Midleton V Cobh - best place to live

Zelda247

Any thoughts on this?

roundymac

Both are rail connected, one has a sea view, the other one dos'nt. That's my tuppence worth anyway.

goochy

Cobh isn't that far from city but can feel a bit isolated as it's out of the way - it's not in between anywhere.
midleton is decent town but quite middle class and doesn't have decent pubs or feeling of community. It's known for being clannish.
I live in youghal - not from there - it's 40mins to little island and a bit more to city.
lovely people - I should know as blow in - great pubs and good places to eat. Plenty of supermarkets
distance from city and amount of empty shops in main street are only bad points.

pwurple

I think midleton has a better community feel, cobh is a bit touristy. Cobh is a radon hotspot as far as i remember, so if you do live there, no harm to get it tested.

Zelda247

Is Cobh a bit rough?

Milly33

Id go Midleton much nicer, but depends on work and all.. Cobh can be rather rough alright

Zelda247

Milly33 wrote: »

Id go Midleton much nicer, but depends on work and all.. Cobh can be rather rough alright

We are both retired so work is not a problem but it would be nice to be near a big city and live in a lively town.

Milly33

Mmm dya know tis a tough call.. I suppose Cobh would be more tourist style..Midleton isnt exaclty beautiful either..Have ye looked maybe at Clon! Theres a loverly spot now, great little town. Close to beaches, great nightlife and loverly people

Zelda247

Milly33 wrote: »

Mmm dya know tis a tough call.. I suppose Cobh would be more tourist style..Midleton isnt exaclty beautiful either..Have ye looked maybe at Clon! Theres a loverly spot now, great little town. Close to beaches, great nightlife and loverly people

Yes have looked at Clon and it is indeed a terrific town but transport links to city are better from Cobh and Midleton.

Milly33

I see... mmm Dya know id nearly go Cobh , it has lots of things happening there and you have the nice walks, drive in cinema not too far away (i suppose ye need a car for that) but Id say at this stage they would have more to offer than Midelton.. The last time we went down there and walked the main street during the day it was pubd, bookies, pubs, bookies didnt look nice at all

.red.

I wouldnt be certain on this but Middleton is probably (just about) closer to the city than Cobh, in minutes by car anyway. All depends on where your living in either town tho I suppose. The road from Cobh to N20 is poor and, i think prone to flooding.
On the plus side Cobh is really nice, a very pretty little town. I wouldnt live there tho and that view is shared by a lot of people, dunno wether its snobbery or what. Anyone i know that lives there bought houses cos they were cheaper than other places and 5/10 years on are well settled in and happy down there. It has pretty much anything you could need.
As does Middleton tho, and altho not as nice for a day trip as Cobh, for me anyway, it would be a much nicer place to live.
It wouldnt even be a close decision.

goochy

OP u put up a thread before similar to this up. . I suggested youghal then also. But u don't seem to consider it at all . Can I ask why ?

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Midleton all the way OP. Cobh is a bit rough and doesn't have a very good rep generally.

goochy

Midleton might be good for rearing families but it's very dull. Terrible for pubs.

Bacchus

Hey OP, my wife and I just moved to Castlemartyr so Middleton is our main town now. Initial feel of the place is positive. There's plenty of shops & cafes including independent places. There's great little health food shop off the main street. Farm Gate is a treasure (also just off the main street). There's a great farmers market on Saturdays too in a square at the end of the main street. Parking hasn't been a problem so far so we find it very handy to get in/out and do a few bits in town.

I'm not sure why Milly33 thinks Midleton is all pubs and bookies though. The main street certainly isn't like that... I noticed a bookies alright (but what town in Ireland doesn't have one) but didn't particularly notice any unsavory looking pubs.

In terms of location, you're close to the city with transport links and you're close to the coast in east Cork (plenty of nice spots around if we ever see sunshine again).

I don't know much about Cobh to be honest. I've visited once or twice in the past decade but I've never warmed to the place.

pwurple

Didn't realise you were retired. Defo midleton. The hills are a disaster long term in cobh.

etoughguy

I know its not what you asked but have you considered Carrigtohill? I lived there for 5 years and loved it
I know Midleton and Cobh well and if I was me I would go with Cobh, no major reason really its six of one half dozen the other.

