Moving to Donabate

Percyxoxo

HI all..

Thinking of moving to Donabate and would really appreciate any feedback you would have.
The main reason is budget and the train!
I work in city centre and the train is a huge plus for now.
I know there isn't a lot in the way of restaurants, pubs and take aways etc.
But Its near Malahide etc.

For those of you who live there, do you like it?
Is there much childcare facilities etc? How much is a taxi from town of a night out?!
Thanks very much in advance

ThunbergsAreGo

Living there two years and find it great

There is a lack of things in the village compared to Malahide/Swords but you are only four minutes away on the train.

Taxi from town can be expensive (€50 or so) but find I am going out less and less in town these days anyways. (minus is the lack of a nightlink!)

Sleepy

I'm out in Portrane so Donabate is our nearest spot for shopping / takeaways etc. There's not a huge selection in terms of restaurants etc. but there's a chinese, an indian, an italian and a couple of chippers in the area, I can't speak to the pubs as I've yet to try them out in the evenings (small kids).

The 41n runs Fridays and Saturdays but a taxi out from town will definitely cost you a few quid.

Childcare isn't much of an issue for us as Mrs Sleepy is a childminder herself, there tends to be plenty of adds seeing/offering childcare on donabateportrane.net though.

We've only lived here since late August but so far, we love the place. Lovely coastal walks, good parks for the kids (Newbridge is fantastic and your also near Malahide Castle, Ardgillan etc.) great neighbours (most of our road called in to welcome us to the estate, there was a Halloween party for the neighbours and Mrs Sleepy has gone on a couple of "girls nights" with some of the other ladies on the road.

In terms of commuting, it takes me about 25 minutes to get to Blanchardstown in the mornings assuming there's no incidents on the M50 and, on the rare occassion I have to work in town, taking the tunnel will get me into the IFSC in about the same time.

hammy007

Percyxoxo wrote: »

HI all..

Thinking of moving to Donabate and would really appreciate any feedback you would have.
The main reason is budget and the train!
I work in city centre and the train is a huge plus for now.
I know there isn't a lot in the way of restaurants, pubs and take aways etc.
But Its near Malahide etc.

For those of you who live there, do you like it?
Is there much childcare facilities etc? How much is a taxi from town of a night out?!
Thanks very much in advance

We've lived in Donabate for almost 2 years now, and absolutely love it. Taxi on a normal night would run about €35, cost me €60 on the day of the train strike, so just depends on traffic.

There are a few creches and a lot of minders (usually posted on donabateportrane.net, or by word of mouth, or at the bulletin board in Supervalu). There is also a centre based in St Pat's called Sherpa Kids. Primary schools are excellent, but have heard mixed things about the secondary school.

It's easy to walk to the train station from most places in Donabate. Newbridge is a wonderful amenity, and Donabate and Portrane beaches are just a few minutes drive (although you can walk to them if you're motivated enough I like to watch for seals in Portrane. Lots of golf courses if you golf, and there are tennis courts now too.

Restaurants and pubs are only okay, but Malahide and Skerries are close enough and have really nice places to eat. Most takeaways in Swords deliver to Donabate.

Overall, I think it's a very nice community that tends to look out for each other and it has everything a small village needs. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

ThunbergsAreGo

Where are the Seals in Portrane?

Sleepy

You'd see them quite regularly in the water off Portrane and Tower beaches

hammy007

naughtb4 wrote: »

Where are the Seals in Portrane?

I usually see them when the water is calm on the beach behind the pub.

ThunbergsAreGo

hammy007 wrote: »

I usually see them when the water is calm on the beach behind the pub.

I really dont enjoy the beach as much as I should!

hammy007

naughtb4 wrote: »

I really dont enjoy the beach as much as I should!

I can't go too long without it, and when I get bored of Donabate I wander over to Portrane

The Hill Billy

Donabate-specific. Split from the "Coastal Towns..." thread.

tHB

private

naughtb4 wrote: »

I really dont enjoy the beach as much as I should!

Main reason I discounted Donabate as a place to live in. The village is not adjacent to the wonderful beach. Otherwise a place I love to visit😀

annoyedgal

Looking at buying in Donabate in Rahillion. Really like the area, only reservation would be traffic as I'll be driving to work in North Dublin city. Can anyone tell me what traffic is like heading towards the city in the morning? I'd be heading onto the N32 towards malahide road. Thanks in advance!

annoyedgal

Also any info about school places would be much appreciated, seems to be a big issue all over Fingal.

