for each other, some may be inquisitive about new comers but sur if you have no secrets what does it matter! However I do think that if you get involved with whats going on .... tidy towns, play ground clean up, annual cycle - people appreciate that. Like anywhere you get back what you put in.

The play ground is great for kids and the park (football pitches) is an amazing asset. Colooney is only up the road if you want to avoid the local shop The commute is an easy drive - sometimes its nice to clear the head after work before you get home.

Also R'town was not over developed so a few vacant houses but no ghost estates. Good luck with your decision!

Frenchbebe

That's probably the most positive thing I've heard about Riverstown! I took a stroll around the village and my daughter loved the playground alright But overall the feedback seems to be quite negative and it has left me a bit disappointed as I had seen a house I quite liked. And the playschool and primary school seem nice.
Am happy to join groups, don't fancy sitting at home on my own all the time!

Is Coolaney as bad as I've heard also? Heard the pubs are loud at weekends and estates can be a bit rough

GG66

Frenchbebe wrote: »

That's probably the most positive thing I've heard about Riverstown! I took a stroll around the village and my daughter loved the playground alright But overall the feedback seems to be quite negative and it has left me a bit disappointed as I had seen a house I quite liked. And the playschool and primary school seem nice.
Am happy to join groups, don't fancy sitting at home on my own all the time!

Hi Frenchbebe, I find the negative comments here about Riverstown to be without any solid backing. Any small village will have small village traits. Some people don't like others being nosy (20 questions from a friendly shopkeeper), I just treat it as them being interested in me and respond accordingly.

I know quite a few people living around Riverstown, there's a great community ethos there including tidy towns. There are over 100 volunteers every christmas in the folk park raising money for the locality. If you have the right attitude and get involved you'll get on fine. If you want to mind your own business you'll equally be let do so. There are classes like yoga, karate in the local community hall. There are also quite a lot of non natives living around there.

It's only 10 minutes from your relatives in balisodare and if your husband works in Sligo the commute is 15-20 mins. You're 15 minutes from the Forest park in Boyle and 20 mins from the beach at strandhill. You also have access to Lough arrow (10 mins) away.

Shopping & parking in Sligo can be a pain, you can shop in carrick on shannon at tesco or lidl with easy parking and the same distance.

Don't write if off due to a few bad remarks here. If you have a nice detached house in a nice village and you're interested in meeting the locals then you'll be grand

mky17

Ham Sambo wrote: »

I have lived in Collooney and have found it just ok, depends what part of Collooney you live in, Coolaney on the other hand in a diffrent kettle of fish, most of the estates are not a great place to bring up kids, you can't let them out to play without watching them the whole time, We have two tots and I would hate to bring them up in Coolaney, Thankfully we only go there to visit friends.

Not quite sure what "estates" you visit but i live there with 3 small kids for the past 4 years i might add and i "HAVE NO PROBLEM BRINGING THEM UP THERE" thank you very much and yes i can let them out without watching them the "WHOLE TIME" - i do note you say some estates.....however dont brand the whole village with your experience of one of yr visit to friends. - and just to add i have friends in 3 other estates in coolaney and they also have no problems - all the people seem very nice....

DULLAHAN2

http://riverstowntidytowns.com

http://arrowharps.com/

http://www.shamrockgaels.com/

http://sligofolkpark.com/

http://comhaltas.ie/locations/detail/morrisonteachcheoil/

A few websites there showing what riverstown has to offer in terms of community spirit. A village like that wouldnt be able to do so much for the community if people didnt welcome new residents to the area. Riverstown is a great place to live and bring up kids. I dont understand this negativity round it.

DULLAHAN2

Ham Sambo wrote: »

It’s a case of ‘small town syndrome’, I found this to be true in the local shop in Riverstown, I was asked twenty questions by a very polite but nosey shop assistant, butchers was the same and so was the post office. I found that if you appeared to do well for yourself they resent it and if you haven’t an arse in your trousers they have sympathy for you.

But is that not what people do? ask questions to see what they are like try to make them more welcome when they are next in the shop.

Ham Sambo

mky17 wrote: »

Not quite sure what "estates" you visit but i live there with 3 small kids for the past 4 years i might add and i "HAVE NO PROBLEM BRINGING THEM UP THERE" thank you very much and yes i can let them out without watching them the "WHOLE TIME" - i do note you say some estates.....however dont brand the whole village with your experience of one of yr visit to friends. - and just to add i have friends in 3 other estates in coolaney and they also have no problems - all the people seem very nice....

Hi Mky17, I can only speak for two estates that I have visited and any anti-social behaviour that I had witnessed came from people that were not from Coolaney area. They were from Sligo town and England, Forgive my spelling but ‘Ard Lainge’ and Radhairc na hAbhainn are the two estates that I am referring to in Coolaney.