Balbriggan

Tiborgo

Hi,I am moving to Balbriggan in few weeks,can anybody help which electricity,gas provider, television and broadband,bins all these basic things?
Thanks.

wow sierra

Bin service is provided by Panda and costs €110 per year and then you put a tag on the Black Bin (general refuse) each time you put it out - this costs approx €9.50.

As regards the other services it is up to yourself which provider to go for.

richballs

Hi im looking to buy a house in Balbriggan soon could you tell me some good estates to buy in and which ones to avoid tks guy's

Jeffy17

Depends if you're looking at new builds or second hand houses, your budget and how many rooms etc

richballs

Jeffy17 wrote: »

Depends if you're looking at new builds or second hand houses, your budget and how many rooms etc

I'm not to bothered new or second houses were looking at

Jeffy17

richballs wrote: »

I'm not to bothered new or second houses were looking at

There's 3 new builds at the minute:
Taylor Hill - nice looking houses but if you're going to be availing of the train it'd be a 15-17 minute walk. Second-hand houses beside them would be on the cheaper side of what's available in Balbriggan

Hampton Gardens has a few houses available in 3 or 4 bed, cul-de-sac roads and nice finish in the houses, located 2 minutes from local Millfield shopping centre where a private bus operate runs a number of buses into Dublin City Center

Castleland Park is located to the south of Balbriggan, behind Wavin factory

Mature estates would be located within the Harry Reynolds Road, Chapel Gate/Grove/Drive, Clonard Court and then up by the estates of Craoibhin Park, Hampton Cove, Fancourt.

Schools are predominantly located beside new build estates.

jbryc04

Hi

I am currently looking at Taylor hill to purchase but people keep saying no to Balbriggan due to the violence and the amount of renters.
I know Talor hill is the opposite end of the town to the majority of renters but can anyone please help with my decision - i would like to remain close to swords but cannot afford it but worried due to the volume of negativity I have heard of balbriggan

The Hill Billy

Balbriggan is a fine town. There are some issues with anti-social behaviour, but you get that in most towns these days.

It has good transport links, shopping facilities, schools, a cinema, it is by the sea & if you don't cook - has a plethora of takeaways & some decent restaurants.

Kintarō Hattori

Originally from Kildare, lived in Dublin city for 9 years then bought in Balbriggan in 2011. I'm happy with where I am. Sure it's not the most desirable of places but it isn't any different than anywhere else. Homes are affordable, great transport links, excellent shopping between Swords and Drogheda so you don't always need to go into the city. People are friendlier but best of all you have excellent countryside right on your doorstep. In less than 5 minutes I can be in rural north county Dublin, Meath or Louth.

LMCN123

Hi All,

Wondering if anyone here has actually bought in Taylor Hill? We bought in the first phase. Finding Knight Frank an absolute nightmare to deal with very little information most they will say is "I believe its similar". As for the actual house only information we have on the house is a picture of handwritten sq footage of each room.... no wall measurements etc so hard to plan any furniture etc. Our house type is not on show so I guess the first chance we will get this information is at snag.

Also wondering is anyone close to moving in? We have been given ready Aug for move in Sept but no dates etc. We are further in the estate and houses that were much further along do not seem to have progressed.

Cheers

Jeffy17

LMCN123 wrote: »

Hi All,

Wondering if anyone here has actually bought in Taylor Hill? We bought in the first phase. Finding Knight Frank an absolute nightmare to deal with very little information most they will say is "I believe its similar". As for the actual house only information we have on the house is a picture of handwritten sq footage of each room.... no wall measurements etc so hard to plan any furniture etc. Our house type is not on show so I guess the first chance we will get this information is at snag.

Also wondering is anyone close to moving in? We have been given ready Aug for move in Sept but no dates etc. We are further in the estate and houses that were much further along do not seem to have progressed.

Cheers

Congrats on the purchase, haven't purchased myself but here's the plans for the house types.

