Skerries to Ballsbridge Commute

ozzy_mark

Hi Folks.

I am moving to Ireland from Australia in a few weeks with my wife and child and trying to identify somewhere to live. One of the areas we have identified is Skerries/Rush and I will be working in Ballsbridge. Whilst i know this is on the train line to Dublin (but not Ballsbridge) I would really appreciate some guidance on how practical it is to also drive this route, time to travel , congestion and so forth. Given Ballsbridge is on the Southside of Dublin it is easy to assume that living south of Dublin would make more sense, but is that the case?

Really appreciate any feedback. Mark

Banjoxed

ozzy_mark wrote: »

Hi Folks.

I am moving to Ireland from Australia in a few weeks with my wife and child and trying to identify somewhere to live. One of the areas we have identified is Skerries/Rush and I will be working in Ballsbridge. Whilst i know this is on the train line to Dublin (but not Ballsbridge) I would really appreciate some guidance on how practical it is to also drive this route, time to travel , congestion and so forth. Given Ballsbridge is on the Southside of Dublin it is easy to assume that living south of Dublin would make more sense, but is that the case?

Really appreciate any feedback. Mark

Um, Skerries is connected to Ballsbridge by rail. Lansdowne Road and Sandymount stations serve Ballsbridge.
Timetables at irishrail.ie

LXFlyer

Most trains from the Northern Line terminate at Pearse Station, but four peak hour trains continue south serving Lansdowne Road, with one northbound train in the opposite direction.

You can change to the DART train at Pearse if those times do not suit (it will operate every 10 minutes from next year).

The Northern Line current timetable is here:
http://www.irishrail.ie/media/bray_dublin_dundalk_290615.pdf?v=graurpe

schemingbohemia

What made you pick Skerries/Rush? Time and ease would suggest somewhere either more city centre or on the Southside to get to Ballsbridge. You could also look along the Dublin Bus 18 route (Kimmage, Terenure(ish) Rathgar, Ranelagh). I would think driving from Skerries/Rush to Ballsbridge would be a total head melt.

Carawaystick

schemingbohemia wrote: »

What made you pick Skerries/Rush? Time and ease would suggest somewhere either more city centre or on the Southside to get to Ballsbridge. You could also look along the Dublin Bus 18 route (Kimmage, Terenure(ish) Rathgar, Ranelagh). I would think driving from Skerries/Rush to Ballsbridge would be a total head melt.

Driving from Skerries to Balbriggan is madness. Either get the train, live somewhere else or work somewhere else.

Jem72

Driving won't work terribly well unless you're loaded enough to be able to afford the 10 euro peak hour tunnel toll. If that is the case, then it would actually be a relatively easy drive.

The train should be easy enough to Ballsbridge from Skerries. As other posters have pointed out, the city centre or south-side would be more convenient but with a child, I can see why life in Skerries might suit better. Living somewhere on the south-side convenient to a direct transport link to Ballsbridge could be quite expensive.

A major consideration to basing your commute on the train is access to the TaxSaver scheme where your employer will pay for your commuter pass. This has to be done through your employer so if they don't offer it, you'll effectively spent twice as much on your commuter if you're making more than 35k a year or so.

LXFlyer

Information on the taxsaver scheme can be found at www.taxsaver.ie

Your employer buys the ticket, and then deducts the cost from your gross pay, thus saving you on tax, PRSI and USC on the cost of the ticket.

Carawaystick

Jem72 wrote: »

Driving won't work terribly well unless you're loaded enough to be able to afford the 10 euro peak hour tunnel toll. If that is the case, then it would actually be a relatively easy drive.

You'ld surely throw in the EUR 1.75 eastlink too, in for a penny in for a pound.

OP, there's a dublin county north board, under the regional head category, which will have some info about living in Skerries.

ozzy_mark

Thanks all for the advice. We are
considering skerries as well as bray and Greystones simply because they all offer coastal living within a budget we are happy to pay - I have a young family so I need a house not an apartment which budget wise rules out Ballsbridge and the surrounds!. I didn't realise you could train right through from skerries to Ballsbridge and not knowing the area at all the drive (on paper at least) didn't appear so bad.


After further research it looks like we will be focussing more on the south of Dublin and DART from Bray/Greystomes

Banjoxed

ozzy_mark wrote: »

Thanks all for the advice. We are
considering skerries as well as bray and Greystones simply because they all offer coastal living within a budget we are happy to pay - I have a young family so I need a house not an apartment which budget wise rules out Ballsbridge and the surrounds!. I didn't realise you could train right through from skerries to Ballsbridge and not knowing the area at all the drive (on paper at least) didn't appear so bad.


After further research it looks like we will be focussing more on the south of Dublin and DART from Bray/Greystomes

Greystones would be my place of choice. Skerries is nice but Greystones and its surrounding area are just lovely.

