living in Carlow town and working in Dublin

relocatelondon

Hi

My wife, our 2 kids and I are hoping to relocate to Ireland from London this summer. We are both Irish and want to research the idea of living in Carlow town. My job would see me working in Dublin and travel up from Carlow Town. Just wondering if this daily trip is sustainable/doable..can you take the train..how long does it take..what's the car journey like? We assume that Carlow town has property that is value for money?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Irelandherewecome

Carlow is a **** hole. Live closer to Dublin.

Dyr

If I worked in Carlow I'd still live somewhere else.

sunny2004

To actually answer your questions.

The drive is all Motorway so it's perfect. About an hour depending where you are going.l that's an hour to the red cow roundabout approx..

There is a bus service and a train service. Will leave this to others to answer.

As for Carlow and the comments above, I think it's ok. Better than many towns but a simple weekend here will answer most of your questions.

Splishsplash

Carlow is actually a grand place to live, I could think of far worse places to raise your kids. As for the drive it's about 50 minutes. There is a train and bus, loads commute on the train to Dublin every day. The place is small, usually quiet and you won't hear of much trouble going on. the town itself has a number of schools, all the shops you need and every thing Is for easily accessible!

One_Of_Shanks

I actually really like Carlow. Surprised about the negative comments. Nice town and has a great selection of shops etc.

Anyway..... A lot will depend on what time you start/finish work in Dublin at. The traffic on that route is getting worse and worse by the month.
Can be gridlock on the M7/N7 in particular.

Of course if your hours are outside of the rush-hour etc then not so bad. No idea about train.

Definitely try staying in Carlow for a week and do the drive each morning leaving at a time you would be leaving for work at and same again coming home and test everything out before you go much further.

eurokev

I'm living in Carlow the past few months and love it. I came up here with all bad feelings about the place too. I'm only here for another few months and will be disappointed when I have to leave.

EverythingGood

I commute daily from Wexford to Dublin, the N11 can be busy and the commute tough, especially in winter, but I wouldn't live in Dublin for all the tea in China. Living in the country and commuting is a better option for me - family life, house prices etc. Carlow is a good town, not as good as Wexford but good! Plenty of options for bus/train etc.

EmoCourt

Be very selective when buying, not just in Carlow, but any town in Ireland. You get what you pay for.

Avoid anywhere near a River - there are two big ones flowing through Carlow. Builders put really sh*tty housing on really sh*tty land. Avoid areas with a lot of students - Southern Gardens and the like. Avoid areas close to work-shy dole birds. Some fine houses on the Tullow Road but we felt living close to John Sweeney etc wasn't worth the risk when looking for a proper home.

If you're going to be working in Dublin then look for somewhere on the Dublin side of the town, close to the Train station. Green lane, Larkfield, Athy Road, etc. Pollerton seems ok too. Generally the Dublin side of the town is nicer.

If you're patient and wait for the right house to come up, you'll feel like you've won the lottery. Carlow is very affordable and has everything you'd need. It's close to Kilkenny if you're into your restaurants, it has lots of shopping, two large Cinemas, two colleges, Visual arts centre, some good pubs, three Motorway exits, lovely Countryside close by, and plenty of history to the town. Comparable commuter towns like Portlaoise, Newbridge and Athy wouldn't be as nice in my opinion.

http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-mortgages/how-much-is-your-house-worth/carlow-carlow-town-a-clever-buy-if-youre-willing-to-commute-35375103.html

radharc

Splishsplash wrote: »

Carlow is actually a grand place to live, I could think of far worse places to raise your kids. As for the drive it's about 50 minutes. There is a train and bus, loads commute on the train to Dublin every day. The place is small, usually quiet and you won't hear of much trouble going on. the town itself has a number of schools, all the shops you need and every thing Is for easily accessible!

50 mins to the Red Cow with no traffic. If you are trying to get into town for 9am it is a 2 hour commute.

road_high

Deleted User wrote: »

Carlow is a **** hole. Live closer to Dublin.