There may be little variations in layout so don't take this as gospel but at least you can enquire if the layout has changed since their application.

Further info is available from. Fungal Coco website under planning application F15A/0437

LMCN123

Jeffy17 wrote: »

Congrats on the purchase, haven't purchased myself but here's the plans for the house types.

There may be little variations in layout so don't take this as gospel but at least you can enquire if the layout has changed since their application.

Further info is available from. Fungal Coco website under planning application F15A/0437

Thanks Jeff. I had not thought of getting the plans.

These don't seem up to date as the location of stairs in 3 out of 4 of the houses is different to show houses and they do no have bay windows in any house.

Jeffy17

Sorry that wasn't of any benefit, obviously they've made minor adjustments.

Best bet, for when you can get through to Knight Frank or the site foreman, is to get a copy of the floor plans and measurements they're working off.

By this stage they should have given you this to give you an indication, esp as you're close to snagging

foodiewarrior

I'm looking to buy in Balbriggan. my budget is 195k. I viewed a few houses in Moylaragh estate. All have pyrite green cert. I really like the houses I saw.
I'm very happy I can get a house with a back garden for the price of a one bedroom apartment in Dublin.

anything I need to be vigilant about?

Kintarō Hattori

foodiewarrior wrote: »

I'm looking to buy in Balbriggan. my budget is 195k. I viewed a few houses in Moylaragh estate. All have pyrite green cert. I really like the houses I saw.
I'm very happy I can get a house with a back garden for the price of a one bedroom apartment in Dublin.

anything I need to be vigilant about?

In what regard? Do you mean in relation to the houses, the estate, the town?

Jeffy17

https://www.balbriggan.info/multi-million-euro-application-improvements-balbriggan/

Good to see the earlier announced plan is still proceeding where hopefully the public consultation will be towards the end of this year / earlier next year

DrPhilG

Thread hijack...

What is McNeill Hall like? A friend is looking at an apartment there.

jim-mcdee

DrPhilG wrote: »

Thread hijack...

What is McNeill Hall like? A friend is looking at an apartment there.

It's beside the beach and train station. It's not bad and improving all the time since they ejected the old property manager.

All Seeing Eye

LMCN123 wrote: »

Hi All,

Wondering if anyone here has actually bought in Taylor Hill? We bought in the first phase. Finding Knight Frank an absolute nightmare to deal with very little information most they will say is "I believe its similar". As for the actual house only information we have on the house is a picture of handwritten sq footage of each room.... no wall measurements etc so hard to plan any furniture etc. Our house type is not on show so I guess the first chance we will get this information is at snag.

Also wondering is anyone close to moving in? We have been given ready Aug for move in Sept but no dates etc. We are further in the estate and houses that were much further along do not seem to have progressed.

Cheers

Bad move in my opinion. Like moving to Detroit in the 60s or 70s

jim-mcdee

All Seeing Eye wrote: »

Bad move in my opinion. Like moving to Detroit in the 60s or 70s

How? Please explain this comparison. It makes no sense. For one thing there is not a motor car manufacturer in Balbriggan.

The Hill Billy

Don't feed the trolls please.

tHB

All Seeing Eye

jim-mcdee wrote: »

How? Please explain this comparison. It makes no sense. For one thing there is not a motor car manufacturer in Balbriggan.

Once prosperous manufacturing town in decline!

Jeffy17

All Seeing Eye wrote: »

Once prosperous manufacturing town in decline!

Stats show more people in employment with a steady decline, see attached. Can view stats from this link https://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/statire/SelectVarVal/saveselections.asp

More companies are investing in Balbriggan, with more in the pipeline - can check local news reports yourself.

All Seeing Eye

Jeffy17 wrote: »

Stats show more people in employment with a steady decline, see attached. Can view stats from this link https://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/statire/SelectVarVal/saveselections.asp

More companies are investing in Balbriggan, with more in the pipeline - can check local news reports yourself.

