Moving to Donegal (Lifford Ballybofey Area)

Always Hopeful

My husband and I may be moving to Co. Donegal in the next 6mths to a year. A job for me is likely to come up for me in Lifford. However, we don't know Donegal v well and wondering what it's like as a place to live for a young family. We have two toddlers. We currently live in the UK but from Ireland originally. Interested to hear what this part of Donegal is like (would live anywhere within 30 or 40mins drive of Lifford. Husband would probably need to access Derry or NI for future work once I'm set up.
Interested to hear about areas with good community spirit, also want to know about no-go areas/places to avoid, areas with facilities and activities for kids, general shopping and access to stuff and any suggestions people have about bring
ing up a young family in this part of Donegal. We are happy to live in the countryside but would like no more than 10min drive to shops. All tips welcome...

Technique

Letterkenny sounds like the best option for you - 20 minutes to Lifford, 25 minutes to Derry, lots of shopping,amenities, sports clubs for the kids etc.

Have a look and let us know if you have any more specific questions.

Cherry Blossom

Are you looking to live in one of the bigger towns or the smaller towns OP. Lifford, Raphoe and St. Johnston all have family resource centres with lots of activities on although things for kids are mostly during the day. If you need access to childminding services and things like that you might be better off in Letterkenny or the twin towns.

Joshua J

You could always stay in the UK region i.e Strabane or even Derry itself isnt too far from Lifford. Irish side probably no farther than Ballybofey or Letterkenny. I always found Killygordon a nice spot you should check it out.

overshoot

in fairness i think you just need to consider what you want on your door step and we could advise better. eg any sports/hobbies the kids/you might like. You could go as far south as Donegal Town and still meet your description above (40mins from lifford, tad over an hour to Derry, 45/50mins to Enniskillen & Omagh). No towns are going to be no go areas, there might be rougher neighbourhoods (still not particularly bad) in the likes of Letterkenny but thats about it.

You said countryside living so the small villages like Killygordon, Raphoe, Convoy and have a few basic shops etc. but close to Lifford/Strabane, Letterkenny & the twin towns (ballybofey & Stranorlar) which would have more amenities in general/things for the kids... Letterkenny being by far the biggest. Even Lifford itself isnt that big.

Always Hopeful

Ok. There's been a change in circumstances. Thanks for insight knowledge already.

My husband has been offered a job in Omagh. We are now looking at areas between Lifford and Omagh.

Both happy to drive 15, 20 mins to work. Any nice areas to live which are approx 10 or 15mins outside of Omagh. We would be looking for a 3 bed house.

Would Omagh have any sectarian (unionist / nationalist areas) that we should be aware of?

Thanks
Ps. Have already posted in Tyrone thread.

alchemist33

Always Hopeful wrote: »

Ok. There's been a change in circumstances. Thanks for insight knowledge already.

My husband has been offered a job in Omagh. We are now looking at areas between Lifford and Omagh.

Both happy to drive 15, 20 mins to work. Any nice areas to live which are approx 10 or 15mins outside of Omagh. We would be looking for a 3 bed house.

Would Omagh have any sectarian (unionist / nationalist areas) that we should be aware of?

Thanks
Ps. Have already posted in Tyrone thread.

Omagh itself is mostly nationalist/Catholic. The only real loyalist area would be the Hospital road. A lot of the town would be fine to live in (but I don't know enough that I could warn/recommend individual estates). The town has a good leisure centre, plenty of shops and GAA, rugby, soccer clubs for the kids, a small cinema. It has a shortage of decent restaurants.

Outside the town are a number of small places like Carrickmore, Castlederg etc which are okay but maybe a bit isolated for you. Between Lifford and Omagh are Strabane (very nationalist, not for everyone, always high in UK lists of disadvantaged areas), Sion Mills (pretty, historic, quite Protestant, 25 mins from Omagh) and Newtownstewart (I was coming home from Croke Park once with a GAA flag on my car. A guy in a Rangers top had a go at the car and his girlfriend dragged him back. Whether this story is representative, who knows?)

Unless you really want a rural lifestyle (some of Tyrone is gorgeous), I'd say pick Omagh or Lifford. There's only 30-35 minutes between them.