Wishbone Ash

annoyedgal wrote: »

Looking at buying in Donabate in Rahillion. Really like the area, only reservation would be traffic as I'll be driving to work in North Dublin city. Can anyone tell me what traffic is like heading towards the city in the morning? I'd be heading onto the N32 towards malahide road. Thanks in advance!

It would depend on what time you'll be on the road so you'd need to be more specific.

(PS - if you're going from Donabate to north city centre, why would you use the N32? You'd be travelling east when you should be heading south.)

jimmytwotimes 2013

Pyrite an issue there? Because it is in Lusk.

annoyedgal

Thanks for reply. I'd need to be in raheny for 8.30. Thought that would be best route. Have to factor in a creche run so can't use train but would hope to find a creche closer to home eventually.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

It would depend on what time you'll be on the road so you'd need to be more specific.

(PS - if you're going from Donabate to north city centre, why would you use the N32? You'd be travelling east when you should be heading south.)

Qwer

annoyedgal wrote: »

Also any info about school places would be much appreciated, seems to be a big issue all over Fingal.

Primary?
Educate together is over subscribed and would need to be on waiting list, St Patricks girls school and St Patricks boys school which is next rahillion are not as far as i am aware, certainly there was places last year .
Ive no idea of secondary

annoyedgal

Yep it's primary I was thinking of. Thanks!

quote="Qwer;104229023"]Primary?
Educate together is over subscribed and would need to be on waiting list, St Patricks girls school and St Patricks boys school which is next rahillion are not as far as i am aware, certainly there was places last year .
Ive no idea of secondary

Sleepy

We had no issues getting our two into St Patricks Boys and Girls schools last year. The ET is massively over-subscribed but even though I was initially very disappointed about that, I've heard of a few parents who've moved their kids from the ET to St Patricks because they weren't happy with standards in the ET. I've no more detail than that but, despite the time lost to religion classes (which they were fine with our kids not taking part in), we've found St. Pats to be very good.

Traffic wise, I get from Portrane to an Industrial Estate in Blanchardstown in about 25 minutes in the summer holidays or about 40 minutes during school term. Taking the Port Tunnel you'd be in town in about 30 minutes in rush hour though it'd get pretty expensive at €10 a go!

annoyedgal

Thanks for that. It's the boys school I was thinking of so that's good to hear. During term time how do you find the traffic out of the village to m1 ? Also is the m1 busy at that point? I'd be leaving about 7.50 to 8.00


quote="Sleepy;104240049"]We had no issues getting our two into St Patricks Boys and Girls schools last year. The ET is massively over-subscribed but even though I was initially very disappointed about that, I've heard of a few parents who've moved their kids from the ET to St Patricks because they weren't happy with standards in the ET. I've no more detail than that but, despite the time lost to religion classes (which they were fine with our kids not taking part in), we've found St. Pats to be very good.

Traffic wise, I get from Portrane to an Industrial Estate in Blanchardstown in about 25 minutes in the summer holidays or about 40 minutes during school term. Taking the Port Tunnel you'd be in town in about 30 minutes in rush hour though it'd get pretty expensive at €10 a go![/quote]

Sleepy

I leave Portrane a bit later, usually around 8:30 and have no issues so would imagine you'd be fine. The M1 only really becomes an issue if there's a crash or something, though that happens once every month or two.

Percyxoxo

Hi all, just wondering if anyone knows the current staf of the trains in Donabate in the morning? I have seen a few threads saying they are packed to the rafters in the morning..but those threads are from a few years ago. So it would be great to know the current situation.
Thanks in advance

ThunbergsAreGo

I assume you mean state?

In my experience they are fine

Percyxoxo

Yes thanks I do. In terms of how packed they are at rush hour and if you need to wait for a few trains to actually get on one. Cheers

ThunbergsAreGo

Percyxoxo wrote: »

Yes thanks I do. In terms of how packed they are at rush hour and if you need to wait for a few trains to actually get on one. Cheers

I have never had to wait for a next train

Going in is always good, sometimes a seat, mostly not. On the way back the 5.35 (from Connolly) isnt great but thats it really. 17.11 starts at Connolly though and is great

Check out the 33d, its a brilliant (but dont tell everyone )

hammy007

Percyxoxo wrote: »

Yes thanks I do. In terms of how packed they are at rush hour and if you need to wait for a few trains to actually get on one. Cheers

You can get on, but you'll very rarely get a seat. It's not as bad in the summer when people are on holidays, but I wouldn't expect a seat the rest of the year. The Dart is badly needed in Donabate, as it's a huge commuter hub.