So still a high proportion of unemployed then, well over the average?

Jeffy17

Take it you're referring to this announcement where it says 10% social (which any new development has to cater for under Part V of a planning application) and 30% affordable?

https://m.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/news/new-land-agency-targets-two-sites-37325315.html

No figures are final as it's currently in draft stage where over 300 submissions were made to the council.

Regarding "gangs of teenagers" this is something that was blown way out of proportion due to social media. Balbriggan, as per the most recent census, has the youngest population of any large town in Ireland. Yes there is young people who, like any town, get together as friends but the idea that there is troublesome gangs going around is ludicrous.

The is nice places to eat in Balbriggan, Thai restaurant, Brick Room, Harvey's, Liberos to name a few...if they don't take your fancy Skerries is a 5 minute journey where there's further restaurants, without paying Skerries house prices.

As from my earlier post regarding unemployment figures, the figures are steadily decreasing against the backdrop of increased population so it's a positive trend

All Seeing Eye

The gang problem is getting worse. The Guards spend a lot of time up around Dunnes stores breaking up fights and dispersing mobs of teenagers. When I say mob I’m talking about 40-60.

easygoing39

This interview is one of the few in the national media that is reporting what is actually happening in Balbriggan.Been going on for years,never reported in the press,and anyone who has mentioned it here has been called racist!!

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/news/balbriggan-pushed-to-the-edge-claims-candidate-sharkey-35526609.html

Kintarō Hattori

easygoing39 wrote: »

This interview is one of the few in the national media that is reporting what is actually happening in Balbriggan.Been going on for years,never reported in the press,and anyone who has mentioned it here has been called racist!!

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/news/balbriggan-pushed-to-the-edge-claims-candidate-sharkey-35526609.html

Who actually takes him seriously? I've lived in the town since 2011 and wouldn't have any hesitation in recommending it to someone. Sure it's not the most desirable place to live but that's reflected in its house prices.

It seems fashionable to knock it, often with very generic reasons that could apply to any town/suburb in Dublin but it also has a lot going for it.

All Seeing Eye

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Who actually takes him seriously? I've lived in the town since 2011 and wouldn't have any hesitation in recommending it to someone. Sure it's not the most desirable place to live but that's reflected in its house prices.

It seems fashionable to knock it, often with very generic reasons that could apply to any town/suburb in Dublin but it also has a lot going for it.

He is only saying what a lot of people in Balbriggan are thinking. Balbriggan has gone from being arguably Fingal’s County town to the social housing capital of Fingal. A dumping ground for social housing quotas from other towns and also anti social elements forced out of other parts of Dublin. You know things are bad when a soup kitchen is opening in a town during better economic times.

Kintarō Hattori

All Seeing Eye wrote: »

He is only saying what a lot of people in Balbriggan are thinking. Balbriggan has gone from being arguably Fingal’s County town to the social housing capital of Fingal. A dumping ground for social housing quotas from other towns and also anti social elements forced out of other parts of Dublin. You know things are bad when a soup kitchen is opening in a town during better economic times.

I'm not going to argue with you, perhaps your experience of the town is different to mine but I bought in Dun Saithne, an estate with a high mix of affordable and social housing. Private houses were also very cheap at the time I bought so it's attracted all sorts of people. There are lots of Irish folk but plenty of people who I'll presume were born in Africa originally, plenty of Eastern Europeans and I have to say, it's a lovely estate. It's quiet, the kids all play out on the roads/green when the weather is good and people talk to each other.
My point being that I bought in a cheap estate that's attracted all sorts and apart from one or two awkward neighbours (which you can get anywhere), it's been a positive experience.