Zelda247

goochy wrote: »

OP u put up a thread before similar to this up. . I suggested youghal then also. But u don't seem to consider it at all . Can I ask why ?

Looking at Youghal, seems nice but is it a bit quiet? Also it does not have the train line to Cork city which is a bonus.

goochy

Far from quiet. Loads of busy pubs. Great holiday atmosphere in summer . I help organise festivals which are on throughout the year. U have dungarvan and Ardmore close by too. People are much friendlier than midleton which is known as clannish.
only thing is if u and your partner were looking to go socialising in city and having a drink I would be stuck for transport.

j8wk2feszrnpao

From conversations with a Gardai buddy, Cobh is a bit rough. But then again it prob depends on where you're settling into the area. He doesn't always have great things to say about Youghal either, but like Cobh, it'd prob depend on location within.

My own experience (from only visiting both places) would be to give the edge towards Middleton. Good transport links, near the dual carriageway into Cork, plenty of shops and options, and a lot flatter than Cobh (if that would impact you). I can't speak for the night life, but the odd night I've gone there, it's lively enough.

I reckon, if you have the transport and the time, visit both places as much as you can before moving and see for yourself.

Zelda247

pwurple wrote: »

Didn't realise you were retired. Defo midleton. The hills are a disaster long term in cobh.

Yes we are retired, glad you mentioned the hills, my poor husband has a lot of trouble with his knees so hills not a great idea:)

Zelda247

munstermagic11 wrote: »

From conversations with a Gardai buddy, Cobh is a bit rough. But then again it prob depends on where you're settling into the area. He doesn't always have great things to say about Youghal either, but like Cobh, it'd prob depend on location within.

My own experience (from only visiting both places) would be to give the edge towards Middleton. Good transport links, near the dual carriageway into Cork, plenty of shops and options, and a lot flatter than Cobh (if that would impact you). I can't speak for the night life, but the odd night I've gone there, it's lively enough.

I reckon, if you have the transport and the time, visit both places as much as you can before moving and see for yourself.

Thank you so much, yes the transport links are a factor as I don't drive and a trip into Cork city would be a treat for me on my own. We plan to go up to visit both places during the next month.

Rhys Essien

Midleton would be the best choice.Its the main town for East Cork.It has everything and is not too far from places like Ballycotton,Inch,Rostellan and Whitegate which are great for a walk.

You said before in the other thread that your budget is 160k.You should have a bit of choice there for that money.

Zelda247

Rhys Essien wrote: »

Midleton would be the best choice.Its the main town for East Cork.It has everything and is not too far from places like Ballycotton,Inch,Rostellan and Whitegate which are great for a walk.

You said before in the other thread that your budget is 160k.You should have a bit of choice there for that money.

Thanks... yeah had a look at some houses on Daft there are a few nice ones around, ideally we would like a bungalow but we will see what's available when the time comes.

wandatowell

Living in Midleton, work in the vicinity of Cobh.

I've spent a lot of time in Cobh and tbh I've never had a bad experience there. People will say this and that about it but I've never witnessed anything there first hand. EVERY town will have it rough element though and I know Midleton does.

Some people will say Midleton is clanish but thats my experience of pretty much every town/village in East Cork. Small minded, rude people are everywhere.

I would think Midleton has more going for it in terms of transport links, access to the rest of East Cork, there is a lot more shops, restaurants etc. The farmers market is booming at the weekends and the food festival is pretty good. There are many more things going on there but I'm writing this from work so don't have time to expand.

Pubs on the other hand are pretty poor, there is only one pub in town that I enjoy but everyone has different tastes I guess.

I dunno if you would get much for 160,000 in Midleton. You might have to venture further than Midleton I think but tbh I'm not paying much attention to the property market these days.

orthsquel

Zelda247 wrote: »

Yes we are retired, glad you mentioned the hills, my poor husband has a lot of trouble with his knees so hills not a great idea:)

Zelda247 wrote: »

Thank you so much, yes the transport links are a factor as I don't drive and a trip into Cork city would be a treat for me on my own. We plan to go up to visit both places during the next month.