Rubbish. Carlow is a great town- just had a very poor run before/during the recession on the employment front which is thankfully recovering now. It's a very good town for business.
Also has an image problem (see people labelling it a "kip"). Yes, it has rough areas but also quite nice parts to the town.

road_high

EverythingGood wrote: »

I commute daily from Wexford to Dublin, the N11 can be busy and the commute tough, especially in winter, but I wouldn't live in Dublin for all the tea in China. Living in the country and commuting is a better option for me - family life, house prices etc. Carlow is a good town, not as good as Wexford but good! Plenty of options for bus/train etc.

Carlow is way way closer than Wexford town to Dublin though.

road_high

Carlow is way way better than Portlaoise (couldn't live there personally) or Newbridge/numerous other towns around Leinster.

tastyt

Not to hijack the thread but how do people think carlow compares to naas as a town, forgetting commute times?

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

road_high

tastyt wrote: »

Not to hijack the thread but how do people think carlow compares to naas as a town, forgetting commute times?

Way better. Much more of a cohesive town than Naas which is all housing estates and business parks. Carlow was historically bigger and more important and you can see that in the character still.

EmoCourt

tastyt wrote: »

Not to hijack the thread but how do people think carlow compares to naas as a town, forgetting commute times?

The price of property is the biggest difference. I think Naas has, on average, the most expensive property of any town in Kildare. It seems like a nice town, lovely Countryside close to the Wicklow border, the canal is a great amenity, some lovely pubs and restaurants, a couple of racecourses, and it's 15 minutes drive to the Red Cow...but it's Dublin prices. Seems to suffer from the same complaints that people have about Carlow - the decline of main street shopping due to retail parks and large grocery stores.

mulbot

I live in Carlow and work in Dublin( near O connell st)-Leave every morning at 5.45 and arrive in the city about 7.10. Leave at 16.00 and arrive back into carlow between 17.30/17.45 most days( fridays can be bit longer).

The towns not a bad place really,you could be heading to worse places around the same distance from Dublin!

Mr E

I grew up in Carlow and visit 2-3 times a month (I have family there).

It's not perfect (what town is?) but I love it there. It has picked up a lot in recent years. There is a decent selection of places to eat, a good spread of supermarkets (Supervalu in the southeast, Dunnes in the northwest and Tesco in the centre). There are 3 ways to get to the M9, the best one for you depends on where you live in the town. There is a good train service to Dublin city centre (50-60 minutes). Good bus service from Bus Eireann and JJ Kavanagh.

On the downside, as mentioned by others, going for a 9am start time (or 9am appointment) is a pain in the ass if driving. If you're willing to leave early or you're aiming for a 10am start, you'll have a better commute.

Dial Hard

radharc wrote:

50 mins to the Red Cow with no traffic. If you are trying to get into town for 9am it is a 2 hour commute.

This. I lived in Tullow for six years, worked in Citywest for most of that. An hour and 20 minutes on a good day, 90 minutes was the norm and if there was a crash on the M9 or N7, all bets were off.

The whole "50 minutes from Dublin" thing is estate agent speak.

Agent Coulson

The easy part of the drive is to the Red Cow it could take just as long to get where you are going too from there as it did to get there.


Early morning trains to get you to the city centre.


6-30am train will have you at Heuston for 7-45am

7-00am train will have you at Heuston for 8-10am.


JJ kavanagh private bus.

5-55am gets you to O'Connell Street for 7-25am.

6-40am gets you to O'Connell Street for 8-40am.


Bus Eireann.

6-10am gets you to O'Connell Street for 7-30am.



Train is probably your best bet but expensive but you always look at The TaxSaver Commuter Ticket Scheme if you do travel up by public transport.

relocatelondon

Agent Coulson wrote: »

The easy part of the drive is to the Red Cow it could take just as long to get where you are going too from there as it did to get there.