All Seeing Eye

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

I'm not going to argue with you, perhaps your experience of the town is different to mine but I bought in Dun Saithne, an estate with a high mix of affordable and social housing. Private houses were also very cheap at the time I bought so it's attracted all sorts of people. There are lots of Irish folk but plenty of people who I'll presume were born in Africa originally, plenty of Eastern Europeans and I have to say, it's a lovely estate. It's quiet, the kids all play out on the roads/green when the weather is good and people talk to each other.
My point being that I bought in a cheap estate that's attracted all sorts and apart from one or two awkward neighbours (which you can get anywhere), it's been a positive experience.

That’s good to hear. I agree not all places are bad in the town.

squawker

jim-mcdee wrote: »

I see that soup kitchen, the guy who is running it has a chequered past where it comes to running such things. probably the money was only resting in his account. it is not even a registered charity.

jasus, that's an awful remark about someone

did you hear that over the garden fence?

All Seeing Eye

So we are basically back to full employment and a soup kitchen is opening in Balbriggan. Just goes to show how far the town has gone downhill if someone feels there is a market for this service. Even in the poorest of times during the 70s and 80s no one ever set up a soup kitchen in Balbriggan.

jim-mcdee

All Seeing Eye wrote: »

So we are basically back to full employment and a soup kitchen is opening in Balbriggan. Just goes to show how far the town has gone downhill if someone feels there is a market for this service. Even in the poorest of times during the 70s and 80s no one ever set up a soup kitchen in Balbriggan.

the sad fact is, there is money to be made everywhere, even in homelessness or quasi homelessness. some of these places are being run as a business. if you are giving out something for free, there will always be a market. something for nothing never helped anyone. there are soup kitchens in Navan and Drogheda also FYI. go find a forum post and take cheap shots at them too.

All Seeing Eye

jim-mcdee wrote: »

the sad fact is, there is money to be made everywhere, even in homelessness or quasi homelessness. some of these places are being run as a business. if you are giving out something for free, there will always be a market. something for nothing never helped anyone. there are soup kitchens in Navan and Drogheda also FYI. go find a forum post and take cheap shots at them too.

Mixed message here what are you trying say?

Wheeliebin30

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Who actually takes him seriously? I've lived in the town since 2011 and wouldn't have any hesitation in recommending it to someone. Sure it's not the most desirable place to live but that's reflected in its house prices.

It seems fashionable to knock it, often with very generic reasons that could apply to any town/suburb in Dublin but it also has a lot going for it.

It’s not the most desirable place to live but that’s reflected in its house prices..

I’m not been smart but what does that even mean???

Slanty

House prices shouldn’t reflect where to live.

I work and lived in Balbriggan, I certainly would not recommend it to anybody. Do not buy in this town. The whole infrastructure is terrible. The town center is none existent and don’t get me started on the night life. It’s going backwards while skerries is thriving and only 10 mins drive.

Balbriggan used to be the center of all Fingal but it’s nearly a ghost town now

Kintarō Hattori

Wheeliebin30 wrote: »

It’s not the most desirable place to live but that’s reflected in its house prices..

I’m not been smart but what does that even mean???

Skerries- eminently desirable hence house prices are through the roof.
Balbriggan - not as desirable a price to live which is reflected in the house prices, which are substantially less than Skerries which is just 10 minutes down the road.

I'm really not being smart but I thought it would have been pretty clear?

All Seeing Eye

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

Skerries- eminently desirable hence house prices are through the roof.
Balbriggan - not as desirable a price to live which is reflected in the house prices, which are substantially less than Skerries which is just 10 minutes down the road.

I'm really not being smart but I thought it would have been pretty clear?

So to summarise the advice is don’t waste your hard earned cash/mortgage on a house in Balbriggan. Try and get a house somewhere else. Even if your estate is alright most of the town looks like a scene from benefits street or a refugee camp. To those not from NCD who moved out to Balbriggan since the mid-late 2000’s you don’t really know the town as it was. The current state of the town is your normal so you don’t have anything to compare it against. Hope that clears things up.