If you go to visit either, visit them on a rainy day and on a sunny day. I've been to Cobh more often than Midleton but I did pass through Midleton town itself a long while ago (in last few months) and it seems like a nice enough big town; I've never really spent much time there except passing through either side on the main road or on back roads around East Cork but seemed nice enough. The location of Midleton is good though if you want to drive to places around East Cork or Waterford as in if you wanted to go to Garryvoe or Red Barn on a nice day you won't have too far to go.
Cobh in itself is a busy summer town with lots of events, you'll have the liners in and the bustle (and traffic) that comes with it. But I've been there on a rainy November morning and there was nothing going on, no view of the harbour and everything was so quiet but for the first time I managed to get around Christie's (Kilkenny shop) in the heritage centre. They do make an effort with tourism things for the cruise liners and events in general, mainly in the summer.
There are big hills in Cobh... but the town shops are mainly on the lowest level, the same level as the heritage centre, train station and Garda station... it's really the centre of the town and near the Cathedral that has the hills but the road network is in tiers as are some of the housing when you're coming in to Cobh from either side of the island.
Shops aren't especially centralised in Cobh, the main supermarkets of Supervalu (in its own park), Lidl and Aldi (in the business park next door with a range of other businesses and services) are in a cluster on the main road in (when you cross the bridge onto Cobh island the main road is the left turn, the right hand turn takes you to the Rushbrook side, past the ferry for Passage West/Monkstown, Cobh golf course and into Cobh) which are not too far from housing and schools but inconvenient to walk to. I suppose it depends where in Cobh you might be potentially be living if it's going to be an issue for you or not. In general I've always though Cobh a nice place to visit, but I have no idea what it would be like to live there.

Shenshen

It really depends on requirements, I think.
I've lived in Cobh for some 6 years now and I simply love it. I'm involved in some charity work, I walk, I cycle and I swim.
When we were looking to buy a house, we weren't really to fixed on one particular area, and it really made me laugh the way people would tell you "Oh, it's a bit rough there, isn't it?" the moment you told them you were looking in a particular town. I even had people telling me that about Ballincollig and Kinsale.... seems to be a general Irish perception that all other places are a bit rough, except for where they're living themselves. So I would take all that with a bit of salt. Yes, there are some estates around Cobh that are more run down than others, but show me anywhere where that isn't the case.

You did say that you don't drive, and that hills wouldn't be good. I would say that kind of rules out Cobh. Cobh only has a rail connection to Cork, no busses. And the trains only run every hour outside rush hours. Midleton has both trains and bus services, and they are more frequent.
And no matter where you would pick to live in Cobh, there will be hills. Especially if you were looking for a bungalow as you said, these all tend to be on higher ground.
Also, the library in Midleton is so much better than what we've got in Cobh.

Diziet

Apologies OP if you have already covered this, but why not live in Cork itself? It is hardly a big city, you can walk almost evertwhere.

Zelda247

Shenshen wrote: »

It really depends on requirements, I think.
I've lived in Cobh for some 6 years now and I simply love it. I'm involved in some charity work, I walk, I cycle and I swim.
When we were looking to buy a house, we weren't really to fixed on one particular area, and it really made me laugh the way people would tell you "Oh, it's a bit rough there, isn't it?" the moment you told them you were looking in a particular town. I even had people telling me that about Ballincollig and Kinsale.... seems to be a general Irish perception that all other places are a bit rough, except for where they're living themselves. So I would take all that with a bit of salt. Yes, there are some estates around Cobh that are more run down than others, but show me anywhere where that isn't the case.

You did say that you don't drive, and that hills wouldn't be good. I would say that kind of rules out Cobh. Cobh only has a rail connection to Cork, no busses. And the trains only run every hour outside rush hours. Midleton has both trains and bus services, and they are more frequent.
And no matter where you would pick to live in Cobh, there will be hills. Especially if you were looking for a bungalow as you said, these all tend to be on higher ground.
Also, the library in Midleton is so much better than what we've got in Cobh.

Thank you so much and glad Cobh has worked out for you you, it does sound nice but the hills might be a problem.

Good to hear about Midleton library I am a bookworm myself so that's important.