Early morning trains to get you to the city centre.


6-30am train will have you at Heuston for 7-45am

7-00am train will have you at Heuston for 8-10am.


JJ kavanagh private bus.

5-55am gets you to O'Connell Street for 7-25am.

6-40am gets you to O'Connell Street for 8-40am.


Bus Eireann.

6-10am gets you to O'Connell Street for 7-30am.



Train is probably your best bet but expensive but you always look at The TaxSaver Commuter Ticket Scheme if you do travel up by public transport.

Thanks for the feedback- how much is a weekly return ticket from Carlow Town to Dublin?

relocatelondon

One_Of_Shanks wrote: »

I actually really like Carlow. Surprised about the negative comments. Nice town and has a great selection of shops etc.

Anyway..... A lot will depend on what time you start/finish work in Dublin at. The traffic on that route is getting worse and worse by the month.
Can be gridlock on the M7/N7 in particular.

Of course if your hours are outside of the rush-hour etc then not so bad. No idea about train.

Definitely try staying in Carlow for a week and do the drive each morning leaving at a time you would be leaving for work at and same again coming home and test everything out before you go much further.

Thanks for the feedback and input!!

iwillhtfu

Dial Hard wrote: »

This. I lived in Tullow for six years, worked in Citywest for most of that. An hour and 20 minutes on a good day, 90 minutes was the norm and if there was a crash on the M9 or N7, all bets were off.

The whole "50 minutes from Dublin" thing is estate agent speak.

Not at all. I live in town and commute to city West every day it's between 60-70 mins most days. Bank holiday Fri work late or leave early it'll be 2 hours + at rush hour if you're lucky. Tullow is further off the motorway so not surprised it would take longer.

It's 50 mins from Carlow town to red cow off peak.

Dial Hard

iwillhtfu wrote:

It's 50 mins from Carlow town to red cow off peak.

But he won't be doing it off-peak if he's commuting, so rather beside the point, no?

And if his job is in the city centre he can add the guts of an hour onto your 60-70 minutes to Citywest.

road_high

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Not at all. I live in town and commute to city West every day it's between 60-70 mins most days. Bank holiday Fri work late or leave early it'll be 2 hours + at rush hour if you're lucky. Tullow is further off the motorway so not surprised it would take longer.

It's 50 mins from Carlow town to red cow off peak.

Yea I thought those times were mad...must be a person south of Tullow. Can do Kilkenny to citywest in just under an hour most of the time (must be 20/30kms further!), I never spare the road.

road_high

Dial Hard wrote: »

But he won't be doing it off-peak if he's commuting, so rather beside the point, no?

And if his job is in the city centre he can add the guts of an hour onto your 60-70 minutes to Citywest.

I think if he's in the city centre he'd be nuts not to use public transport.

thierry14

relocatelondon wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback- how much is a weekly return ticket from Carlow Town to Dublin?

The guts of 400e a month

https://www.taxsaver.ie/Ticket-Types/Rail-point-to-point-tickets/

Bus is alot cheaper, think 200 - 250e but slower.

If your working in city centre forget about the car, it will take 2 -3 hours to get into city from Carlow.

It used to take me over an hour some mornings to get from Phoenix Park to Parnell street.

EverythingGood

I leave Enniscorthy every morning at 0520, get home at 1900. €3190 per annum, gross, for my ticket on the bus. Off tomorrow though :-)

blindside88

It really depends where in Dublin you're going to be working OP. I live in Carlow and commuted to Leopardstown for 5 years. Was about 90 minutes each way when going there for 9am but traffic has gotten heavier in the last year or 2. Carlow is a really nice town and doesn't have any really rough areas (in comparison to the likes of portlaoise or any of the major cities). House prices are on the rise but there is still good value when you consider how well Carlow is served by motorway links and public transport links. I would echo what has been said previously though about spending some time here before taking the plung. Ideally rent short term to see if it suits you

road_high

EverythingGood wrote: »

I leave Enniscorthy every morning at 0520, get home at 1900. €3190 per annum, gross, for my ticket on the bus. Off tomorrow though :-)

How is that living? Jesus

thierry14

EverythingGood wrote: »

I leave Enniscorthy every morning at 0520, get home at 1900. €3190 per annum, gross, for my ticket on the bus. Off tomorrow though :-)

That's tough.

