Clonee without a car

MrMorooka

I'm looking at renting an apartment in Clonee, I think it's in the Ard Cluain development. I work in the city centre, don't own a car. I was wondering about access. I live locally enough but haven't been up to Clonee in a couple of years.

While the place is on the 70/270 route, I was wondering how feasible it is to walk the back road down to Ongar for the 39/a. Both my memory and Google maps say there is no footpath or lighting for much of the road.
Alternatively, if I were to cycle it, is there anywhere convenient I could lock it up around Ongar?

It's also about a 20 minute walk to Dunboyne station, but again- what is that road like to walk? Though I imagine that is a better cycle route as I can lock up at the station. Though the train is not really convenient since I would have to change at Clonsilla, and then a fair walk from Pearse anyway to get to work.

Thanks in advance.

MrMorooka

Sorry, can't edit my post, but what I meant to ask was whether the back road from Ongar to Clonee has been improved at all since the Google maps images- in terms of adding a footpath/lights etc. Or if you walk it, is it safe, that kind of thing.

Orobhsa

About 200m after Clonee there is no footpath or lights for about a mile until you get to Ongar.

What about heading the other way - from Clonee towards Littlepace. About same distance I'd say.

MrMorooka

Yeah, that is an option, but it's 10 minutes further walk to a 39/a bus stop that way. If the place was on the east side of the village it would make much more sense. But like you say, if the back road is in that condition that is probably my best option.

Larbre34

I wouldnt try and leave a bike around Ongar or at Clonsilla station anyway.

billie1b

Ard Cluain to Dunboyne train station is not a bad road, its the old Navan road for about 750mts then you're a left onto station road, I cycle that route quite often. Most the roads around that whole area are good for cycling. This would be your route and your best option for the train, you could always go Dunboyne to the Docklands and then a Luas into the city instead of the train change, would be less hassle I think.

MrMorooka

Unfortunately the train is really the lesser option for me, my office is south east of SSG so a Luas to the O'Connell street area isn't much use, while the office is directly on the 39/a/37/70/38 corridor, and I have a taxsaver yearly ticket for the bus. Just didn't fancy relying only on the 70- I have seen that is can be extremely unreliable with late and cancelled departures from the city centre in the evening, on top of the fairly low frequency.

billie1b

MrMorooka wrote: »

Unfortunately the train is really the lesser option for me, my office is south east of SSG so a Luas to the O'Connell street area isn't much use, while the office is directly on the 39/a/37/70/38 corridor, and I have a taxsaver yearly ticket for the bus. Just didn't fancy relying only on the 70- I have seen that is can be extremely unreliable with late and cancelled departures from the city centre in the evening, on top of the fairly low frequency.

My brother lives in Littlepace, im further up in Ongar, he swears by the 70 to get in and out of the city to work, he says its more reliable that the 39's

slfcarro5

MrMorooka wrote: »

Unfortunately the train is really the lesser option for me, my office is south east of SSG so a Luas to the O'Connell street area isn't much use, while the office is directly on the 39/a/37/70/38 corridor, and I have a taxsaver yearly ticket for the bus. Just didn't fancy relying only on the 70- I have seen that is can be extremely unreliable with late and cancelled departures from the city centre in the evening, on top of the fairly low frequency.

I used to live in Dunboyne and the 70 is a fairly reliable service. In the mornings when I used to get the bus there was one every 15 minutes between 70, 70X and 70As. However during the day they are scarce enough. I cycle that road between ongar and clonee on the way home from work and its very dark with no verge to even walk on. I wouldnt walk it in the evenings if it were me.

Polar101

39a takes around 20 minutes to even get to the shopping centre from Ongar, so that would be a pretty slow option for someone living in Clonee. The 70 would most likely be quite a bit faster. I guess you could also take the 270 to the shopping centre and then switch to a 39a, rather than getting on in Ongar - just to have an alternative to the 70.

I wouldn't recommend cycling to Ongar for the bus (no place to leave the bike, at least I can't think of a place), but maybe it would make some sense to cycle to the shopping centre - would probably take about 15 minutes.

daymobrew

A folding bike that you can use to get to Clonsilla train station and then from Pearse to the office.
This may not be a great idea as you already have the annual bus ticket.

MarieOC

From where I am in Littlepace, I've a about the same walk to either the 70 or the 39/39A stop and I would get the 70 over the 39A every time. Far more reliable and no detour into Blanch. The only time I'd get the 39A is at the weekend, or in the evenings when I've stayed late in work and the 70 is only every hour

fletch

The 39 bus stop is less than a 2 minute walk from my house but I'd rather walk the 10 mins to get to the 70 bus stop....I don't know about reliability as I rarely get the bus but it's so much more pleasant than the 39/39a which take ages just to get out of Blanch...at least the 70 is straight on to the bypass/N3

Twizzler

Although the point has been made already, I'd just like to add my thoughts on any possibility of walking the back road from Clonee to Ongar - please don't do it. Ever. No matter how tempted you are. I was out on a run once from Dunboyne to Ongar, injured my foot near Clonee and was forced to hobble down that back road just to get home to Ongar, the Littlepace way being too long when injured. I thought that walk/hobble would never end. The frequency of cars down that road is much higher than you'd think when you're driving it, which is pretty shxtty when you're trying to walk on a ditch for most of the way (you can of course walk on the road itself, but some of the cars came too close for comfort when I did that - so I ended up practically hugging the ditch!). You rarely see anyone walking on that road, and there's a reason for that. Conversely, if you ever drive from Ongar to Dunboyne via the back roads, you'll see a lot of walkers and runners on it - but it's not quite as busy traffic wise (even though that road has a lot of twists and visibility issues and I personally wouldn't walk or run it in a fit). I also would not leave a bike in Ongar.

Sorry, I know that's not much help as regards concrete advice on planning your journey, but I just thought I'd give you my thoughts on one of the questions you asked as someone who's seen a lot of that road! It would be a huge advantage if they put a footpath in from Summerseat to the roundabout at Ongar.

ongarboy

Funny I was just thinking the same last night coming back from Dunboyne as I notice they've extended the footpath in Clonee out to the new development on the Clonsilla road. It wouldn't be that much extra length to create a footpath down to the roundabout at Ongar. Similar already exists between Dunboyne and Clonee.

It would really open up the linkage between the two communities if you wanted to stroll into Clonee for a pint or pop into Lidl for a few small things. Likewise over to Dunnes for Clonee folks that don't have a car or fancy a stroll. 15 minute walk maybe?