Athy

marycob

Hi there

I am a newbie to posting on boards.ie - although I do refer to it a lot for advice etc. I have recently been approved for a mortgage (not a large amount unfortunately) and I am looking to get on the property ladder. I live in Celbridge and absolutely love it but cannot afford to buy there & as much as it pains me to say this I will have to look further a field to stay within budget. I still need to be within commuting distance to Dublin city centre.

Now I know Athy does not get a great write up which is most likely why property is so cheap, but has there been any improvements to the town at all within the last year? There are some stunning properties for sale out that way and all within my reach financially but I am reluctant because of all the negative press!!

Any feedback from Athy natives & especially from people who have moved there recently would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a mil

rameire

here are links to other threads about Athy

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056651084

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055719200

I live in Athy,
Never had a problem,
its like anywhere, people will have good and bad experiences,

new things that will hopefully coming down the line in Athy,
Southern Distributor road. ( " supposedly given funding " )
A lidl Rebuild, ( planning app in )
new Aldi shop ( planning app in )
a new Tesco ( planning app in )

marycob

Hi Rameire

Thank you for the feedback. I did see the other threads about Athy but they are a little old so I just wanted to see if anybody's feelings towards the town had changed at all.

Would you say the town is friendly or is there hostility towards 'outsiders'...I lived in a town years back like this and I do not want to repeat the experience! Any parts of Athy to avoid buying in? (If I'm putting anybody on the spot here please pm me...I don't want to cause any friction)

rameire

I Believe the town is friendly,
I am an outsider ( from Dublin ) and no hostility to me ever,
The town is rich in sporting activities, so everybody gets to mingle with everyone through sport.

I live in Coneyboro, and most people interact and are friendly with each other.
I would prefer the Dublin Side of the town, than the Kilkenny side.

Pablod and Yawns also live in Coneyboro and will hopefully jump in and share information.

marycob

Thanks again for the feedback Rameire - I've actually seen a house in Coneyboro & one in Grangemellon - I have to say most of the houses look lovely but I'm not familiar with Athy so don't want to rush into anything. It's a shame there's no Aldi but at least there's lidl! I will also have to factor in the cost of travel to work in Dublin as my job won't participate in the tax saver scheme & there doesn't appear to be a bus eireann service. From what I can see online a monthly irishrail ticket is €290 per month...lots of things to consider

rameire

The number 7 Bus Eireann goes through Athy to Dublin,
so does JJ Kavanagh.

marycob

I did see that although from looking at the timetable the earliest departure is 10am - I will look up JJ Kavanagh - never thought of them tbh.

Emme

marycob wrote: »

Thanks again for the feedback Rameire - I've actually seen a house in Coneyboro & one in Grangemellon - I have to say most of the houses look lovely but I'm not familiar with Athy so don't want to rush into anything. It's a shame there's no Aldi but at least there's lidl! I will also have to factor in the cost of travel to work in Dublin as my job won't participate in the tax saver scheme & there doesn't appear to be a bus eireann service. From what I can see online a monthly irishrail ticket is €290 per month...lots of things to consider

Anyone I know who lives in Athy is miserable and can't wait to get out. From what I've heard people are very unfriendly. It's easier to integrate if you have a family than if you are single. The best thing would be to seek out other "blow-ins". The town is hugely resistant to progress and change and these is very little to do in the evenings if you're doing long tiring commutes. The train service to Athy is very poor and infrequent. Most of the shops would be closed when you get back from work apart from Lidl.

You're looking at an annual rail cost of €2,900 and you will be spending at least 2 hours a day traveling - that's the guts of 12 hours a week. Fuel seems to cost more in Athy than anywhere else in the country - there appears to be a cartel operating there to keep prices up.

Property may be cheaper in Athy but add on the cost of a commute and it's not so cheap. Grangemellon might be a good place to buy for the simple reason that it's on the road to Carlow. You could do your shopping in Carlow - there are far more amenities there than in Athy. Carlow is 10 minutes down the train line from Athy and has more amenities. Most people I know who live in Athy would shop in Carlow, Kildare town, Newbridge or Naas.

There is also a very high crime rate in Athy and the surrounding countryside but all rural Ireland is much the same.

Athy will probably be at it's best this weekend with the annual Tri-Athy triathlon, but apart from that it's to be avoided.