What are your working hours

8am - 4pm?

EverythingGood

It's really difficult. But after 5 years, it's normal.

Yes, 0800 - 1630 shift.

iwillhtfu

Dial Hard wrote: »

But he won't be doing it off-peak if he's commuting, so rather beside the point, no?

And if his job is in the city centre he can add the guts of an hour onto your 60-70 minutes to Citywest.

I was commenting on your point made about cityWest mate so you bringing up city centre is rather beside the point. No?

BattleCorp

What part of Dublin are you going to be working in? That makes a big difference to how long the commute will be. I work in Tallaght from about 8am til 5.30. On average it takes about 1 hour 10 minutes to get to work and about 1 hour 30 minutes to get home. That's a long time in a car every day. Tallaght is on the near side of Dublin to Carlow so is relatively easy to get to. If you are going to be working in the city centre, then you are looking at two hours drive up and maybe longer to get home. Of course all of this depends on the time of day that you are working. If you can avoid busy times, then commuting time will be reduced.

Getting trains and busses can be easier than driving but plan for a nice long commute there too.

Apart from that, Carlow is a good spot. There are rough areas but I certainly wouldn't call it a kip. There are much worse places around.

maccored

i commuted from carlow to dublin for three years. pain in the arse, but easily doable - though I did start at 7 am and finish at 4 so as to avoid rush hours traffic. Carlow's a decent enough spot to live in as well.

Dyr

road_high wrote: »

How is that living? Jesus

I would echo this sentiment

I find all this "sure I fly in from borrisinossory so long as I'm up at 4 am" carry on to be mental.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

road_high

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

There's actually lots of jobs around Carlow, Kilkenny and Kildare it's just the salaries/conditions and opportunities are often far less than in the city- that's generally why people do it.

relocatelondon

BattleCorp wrote: »

What part of Dublin are you going to be working in? That makes a big difference to how long the commute will be. I work in Tallaght from about 8am til 5.30. On average it takes about 1 hour 10 minutes to get to work and about 1 hour 30 minutes to get home. That's a long time in a car every day. Tallaght is on the near side of Dublin to Carlow so is relatively easy to get to. If you are going to be working in the city centre, then you are looking at two hours drive up and maybe longer to get home. Of course all of this depends on the time of day that you are working. If you can avoid busy times, then commuting time will be reduced.

Getting trains and busses can be easier than driving but plan for a nice long commute there too.

Apart from that, Carlow is a good spot. There are rough areas but I certainly wouldn't call it a kip. There are much worse places around.

I will be working in construction (senior management) hopefully working in the city centre..The ideal scenario would be to cycle to train station in Carlow. .take train to Dublin then cycle into city centre job..getting train at 06.30 arriving at 07.45 in Dublin and returning on the 17.35 train into Carlow at 18.36hrs now that would be the dream/plan wether potential employers would allow/accept that would be another thing..I suppose I could also commit to working on the train answering emails etc..here's hoping!!

Agent Coulson

relocatelondon wrote: »

I will be working in construction (senior management) hopefully working in the city centre..The ideal scenario would be to cycle to train station in Carlow. .take train to Dublin then cycle into city centre job..getting train at 06.30 arriving at 07.45 in Dublin and returning on the 17.35 train into Carlow at 18.36hrs now that would be the dream/plan wether potential employers would allow/accept that would be another thing..I suppose I could also commit to working on the train answering emails etc..here's hoping!!