That's funny about someone saying a place like Kinsale can be rough! I know exactly what you mean it depends on the person. I originally come from Dublin but can't afford to retire back there and where I came from our estate was very quiet and old fashioned but literally 5 mins walk away was a rough estate but that's life you just hope for the best.

goochy

I am originally from Dublin too , you really don't want to go back there- to live in a place like midleton up there would cost a fortune and even though I am a Dub myself don't like Dubs generally . you wont find it that easy to get property in your budget in midleton - it might be an apartment or one of the houses in town not in a housing estate - I. e no front garden.

as you don't drive Youghal wouldn't really suit you , as long as don't mind the fact that midleton is terrible for pubs. Cobh will be friendlier as midleton isn't very friendly.
we in youghal admire midleton as its a busy market town but it will be a big change from Kerry .

j8wk2feszrnpao

goochy wrote: »

as long as don't mind the fact that midleton is terrible for pubs. Cobh will be friendlier as midleton isn't very friendly.

Can I ask what the basis is for this fact? I only ask because even though I've made a rare trip to the pubs there, but they were far from terrible. So I'm not sure what issues you've encountered.

And why isn't Midleton friendly? Again, only made the rare trip at night (had a good time), but shop there quite often; never had an issue with the place. Is there some 'friendly-o-meter' that exists that I'm not aware?

goochy

midleton is just like a city suburb , its not that people are rude but its just a big town and that's what u get.

as said I am not from youghal originally and youghal is far from perfect but it has spoilt me as people are so nice and theres great pubs and places to eat . judged by itself midleton is grand but we in youghal admire it for business reasons not because its got a great night life and lovely people.

j8wk2feszrnpao

goochy wrote: »

midleton is just like a city suburb , its not that people are rude but its just a big town and that's what u get.

as said I am not from youghal originally and youghal is far from perfect but it has spoilt me as people are so nice and theres great pubs and places to eat . judged by itself midleton is grand but we in youghal admire it for business reasons not because its got a great night life and lovely people.

Now you sound a bit clannish :P
Is there some Midleton v Youghal thing I don't know about?
I've only been in Youghal a handful of times, and only once for night out; so I can't speak about the difference between the two places.

Zelda247

goochy wrote: »

I am originally from Dublin too , you really don't want to go back there- to live in a place like midleton up there would cost a fortune and even though I am a Dub myself don't like Dubs generally . you wont find it that easy to get property in your budget in midleton - it might be an apartment or one of the houses in town not in a housing estate - I. e no front garden.

as you don't drive Youghal wouldn't really suit you , as long as don't mind the fact that midleton is terrible for pubs. Cobh will be friendlier as midleton isn't very friendly.
we in youghal admire midleton as its a busy market town but it will be a big change from Kerry .

Why did you say it would be a big change from Kerry in a good or bad way?

goochy

well its just a random place - as said it may as well be a suburb of cork - its not really a country town

the beer revolu

Lol goochy.
I love how you speak for all the people of Youghal! Any you a blow-in.

Middleton has some great restaurants - Sage and The Farm Gate in particular.

I'm told that The Mad Monk is a good bar - great beer selection too.

goochy

I speak to alot of people.mad monk far from a great bar . They are fancy places try and find somewhere for carvery on midleton

jimmythedivil

Cobh is well-known as the incest capital of Ireland. Seriously, people still marry their cousins there. Nice looking town with strange local population. Never seems to have developed since the Royal Navy vacated the place so much of the local business revolves around peddling a tenuous link to the Titanic. Biggest claim to fame in recent years is possessing the ugliest statue in Ireland.

Midleton is flat, boring and some prone to serious flooding.

Toss a coin, there's not much in it.

.red.

jimmythedivil wrote: »

Cobh is well-known as the incest capital of Ireland. Seriously, people still marry their cousins there. Nice looking town with strange local population.

Ha ha. I was wondering if someone would have the balls to bring this up. Its also known as the unmarried mother capitol, not that it makes a blind bit of difference.
I wouldnt live in Cobh myself but like i said earlier i know a good few blow ins down there who are perfectly happy and settled in.

mordeith

goochy wrote: »

well its just a random place - as said it may as well be a suburb of cork - its not really a country town

Not if knew any people from Midleton. Like most Irish towns, the people who have lived there all their lives think Midleton is the centre of the universe and why would you need to go anywhere else. It's a very good retail town and has plenty of facilities. The lower half of main street is prone to flooding by the rest is grand. I regularly shop in both Midleton and Youghal and don't find the people any different. The entire population of Ireland is clannish, it just varies in scale. The 'real capital' for example, or Dubs think everywhere outside the city is 'down da country.'
OP Why not book a hotel/ B and B for a weekend in both places and you'll get a feel for the place(s)