ThunbergsAreGo

hammy007 wrote: »

You can get on, but you'll very rarely get a seat. It's not as bad in the summer when people are on holidays, but I wouldn't expect a seat the rest of the year. The Dart is badly needed in Donabate, as it's a huge commuter hub.

I am not sure I would take the Dart if it meant losing the Commuter Service

Cloudio9

naughtb4 wrote: »

I am not sure I would take the Dart if it meant losing the Commuter Service

Why would it ?

Malahide and portmarnock have both services.

Also at peak times the commuter service is frequently no faster than the Dart.

ThunbergsAreGo

Cloudio9 wrote: »

Why would it ?

Malahide and portmarnock have both services.

Also at peak times the commuter service is frequently no faster than the Dart.

Just a lack of trust in Irish rail I guess

theoriginal

Village/town ruined.

ThunbergsAreGo

theoriginal wrote: »

Village/town ruined.

What happened now?

Tropheus

naughtb4 wrote: »

What happened now?

Residents are campaigning for responsible and sustainable development on the Donabate/Portrane peninsula. There is significant building activity on the peninsula at the moment with several housing developments and the National Forensic Mental Hospital.



There is currently only one road in and out of Donabate that includes a narrow railway bridge. Traffic in and out of the village at peak times is very slow. You can imagine how bad that has become given significant construction traffic that will only get worse.



There are plans for a distributor road that will essentially by-pass Donabate village and open up additional lands for development. However, despite a photo call for a ground breaking ceremony, FCC have yet to start the project. There are also plans to widen the road at the railway bridge. Again, that has been delayed with no sign of it commencing. There are parts of the main road into Donabate where two trucks/buses cannot pass.



There are also issues where schools are at capacity and other amenities lacking such as a Garda station. This all happening in a town that is planned to be as big as Athlone in the coming years.

ThunbergsAreGo

Tropheus wrote: »

Residents are campaigning for responsible and sustainable development on the Donabate/Portrane peninsula. There is significant building activity on the peninsula at the moment with several housing developments and the National Forensic Mental Hospital.



There is currently only one road in and out of Donabate that includes a narrow railway bridge. Traffic in and out of the village at peak times is very slow. You can imagine how bad that has become given significant construction traffic that will only get worse.



There are plans for a distributor road that will essentially by-pass Donabate village and open up additional lands for development. However, despite a photo call for a ground breaking ceremony, FCC have yet to start the project. There are also plans to widen the road at the railway bridge. Again, that has been delayed with no sign of it commencing. There are parts of the main road into Donabate where two trucks/buses cannot pass.



There are also issues where schools are at capacity and other amenities lacking such as a Garda station. This all happening in a town that is planned to be as big as Athlone in the coming years.

Cannot disagree with any of that to be honest. Lived here 2.5 years and Council are ruining it

Wishbone Ash

Tropheus wrote: »

....There are also plans to widen the road at the railway bridge. Again, that has been delayed with no sign of it commencing. ....

I believe the ESB are holding that up. There is a large pole very close to the edge of the current road which needs to be moved out of the way.

Tim Robbins

Good youtube video here ref some of the issues in Donabate. The residents aren't against any new development just want the infrastructure to match.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbkXh75DIvc

Homer

Work on the new distributor road, that will start just after the entrance to Newbridge House and bypass the town heading up to Portrane, is well under way now but expected to take 16 months to complete.

ThunbergsAreGo

What the council have done or rather haven't done is a disgrace

Tim Robbins

Homer wrote: »

Work on the new distributor road, that will start just after the entrance to Newbridge House and bypass the town heading up to Portrane, is well under way now but expected to take 16 months to complete.

That road is a bit of a scam. It opens up massive green-field sites to build another few thousand houses, but does nothing to deal with traffic will only add to it. Was supposed to be a dual carriageway but has been downgraded.

ThunbergsAreGo

Tim Robbins wrote: »

Homer wrote: »

Work on the new distributor road, that will start just after the entrance to Newbridge House and bypass the town heading up to Portrane, is well under way now but expected to take 16 months to complete.

That road is a bit of a scam. It opens up massive green-field sites to build another few thousand houses, but does nothing to deal with traffic will only add to it. Was supposed to be a dual carriageway but has been downgraded.

The whole thing is a scam, seems like only the houses part of the Lap will actually get delivered

Homer

Tim Robbins wrote: »

That road is a bit of a scam. It opens up massive green-field sites to build another few thousand houses, but does nothing to deal with traffic will only add to it. Was supposed to be a dual carriageway but has been downgraded.