Kintarō Hattori

All Seeing Eye wrote: »

So to summarise the advice is don’t waste your hard earned cash/mortgage on a house in Balbriggan. Try and get a house somewhere else. Even if your estate is alright most of the town looks like a scene from benefits street or a refugee camp. To those not from NCD who moved out to Balbriggan since the mid-late 2000’s you don’t really know the town as it was. The current state of the town is your normal so you don’t have anything to compare it against. Hope that clears things up.

So to summarise, it was great when it was just a town for the locals. Now that all you lot moved in, you've driven the quality of the town down and changed it beyond what I remember it being. Is that what you're saying?

Again I'm not arguing with you but you seem to have a chip on your shoulder in regards to the town. It may not be the town that you recall from times gone by, but for me, a blow-in, it's a fine place to put down roots. I can afford a nice modern home without a massive mortgage. I'm not too far from Dublin city and I can go shopping in Swords or Drogheda if I don't want to go into town. Only a few minutes from my doorstep I can be in rural north county Dublin, Louth or Meath.
Before settling in Balbriggan my partner and I looked at other areas. We visited a house or two in Blanchardstown, the city centre and more. We didn't feel at home in the places we looked at. As soon as she turned the corner and saw our current house, she knew it was the one she wanted.

If you grew up in the town, yes I'm sure it's irrevocably changed from what you once knew. For anyone looking to put down roots, I highly recommend it.

PawneeRanger

All Seeing Eye wrote: »

So to summarise the advice is don’t waste your hard earned cash/mortgage on a house in Balbriggan. Try and get a house somewhere else. Even if your estate is alright most of the town looks like a scene from benefits street or a refugee camp. To those not from NCD who moved out to Balbriggan since the mid-late 2000’s you don’t really know the town as it was. The current state of the town is your normal so you don’t have anything to compare it against. Hope that clears things up.

I'm from Balbriggan. Born and reared. So were my parents, my grandparents and my great grandparents.

You do not speak for me.

Your dog-whistling is ridiculously transparent.

All Seeing Eye

PawneeRanger wrote: »

I'm from Balbriggan. Born and reared. So were my parents, my grandparents and my great grandparents.

You do not speak for me.

Your dog-whistling is ridiculously transparent.

I never claimed to speak for you. The whole “move on nothing to see here” is a partial or full denial of the problems the town has. Just as well Fingal County Council are not applying this approach. They have finally copped on and have a “Balbriggan Strategy” in place to address the social, physical and economic decline of the town. The terminology there might be “dog whistling” according to your rationale. Maybe you should have a read of it and maybe contact the council to say it’s waste of time and money as everything is great in Balbriggan.

minikin

Balbriggan is a town with massive potential.
To think of Balbriggan as a dump because of the main street is to ignore all the economic activity elsewhere in the town.
Where the average Joe might see empty shops as a sign of decline - entrepreneurs see opportunity for profitable investment.
The success of an area is cyclical... It has enough of a population to be quite an economic centre in the coming decade.

Some might say other towns in fingal are all 'fur coat and no knickers' when the amount of rates generated is compared to Balbriggan, and yet Balbriggan does not get the pro-rata expenditure back from Fingal County Council that it might expect if it had better representation.

PawneeRanger

All Seeing Eye wrote: »

I never claimed to speak for you. The whole “move on nothing to see here” is a partial or full denial of the problems the town has. Just as well Fingal County Council are not applying this approach. They have finally copped on and have a “Balbriggan Strategy” in place to address the social, physical and economic decline of the town. The terminology there might be “dog whistling” according to your rationale. Maybe you should have a read of it and maybe contact the council to say it’s waste of time and money as everything is great in Balbriggan.

You are effectively telling someone who has lived in Balbriggan for 7 years that their view of the town is incorrect because they haven't been there as long as others. You are not the authority on Balbriggan and you don't get to tell anyone that their opinion on where they live is wrong because they "don’t really know the town as it was."