Zelda247

mordeith wrote: »

Not if knew any people from Midleton. Like most Irish towns, the people who have lived there all their lives think Midleton is the centre of the universe and why would you need to go anywhere else. It's a very good retail town and has plenty of facilities. The lower half of main street is prone to flooding by the rest is grand. I regularly shop in both Midleton and Youghal and don't find the people any different. The entire population of Ireland is clannish, it just varies in scale. The 'real capital' for example, or Dubs think everywhere outside the city is 'down da country.'
OP Why not book a hotel/ B and B for a weekend in both places and you'll get a feel for the place(s)

Yep that's what I plan to do, although I think Midleton is coming out tops!

Judes

I have lifted this from a thread back in 2012 - as there was the usual "negativity" towards living in Cobh - and as this is on the Cork City vs. Cork County section, I thought this may help - as I said I'm going back to 2012 with my response below (I've updated one or two bits) but since then a lot more has happened - millions going into Spike Island and the clean up of Haulbowline to create an amenity park. With more national and international tourism - comes more money into the local community.

FROM 2012
"Also, sick to death of hearing how terrible Cobh is to live in. Would all those negative comment suppliers name the towns/estates/streets/apartments where they are living - so we can judge/comment on their area.

I have lived in Cobh for almost 8 years - I have lovely neighbours - some new, some there for generations. I feel that my home is always watched when I'm away - because they care.

I come home from work in the city - and look at the most stunning views of the Harbour which lifts my spirits immediately - and when the sun is shining I stroll down to the town, walk along the promenade or the park. Stop for a coffee in one of the many cafes/restaurants - and people are now travelling from the city and further afield to dine in Cobh.

I choose to drive to work - and it takes about 45 minutes rush hour time - and quieter times of the day 20 minutes, to the city centre. In the evenings if I want to go to Midleton cinema - 15 mins drive, or Mahon Point 20 mins drive via tunnel.

There are 3 large supermarkets just outside the town centre - Supervalu, Lidl, Aldi. There's smaller mini-markets in different areas including the town centre. A few clothing shops, interior shops, discount shops.

We've covered restaurants and lots of bars. Also a short drive away the 5 Star Fota Island Resort Hotel. Near there the Bramley Lodge with the most gorgeous cakes. All just down the road from Fota House and Grounds (concerts, outdoor theatre) and Fota Wildlife Park. And we have the Sirius Art Centre for art/photographic exhibitions and concerts. Haulbowline Theatre Group putting on shows throughout the locality. Lots of Trad Sessions in local Pubs and you never know who's going to turn up and play. All very warm and welcoming sessions where you get to mix with locals and visitors alike.

There is a GAA club, Rugby club, Soccer club, Tennis Club, Golf Club, also the Fota Golf Club, Coral leisure centre with a 25 metre swimming pool plus a child's pool, gym and classes. (There's probably loads more clubs but these are the first that comes to mind).

And once again I'll comment on the spectacular view, the fun of the Cruise Liners coming into Cobh town during the spring/summer - and the festival atmosphere in the town.

Close to the beautiful beaches of East Cork - swimming/surfing/picnics.

In relation to delapidated buildings - yes, I would agree there are a lot of them around Cobh town but considering most of these buildings would be well over 100 years old, if you look closely you will find a lot of these delapidated buildings have planning notices around them - so in time there will be less of that to see. Again, walk around any older locality in Cork and you will find delapidation. The new estates of now will be the delapidated estates of the future. And all these inhabitants view is each others houses/windows.

So that's just my view of living in Cobh. I have never experienced a problem living there, touch wood! I would say that whenever there is disquiet it's from out of towners on their day trip to Cobh. I keep hearing of litter problems the only time I see this - is if there is a turned over bin, which can happen if very windy - or if somebody from "wherever" has dumped a bag illegally somewhere - which happens everywhere also.

If you can delve into the Boards archives - and I have no idea how to do this - about 2 years ago there was a similar thread from a lady thinking of moving her family to Cobh - there was such negativity towards this town - and she chose to risk the move to Cobh and loved it."