Rameire - you're being very optimistic

"new things that will hopefully coming down the line in Athy,
Southern Distributor road. ( " supposedly given funding " )
A lidl Rebuild, ( planning app in )
new Aldi shop ( planning app in )
a new Tesco ( planning app in )"

The Lidl rebuild planning app keeps getting put off as does planning permission for the Aldi. I wouldn't hold my breath for the Tesco or the Southern Distributor road either. There are dark forces in Athy which prevent any progress taking place. This is to keep overpriced cobwebby local businesses safe from competition. Dunnes and other similar businesses tried to get into Athy and failed.

Rothmans

marycob wrote: »

I did see that although from looking at the timetable the earliest departure is 10am - I will look up JJ Kavanagh - never thought of them tbh.

A 130 leaves Athy at 6.45am on weekdays, and you get a connection in Naas.

http://www.buseireann.ie/pdf/1250602070-130.pdf

rameire

Tesco has been granted
file 13/300018 as of 26th may
woo hoo

burstbuckle

Have you considered portarlington.3 bedroom houses going for between €75- €85k. 15 mins from m7 motorway & excellent train service to Dublin in about 50 mins. Good little town too.

marycob

Thanks for all the replies guys I appreciate it. Looking at the cost of travel my other half doesn't think a move to Athy would be worth it...so I'll have to bin the idea for now. I hadn't considered Portarlington, I just don't know enough about the town but I'll look into it. I really would love to stay around Celbridge, Kilcock, Sallins even but the property seems to be getting more and more expensive there.

Good to hear Tesco has got the go ahead in Athy...why are they so resistant to change in the town? I don't understand it, surely the more businesses that open up the more jobs it creates.

rameire

certain businesses just dont want any other business to open in the town
they have held the town to ransom over the last 30 years, objecting to the ring road and new buildings.

blackbird98

Emme wrote: »

Anyone I know who lives in Athy is miserable and can't wait to get out. From what I've heard people are very unfriendly. ..................The town is hugely resistant to progress and change and these is very little to do in the evenings if you're doing long tiring commutes. ..............Fuel seems to cost more in Athy than anywhere else in the country - there appears to be a cartel operating there to keep prices up.................

Athy will probably be at it's best this weekend with the annual Tri-Athy triathlon, but apart from that it's to be avoided.

Rameire - you're being very optimistic

There are dark forces in Athy which prevent any progress taking place. This is to keep overpriced cobwebby local businesses safe from competition. Dunnes and other similar businesses tried to get into Athy and failed.

I'd love to know where you get your information...........talk about conspiracy theories!!!!

all your friends are miserable and cant wait to get out? maybe they really should, ASAP, it might make the town a happier place!!

Locals are very friendly, maybe it's the people you know that aren't!!

Dark forces???? enough said lol

Athy is your typical small country town, with most shops closing at normal times, 6oc, with the exception of grocery stores, filling stations, etc. There are lots of clubs, groups and organisations within the town, if people wish to get involved. Regarding crime, I don't see Athy as being any different than most other towns, believe it or not, you can actually walk the streets any time without being mugged, attacked, or whatever else you fear!!

Athy is progressive, within the limitations of planning permissions, not because the people don't want it!! We probably have the best selection of modern schools in the county. As a resident of Athy, I have never had any problems with my neighbours or issues with robberies, muggings, etc. My children grew up and went to school here, they come home regularly to socialise and have never had any complaints.

I am involved in a few different clubs / groups in the town, love it, and have no intention of leaving!!

Maybe you should stay in Athy for a while to make your own assessment, instead of basing your comments on hearsay!!

NEDDURC

marycob wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies guys I appreciate it. Looking at the cost of travel my other half doesn't think a move to Athy would be worth it...so I'll have to bin the idea for now. I hadn't considered Portarlington, I just don't know enough about the town but I'll look into it. I really would love to stay around Celbridge, Kilcock, Sallins even but the property seems to be getting more and more expensive there.

Good to hear Tesco has got the go ahead in Athy...why are they so resistant to change in the town? I don't understand it, surely the more businesses that open up the more jobs it creates.

The option that burstbuckle suggests of Portarlington (or Monasterevin / Kildare) might be worth lookiing into as you are on the same train line as Sallins and Hazelhatch / Celbridge.

burstbuckle

& as portarlington is where the train line splits for Galway & cork it's served by about 2 trains to dublin an hour.theres plenty of people from Dublin & kildare living here & house prices are very cheap at the moment. I was looking at athy before deciding on here. Also it's 45 mins drive to new lands cross nearly all of it motorway

Cork Skate

marycob wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies guys I appreciate it. Looking at the cost of travel my other half doesn't think a move to Athy would be worth it...so I'll have to bin the idea for now. I hadn't considered Portarlington, I just don't know enough about the town but I'll look into it. I really would love to stay around Celbridge, Kilcock, Sallins even but the property seems to be getting more and more expensive there.