Links to the Cycle to work scheme and transport commuter tickets and tax scheme.

Cycle to Work Scheme

Public transport commuter tickets and tax

Laois_Man

relocatelondon wrote: »

I will be working in construction (senior management) hopefully working in the city centre..The ideal scenario would be to cycle to train station in Carlow. .take train to Dublin then cycle into city centre job..getting train at 06.30 arriving at 07.45 in Dublin and returning on the 17.35 train into Carlow at 18.36hrs now that would be the dream/plan wether potential employers would allow/accept that would be another thing..I suppose I could also commit to working on the train answering emails etc..here's hoping!!

So you haven't actually got a job secured yet you're hoping it will be in Dublin City Centre.

Why?

Are there no suitable jobs in that line of work away from Dublin city centre if not away from Dublin altogether?

Jed and Dave

Hi OP i live in Carlow and Work in dublin city centre. I travel via train and can walk both ends but usually drive to the station in the morning. Its a nice way to travel to work in the morning and i use the hour to relax. Parts of carlow are rough and parts nice and getting home late in the evenings(about 7.45) means you havent much time in the evenings to do stuff which is a draw back,

pros for me- you are only a few minutes from some lovely countryside,i live in a lovely area, I dont miss the m50 or being stuck in traffic, its nice to be part of a town whereas in dublin your living in some giant housing sprawl. The commute can be hard in the winter with the dark nights but like anything you get used to it, and you cant get home in a hurry if you ve kids or emergencies your an hour away... thats my tuppence...

relocatelondon

Laois_Man wrote: »

relocatelondon wrote: »

I will be working in construction (senior management) hopefully working in the city centre..The ideal scenario would be to cycle to train station in Carlow. .take train to Dublin then cycle into city centre job..getting train at 06.30 arriving at 07.45 in Dublin and returning on the 17.35 train into Carlow at 18.36hrs now that would be the dream/plan wether potential employers would allow/accept that would be another thing..I suppose I could also commit to working on the train answering emails etc..here's hoping!!

So you haven't actually got a job secured yet you're hoping it will be in Dublin City Centre.

Why?

Are there no suitable jobs in that line of work away from Dublin city centre if not away from Dublin altogether?

There is really only construction work in Dublin..with the nature of construction projects and the short shelf life of a project it's best I target dublin..

Michael Kavanagh

relocatelondon wrote: »

There is really only construction work in Dublin..with the nature of construction projects and the short shelf life of a project it's best I target dublin..

You should have a look at the cif website they are looking for various positions in the construction industry.

road_high

Jed and Dave wrote: »

Hi OP i live in Carlow and Work in dublin city centre. I travel via train and can walk both ends but usually drive to the station in the morning. Its a nice way to travel to work in the morning and i use the hour to relax. Parts of carlow are rough and parts nice and getting home late in the evenings(about 7.45) means you havent much time in the evenings to do stuff which is a draw back,

pros for me- you are only a few minutes from some lovely countryside,i live in a lovely area, I dont miss the m50 or being stuck in traffic, its nice to be part of a town whereas in dublin your living in some giant housing sprawl. The commute can be hard in the winter with the dark nights but like anything you get used to it, and you cant get home in a hurry if you ve kids or emergencies your an hour away... thats my tuppence...

I think this is really exaggerated in terms of Carlow town- family member worked in a social based position in both Carlow and Portlaoise and apparently Carlow was a breeze by comparison- much quieter. There's about 2 housing estates I'd describe as very rough but pretty mild in context of other towns and cities.

BattleCorp

Jed and Dave wrote: »

The commute can be hard in the winter with the dark nights but like anything you get used to it, and you cant get home in a hurry if you ve kids or emergencies your an hour away... thats my tuppence...

To be honest, I think this 'hour' thing is a bit misleading. Your commuting time will probably be a good bit longer if you are working in Dublin.