So why not try out Cobh - rental is cheaper than the city centre, loads of amenities on your doorstep, trains running if you need to escape. You mentioned you're retiring and people are negative about the hills because Cobh is a hilly town - but there are lots of areas within the Great Island that would be flat - if you're driving then hills are no bother. I would suggest renting for a year to see how you feel about the area before being tied to a house. You may love it, you may hate it. But I love to visit Midleton to have a look around the shops - but couldn't live there - as you'll probably end up in one of the many estates in this Satellite town - no views there. In Cobh - nearly every where in the town centre or the Great Island, you will look out your window and feel thankful - no matter what the weather is like outside -your view is a changing picture.

goochy

Agree, shopping is the main amenity in midleton and you can access it from many areas easily enough. if you are a retired person you want somewhere with nice walks , by the sea. nice pubs and places to eat . Midleton doesn't offer any of these . It has some nice places to eat but they are fancy places not places for sunday lunch as such.

Starscream25

goochy wrote: »

Agree, shopping is the main amenity in midleton and you can access it from many areas easily enough. if you are a retired person you want somewhere with nice walks , by the sea. nice pubs and places to eat . Midleton doesn't offer any of these . It has some nice places to eat but they are fancy places not places for sunday lunch as such.

Ballyanan woods is a nice spot for a walk and only a 5-10 minute walk away from the Main Street, a nice place for retired walkers to do their thing. Theres a few half decent pedestrianised footpaths up around and behind knockgriffin. Not the best town for walks but not the worst either.

j8wk2feszrnpao

goochy wrote: »

if you are a retired person you want somewhere with nice walks , by the sea. nice pubs and places to eat . Midleton doesn't offer any of these . It has some nice places to eat but they are fancy places not places for sunday lunch as such.

Ok, we get it. You have issues with the place. Nobody is asking you to retire there.

Zelda247

Starscream25 wrote: »

Ballyanan woods is a nice spot for a walk and only a 5-10 minute walk away from the Main Street, a nice place for retired walkers to do their thing. Theres a few half decent pedestrianised footpaths up around and behind knockgriffin. Not the best town for walks but not the worst either.

Sounds perfect!

pwurple

Judes, your post is great, and I'm sure it suits YOU, but the OP has a couple of requirements which would make Midleton a better match in pure practical terms.

Their husband has knee issues, and has trouble with hills. Cobh is hilly.
They don't drive. A lot of your post contains all the places you drive to.

I don't live in either spot, but I find Midleton more accessible from the city with transport links etc.

Zelda247

Judes wrote: »

I have lifted this from a thread back in 2012 - as there was the usual "negativity" towards living in Cobh - and as this is on the Cork City vs. Cork County section, I thought this may help - as I said I'm going back to 2012 with my response below (I've updated one or two bits) but since then a lot more has happened - millions going into Spike Island and the clean up of Haulbowline to create an amenity park. With more national and international tourism - comes more money into the local community.

FROM 2012
"Also, sick to death of hearing how terrible Cobh is to live in. Would all those negative comment suppliers name the towns/estates/streets/apartments where they are living - so we can judge/comment on their area.

I have lived in Cobh for almost 8 years - I have lovely neighbours - some new, some there for generations. I feel that my home is always watched when I'm away - because they care.

I come home from work in the city - and look at the most stunning views of the Harbour which lifts my spirits immediately - and when the sun is shining I stroll down to the town, walk along the promenade or the park. Stop for a coffee in one of the many cafes/restaurants - and people are now travelling from the city and further afield to dine in Cobh.

I choose to drive to work - and it takes about 45 minutes rush hour time - and quieter times of the day 20 minutes, to the city centre. In the evenings if I want to go to Midleton cinema - 15 mins drive, or Mahon Point 20 mins drive via tunnel.

There are 3 large supermarkets just outside the town centre - Supervalu, Lidl, Aldi. There's smaller mini-markets in different areas including the town centre. A few clothing shops, interior shops, discount shops.

We've covered restaurants and lots of bars. Also a short drive away the 5 Star Fota Island Resort Hotel. Near there the Bramley Lodge with the most gorgeous cakes. All just down the road from Fota House and Grounds (concerts, outdoor theatre) and Fota Wildlife Park. And we have the Sirius Art Centre for art/photographic exhibitions and concerts. Haulbowline Theatre Group putting on shows throughout the locality. Lots of Trad Sessions in local Pubs and you never know who's going to turn up and play. All very warm and welcoming sessions where you get to mix with locals and visitors alike.