Carawaystick

It's about 10 minutes shorter by train from Greystones than from Skerries, about the same time as Donabate

coylemj

Carawaystick wrote: »

It's about 10 minutes shorter by train from Greystones than from Skerries, about the same time as Donabate

At certain times there's virtually no difference at all. For example, a mainline train coming from Newry leaves Skerries Mon-Fri at 08:01 and arrives at Lansdowne Road at 08:47 (trip time 46 minutes). At 08:01 a northbound Dart leaves Greystones and arrives in Lansdowne Road at 08:45 (44 minutes).

by the seaside

We've moved to Skerries recently and love it. I would be looking at the direct train to Ballsbridge as advised above. Or Greystones seems like a good alternative.

I've been commuting by train to Connolly which works great, but my work is now moving to St James's Hospital and the additional LUAS trip from Connolly is making me wonder about driving.

Any thoughts from anyone on this? I'd probably be able to leave home at 6:30 a.m. if needs be and return early, but how early would I have to be for the traffic to be OK? And am I better getting the M50 round to the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, or is the M1 / N1 into town better?

Thanks

coylemj

by the seaside wrote: »

I've been commuting by train to Connolly which works great, but my work is now moving to St James's Hospital and the additional LUAS trip from Connolly is making me wonder about driving.

Parking in or near SJH could be a nightmare when they start building the new childrens' hospital. I'd ask people who work there at the moment for guidance on that one. When a large building project starts, the builder typically needs loads of free space for materials, temporary access roads, trucks, pre-fab offices and canteens etc. and this can result in a severe reduction in parking for the duration.

I recall reading that some of the objections by locals to the building of the new hospital centred on parking. That may have been to do with visitor parking, maybe staff have decent parking but better ask someone who works there.

LXFlyer

LUAS from Connolly to SJH would be about 15 minutes maximum - I'd think you'd still be pushed to beat the combined train/LUAS journey time by driving.

by the seaside

coylemj wrote: »

Parking in or near SJH could be a nightmare when they start building the new childrens' hospital. I'd ask people who work there at the moment for guidance on that one. When a large building project starts, the builder typically needs loads of free space for materials, temporary access roads, trucks, pre-fab offices and canteens etc. and this can result in a severe reduction in parking for the duration.

I recall reading that some of the objections by locals to the building of the new hospital centred on parking. That may have been to do with visitor parking, maybe staff have decent parking but better ask someone who works there.

Thanks. I have parking sorted out if I need it. It may change when the Children's Hospital is being built but I understand it doesn't even have planning permission yet.

by the seaside

lxflyer wrote: »

LUAS from Connolly to SJH would be about 15 minutes maximum - I'd think you'd still be pushed to beat the combined train/LUAS journey time by driving.

It's a bit more than that I would say. Perhaps 20 to 25, once you've walked to Busáras most of the time and waited around - and Busáras to Heuston. So by the time I've got to Skerries Station, taken the train and changed to the LUAS, I reckon I'm looking at 90 minutes. Hence why I'm wondering if I can substantially beat that by car if I travel at the right time of day.

LXFlyer

by the seaside wrote: »

It's a bit more than that I would say. Perhaps 20 to 25, once you've walked to Busáras most of the time and waited around - and Busáras to Heuston. So by the time I've got to Skerries Station, taken the train and changed to the LUAS, I reckon I'm looking at 90 minutes. Hence why I'm wondering if I can substantially beat that by car if I travel at the right time of day.

The trams leave Connolly stop every 10 minutes from 07:11 so hopefully no need to walk to Busaras.

Journey time to SJH is timetabled at 15 mins from Connolly.

LXFlyer

OK, I obviously don't know how long it will take you to get to Skerries Station, but allowing for a minimum of 10 minutes between trains arriving at Connolly and trams departing there, you are looking at journey times of between 1 hour and 1 hour 5 minutes to get from Skerries station to SJH, with only one extending to 1 hour and 9 minutes (if you're quick you might make the earlier tram in that case!!).

If you want a break down, let me know and I'll try and put it up here.

by the seaside

lxflyer wrote: »

OK, I obviously don't know how long it will take you to get to Skerries Station, but allowing for a minimum of 10 minutes between trains arriving at Connolly and trams departing there, you are looking at journey times of between 1 hour and 1 hour 5 minutes to get from Skerries station to SJH, with only one extending to 1 hour and 9 minutes (if you're quick you might make the earlier tram in that case!!).

If you want a break down, let me know and I'll try and put it up here.

Well I'll be doing the journey by train in the latter half of next week so I'll post how it works out in reality. I think the 15 minutes from Connolly to SJ is optimistic as I'm a regular on the Busáras to Heuston trip. In any case, unless there's a tram leaving Connolly immediately its quicker to walk the two minutes to Busáras.

If you're really lucky I might do a live stage by stage feed.

Still interested in views on car journey times and best routes and acceptable times of day to travel.