It takes more than an hour if you are driving. It can take up to two hours at times, depending of course where in Dublin you are working and the times that you are travelling at.

The train might get you to Dublin in an hour but realistically you are unlikely to be working beside the train station in Dublin. You have to get from the train station to where you are working and that could take another hour.

Dublin being an hour away is pretty much a myth. That's my experience anyway.

iwillhtfu

BattleCorp wrote: »

To be honest, I think this 'hour' thing is a bit misleading. Your commuting time will probably be a good bit longer if you are working in Dublin.

It takes more than an hour if you are driving. It can take up to two hours at times, depending of course where in Dublin you are working and the times that you are travelling at.

The train might get you to Dublin in an hour but realistically you are unlikely to be working beside the train station in Dublin. You have to get from the train station to where you are working and that could take another hour.

Dublin being an hour away is pretty much a myth. That's my experience anyway.

Graiguecullen to Citywest morning this week.

Monday 05:30 -06:15
Tues 07:00 - 07:55
Wednesday 07:15 - 08:10

Just an example but it's fairly consinstantly the same to be honest around 50-60 mins sometimes 45. I'd add at least 45mins to get to city centre and you have to keep in mind you don't park at your desk.

On a flip side lads travelling from North Wicklow would take longer and generally have a longer commute home if driving. It's half the distance in some cases. So there's traffic everywhere.

In response to the hour. I've made it from Carlow to the Rotunda hospital in 40 mins and yes I was driving quickly for a very pressing matter if you get me.

Suffice to say if I were you I would be looking for something outside of the M50 as once you cross the motorway traffic becomes a whole different animal.

relocatelondon

Jed and Dave wrote: »

Hi OP i live in Carlow and Work in dublin city centre. I travel via train and can walk both ends but usually drive to the station in the morning. Its a nice way to travel to work in the morning and i use the hour to relax. Parts of carlow are rough and parts nice and getting home late in the evenings(about 7.45) means you havent much time in the evenings to do stuff which is a draw back,

pros for me- you are only a few minutes from some lovely countryside,i live in a lovely area, I dont miss the m50 or being stuck in traffic, its nice to be part of a town whereas in dublin your living in some giant housing sprawl. The commute can be hard in the winter with the dark nights but like anything you get used to it, and you cant get home in a hurry if you ve kids or emergencies your an hour away... thats my tuppence...

Hi thanks for the response and input - are the trains packed on the journey up and down do you get a seat? I assume there is wifi on board and one could use a laptop on the train easily enough?

ForstalDave

relocatelondon wrote: »

Hi thanks for the response and input - are the trains packed on the journey up and down do you get a seat? I assume there is wifi on board and one could use a laptop on the train easily enough?

Plenty of seats at carlow on the way, and train home depending on time can be standing room till the first stop, trains do have wifi but dont plan on doing anything heavy on it, it struggles at the best of times

denis160

road_high wrote: »

I think this is really exaggerated in terms of Carlow town- family member worked in a social based position in both Carlow and Portlaoise and apparently Carlow was a breeze by comparison- much quieter. There's about 2 housing estates I'd describe as very rough but pretty mild in context of other towns and cities.

Having lived her for 43 years I'ld have to disagree. We were reared in what was considered a rough estate in the 70's/80's & still is, though, same the world over, it's the same few people/familys that make it that way. Also, there are parts of carlow town & estates I wouldn't walk through or go to at night & would try to avoid during the day. Maybe it's as you get older you get more aware, but even now I would be nervous & very aware on the town after a night out. Where years ago it wouldn't cost me a thought to walk home at any hour, now I just wouldn't be okay doing it. Maybe in context to other towns, I've nothing to compared to it, but in my own opinion, there are parts of carlow that 1 would avoid or be very careful going through. On the commute part, my OH leaves at 5.55/6.00 every morning to be in the office for 7. Office is at the Redcow though. Is it possible to travel to the red cow & get the Luas in to the city centre if the train times didn't suit.