There is a GAA club, Rugby club, Soccer club, Tennis Club, Golf Club, also the Fota Golf Club, Coral leisure centre with a 25 metre swimming pool plus a child's pool, gym and classes. (There's probably loads more clubs but these are the first that comes to mind).

And once again I'll comment on the spectacular view, the fun of the Cruise Liners coming into Cobh town during the spring/summer - and the festival atmosphere in the town.

Close to the beautiful beaches of East Cork - swimming/surfing/picnics.

In relation to delapidated buildings - yes, I would agree there are a lot of them around Cobh town but considering most of these buildings would be well over 100 years old, if you look closely you will find a lot of these delapidated buildings have planning notices around them - so in time there will be less of that to see. Again, walk around any older locality in Cork and you will find delapidation. The new estates of now will be the delapidated estates of the future. And all these inhabitants view is each others houses/windows.

So that's just my view of living in Cobh. I have never experienced a problem living there, touch wood! I would say that whenever there is disquiet it's from out of towners on their day trip to Cobh. I keep hearing of litter problems the only time I see this - is if there is a turned over bin, which can happen if very windy - or if somebody from "wherever" has dumped a bag illegally somewhere - which happens everywhere also.

If you can delve into the Boards archives - and I have no idea how to do this - about 2 years ago there was a similar thread from a lady thinking of moving her family to Cobh - there was such negativity towards this town - and she chose to risk the move to Cobh and loved it."

So why not try out Cobh - rental is cheaper than the city centre, loads of amenities on your doorstep, trains running if you need to escape. You mentioned you're retiring and people are negative about the hills because Cobh is a hilly town - but there are lots of areas within the Great Island that would be flat - if you're driving then hills are no bother. I would suggest renting for a year to see how you feel about the area before being tied to a house. You may love it, you may hate it. But I love to visit Midleton to have a look around the shops - but couldn't live there - as you'll probably end up in one of the many estates in this Satellite town - no views there. In Cobh - nearly every where in the town centre or the Great Island, you will look out your window and feel thankful - no matter what the weather is like outside -your view is a changing picture.

Thanks so much thats a wonderful post and very helpful. We will take a look for sure.

Shenshen

goochy wrote: »

Agree, shopping is the main amenity in midleton and you can access it from many areas easily enough. if you are a retired person you want somewhere with nice walks , by the sea. nice pubs and places to eat . Midleton doesn't offer any of these . It has some nice places to eat but they are fancy places not places for sunday lunch as such.

I'd have to contradict that. We went for a meal in Midleton yesterday, simply because we happened to be there in the evening. Walking down the high street, there were a good few very nice looking places. We settled for a pizza in San Marco's, and I have to say it was one of the best pizzas I've had in Ireland, ever. It rivalled Novecentos.

And as the OP stated, hills would be a problem due to her husband's health. While I live in Cobh and wouldn't trade it for the world, you simply can't avoid those hills, especially not if you don't drive.

Also, OP, I stopped by the book shop in Midleton yesterday - if you're a book worm like me, that's another plus point for Midleton, there's no book shops at all in Cobh.
Plus, Midleton has a lovely farmer's market on Saturdays, definitely worth checking out if you like your food.

Zelda247

Shenshen wrote: »

I'd have to contradict that. We went for a meal in Midleton yesterday, simply because we happened to be there in the evening. Walking down the high street, there were a good few very nice looking places. We settled for a pizza in San Marco's, and I have to say it was one of the best pizzas I've had in Ireland, ever. It rivalled Novecentos.

And as the OP stated, hills would be a problem due to her husband's health. While I live in Cobh and wouldn't trade it for the world, you simply can't avoid those hills, especially not if you don't drive.

Also, OP, I stopped by the book shop in Midleton yesterday - if you're a book worm like me, that's another plus point for Midleton, there's no book shops at all in Cobh.
Plus, Midleton has a lovely farmer's market on Saturdays, definitely worth checking out if you like your food.

Thanks so much, the pizza place sounds great! Oh and also the book shop always great to have!

Judes

Hi Zelda - we don't have a book shop in Cobh anymore - but we do have a good sized Library. I feel like a Failte Brochure for Cobh