Is there not a problem with lack of supply of houses though?

ThunbergsAreGo

Homer wrote: »

Tim Robbins wrote: »

That road is a bit of a scam. It opens up massive green-field sites to build another few thousand houses, but does nothing to deal with traffic will only add to it. Was supposed to be a dual carriageway but has been downgraded.

Is there not a problem with lack of supply of houses though?

Donabate is already taking its fair share

Also no problem with houses, once the infrastructure is there, it patently isn't

Homer

naughtb4 wrote: »

Donabate is already taking its fair share

Also no problem with houses, once the infrastructure is there, it patently isn't

Surely the developers have applied for planning, and as part of the process fingal county council have looked at whether the infrastructure is there or not or whether new roads need to be built etc and have made a decision based on that?
I would have thought the new road will divert traffic on to the new road thereby avoiding through traffic in the village?

ThunbergsAreGo

You would have hoped so but it's not the case.

No new schools no new amenities etc. The council are clueless tbh (or worse don't care), I haven't seen anything new in three years apart from more and more building sites. There are already problems with the water supply which goes probably once a month

My wife is a primary teacher and cannot wait for the three schools promised by the LAP, no movement at all.

Even the LAP seems to have been twisted to allow as many houses as possible

Its all very worrying. I think I heard that 25% of all housing is being built in Donabate (may not be entirely accurate). It's to be the size of Naas and Athlone yet has nothing but one unfit for purpose road connecting it with the m1

Born78

naughtb4 wrote: »

You would have hoped so but it's not the case.

No new schools no new amenities etc. The council are clueless tbh (or worse don't care), I haven't seen anything new in three years apart from more and more building sites. There are already problems with the water supply which goes probably once a month

My wife is a primary teacher and cannot wait for the three schools promised by the LAP, no movement at all.

Even the LAP seems to have been twisted to allow as many houses as possible

Its all very worrying. I think I heard that 25% of all housing is being built in Donabate (may not be entirely accurate). It's to be the size of Naas and Athlone yet has nothing but one unfit for purpose road connecting it with the m1

This is shameful from County Council. Granting new planning permission without upgrading basic facilities, roads and so on. This will not be sustainable longer period.
The only thing to do is protesting and marching peacefully. The only thing to do to get attention and influence lawmakers.

seagull

Homer wrote: »

Surely the developers have applied for planning, and as part of the process fingal county council have looked at whether the infrastructure is there or not or whether new roads need to be built etc and have made a decision based on that?
I would have thought the new road will divert traffic on to the new road thereby avoiding through traffic in the village?

You honestly believe there is such a thing as town planning in this country? I don't think the concept even exists. The process doesn't seem to go beyond "How many houses can be crammed in there?" The question of how access, schooling, and other infrastructure get thought of after the fact once there's a huge issue.

Wishbone Ash

naughtb4 wrote: »

.... I think I heard that 25% of all housing is being built in Donabate (may not be entirely accurate)....

25% of what?

Tim Robbins

Homer wrote: »

Is there not a problem with lack of supply of houses though?

The country certainly needs more homes but it will be a disaster if you the infrastructure doesn't match it. The council want to build a massive council estate up there. Again, there are people who need to council houses but a massive council estate with no infrastructure to back it up is a disaster.

Tim Robbins

Homer wrote: »

Surely the developers have applied for planning, and as part of the process fingal county council have looked at whether the infrastructure is there or not or whether new roads need to be built etc and have made a decision based on that?
I would have thought the new road will divert traffic on to the new road thereby avoiding through traffic in the village?

The new road enters Hearse too early. That road is very narrow and dangerous as is. Ask anyone who tries to cycle it.

Wishbone Ash

Tim Robbins wrote: »

....That road is very narrow and dangerous as is. Ask anyone who tries to cycle it.

I cycle it regularly. There are more dangerous roads out there such as the R127 and R128.

shesty

Tim Robbins wrote: »

The country certainly needs more homes but it will be a disaster if you the infrastructure doesn't match it. The council want to build a massive council estate up there. Again, there are people who need to council houses but a massive council estate with no infrastructure to back it up is a disaster.

Which goes without saying to anyone who has half a brain.It just doesn't seem to bother the people who actually plan the stuff all that much.I have yet to come across joined-up thinking in the planning and building process.Everything seems to be considered as an individual case, without any reference to what's around it or improvements that would be needed to infrastructure or anything.

Homer

Tim Robbins wrote: »

The council want to build a massive council estate up there.

That explains a lot of the negativity I guess.