Good to hear Tesco has got the go ahead in Athy...why are they so resistant to change in the town? I don't understand it, surely the more businesses that open up the more jobs it creates.

Sorry to hear you aren't gonig to Athy. We've moved here recently and find no issues with the town at all. The crime rate is a myth it seems, and there seems to be a bit of a stigma attributed to the town for a couple of decades now and it seems to be entirely unjustified. Its not the only town in Ireland to have that problem, and wont be the last.

There is a huge amount going for the town, the potential is great. The planning issues etc. I cant really say I'm all the knowledgeable on but there have been a number of shops opened up in the last year or so and more to come as well. I think every town has that problem, and Athy is by no means the worst in that regards either, in fact its probably above average.

As someone else said, it is easier to integrate if you have family, but there is stuff to do if you don't as well, like anywhere else you have to seek it out, and like anywhere the more effort you put in the more you get out of it. Anyone who has lived in a big city for a few years will tell you that is a big issue, so with respect to Athy its actually great here, with both locals and 'blow-ins' alike. Its what you make of it.

And on Emme's comments, glass half full/empty/wrong glass/whatever, I think perspective and outlook is always better if you're positive. If you're in a group of people who are all miserable, climbing up the walls, and refuse to use http://www.whatgas.com/ie/ or www.pumps.ie to find cheaper fuel then its going to be negative. I suppose I just don't subscribe to that mindset so i'll always take that kind of opinion with a pinch of salt, and not just on this topic, for everything.

sovereign121

Supervalu closed down. Yahoo. More progress for the bustling town of Athy. Damn the sound of tumbleweeds is keeping me awake

sovereign121

all your friends are miserable and cant wait to get out? maybe they really should, ASAP, it might make the town a happier place!!

No it won't

Locals are very friendly, maybe it's the people you know that aren't!!



Regarding crime, I don't see Athy as being any different than most other towns, believe it or not, you can actually walk the streets any time without being mugged, attacked, or whatever else you fear!!

Within a month of moving here I had my car destroyed because of scummy neighbours and this was in one of the more decent estates

2 months ago on a Monday night a group of lads decided to have a brawl on the street at 11pm and smash a shop window in with a beer keg. Very safe for walking your dog indeed.

In the last 4 years since I moved here there have been 3 murders.

Athy is progressive.

They closed down supervalu dude. The main street is awash with tumble weeds


Maybe you should stay in Athy for a while to make your own assessment, instead of basing your comments on hearsay!![/quote]
I HAVE SPENT 4 YEARS HERE. WHEN IS THE PLACE DUE TO GET BETTER????

Cork Skate

sovereign121 wrote: »

I HAVE SPENT 4 YEARS HERE. WHEN IS THE PLACE DUE TO GET BETTER????

You need to move to another place.

sovereign121

Cork Skate wrote: »

You need to move to another place.

High tailing it back to Cork

Yawns

I'm from Dublin originally.

Been more than 4 murders there in the last 4 years.

It's as shame about Super Valu closing but it was 2 mins from another Super Valu which actually had a proper car park. The SV that closed, could hold what 10 cars? It's a bit of a no brainer as to why one SV did better than the other.

You've seen one place get smashed up. Wow. Tallaght just isn't a Friday or Saturday without some window smashing going on.

Seriously dude, we know you have a problem with the place. Move then. It's not the best place in Ireland to live, but try living in Longford town or Tallaght and see how you get on. There's worse places and there's better places. Athy, just like everywhere, has it's good and it's bad.

It's got a lot of very goodand quite new modern schools. It's got a bad park. It's recently closed a supermarket but still has 3 big ones and another granted planning permission. It's got an awful traffic problem at rush hours, show me a town that doesn't. It's in a central location to several large towns suchs as Carlow, Laois, Kildare, Naas, Newbridge. It's got buses and trains that run more often to Dublin than Ballymahon. It's got a lot of small shops, pubs as usual and a gym with pool.

Yeah, you don't like it. But more fool you for staying in a place you hate and despise. I hated Tallaght. I moved. I didn't like Ballymahon or Longford, so I moved. Athy is fine. Lots and lots of green fields to walk the dogs. Walk down by the river. Just use some common sense like elsewhere you would and not walk down the river or in the park at night, because you shouldn't be doing that anywhere in Ireland, not just Athy.