Nobody is denying that there are plenty of things that could be improved in the town. And there were plenty of things that could have been improved back in your rose-tinted good aul days before all them foreigners arrived and ruined it, right. :rolleyes:

Even if your estate is alright most of the town looks like a scene from benefits street or a refugee camp.

Dog whistling.

Like moving to Detroit in the 60s or 70s

Dog whistling.

The gang problem is getting worse. The Guards spend a lot of time up around Dunnes stores breaking up fights and dispersing mobs of teenagers. When I say mob I’m talking about 40-60.

Dog whistling.

He is only saying what a lot of people in Balbriggan are thinking. Balbriggan has gone from being arguably Fingal’s County town to the social housing capital of Fingal. A dumping ground for social housing quotas from other towns and also anti social elements forced out of other parts of Dublin.

Amazing. You're holding up Kevin Sharkey as someone speaking for people in the town. Dog. Whistling.

Eoineo

Coming from the point of view of somebody who doesn't give a jot about nightlife, the town is where I want to be. I've lived here for the past 16 years and have a family.

There are a wide range of schools to offer families - single denomination, educate together, multi denominational, and Irish language. The secondary schools in the town regularly score towards the top of the league tables. All of the schools are within walking distance of most areas within the town - if not walking distance, certainly cycling distance or accessible via the town bus service.

I don't have to leave the town for essential services. I can access a number of supermarkets, healthcare, social welfare, dentist, and community facilities without having to venture beyond the town boundaries. If I do want to go beyond the town I am in Dublin city centre in 50 mins by the train. We are well serviced by the 101 and the 33 bus services.

The town has high speed broadband which enables me to work remotely if I decide not to commute to work.

The sense of community is second to none if you participate in the community in the town. There are a wealth of clubs on offer to anybody interested from sports to scouts and beyond.

What I have found though is that those who say the town has 'gone to the dogs' or expressed disappointment in what they find in Balbriggan is from those who are not engaged within the community. The town is what you make of it. Yes, sometimes anti social behaviour can be an issue but I moved here from an area with a far higher and more violent level of anti social behaviour. The difference is marked. You will find anti social behaviour, theft, burglaries etc no matter where you live.

All Seeing Eye

PawneeRanger wrote: »

You are effectively telling someone who has lived in Balbriggan for 7 years that their view of the town is incorrect because they haven't been there as long as others. You are not the authority on Balbriggan and you don't get to tell anyone that their opinion on where they live is wrong because they "don’t really know the town as it was."

Nobody is denying that there are plenty of things that could be improved in the town. And there were plenty of things that could have been improved back in your rose-tinted good aul days before all them foreigners arrived and ruined it, right. :rolleyes:



Dog whistling.



Dog whistling.



Dog whistling.



Amazing. You're holding up Kevin Sharkey as someone speaking for people in the town. Dog. Whistling.

So you agree that the town has problems. The problems are of such a magnitude that Fingal county council is implementing a plan to deal with the social, physical and economic decline of the town. There is no other area in NCD where a similar plan has been put in place so this would indicate to a logical person that Balbriggan is an outlier and not in a good way. I would say for anyone thinking purchasing a house in Balbriggan it’s a case of buyer beware. So tell me why are you dismissing Kevin Sharkeys opinion, you haven’t given any solid reason.

jim-mcdee

All Seeing Eye wrote: »

So you agree that the town has problems. The problems are of such a magnitude that Fingal county council is implementing a plan to deal with the social, physical and economic decline of the town. There is no other area in NCD where a similar plan has been put in place so this would indicate to a logical person that Balbriggan is an outlier and not in a good way. I would say for anyone thinking purchasing a house in Balbriggan it’s a case of buyer beware. So tell me why are you dismissing Kevin Sharkeys opinion, you haven’t given any solid reason.

dont feed the trolls

All Seeing Eye

jim-mcdee wrote: »

dont feed the trolls

Not nice to say that. I was just offering some advice to prospective purchasers. So in future when people do a google search on buying a house in Balbriggan they might see this and heed my advice.