Gorey to North Dublin do-able commute?

twoshortlegs

Does anyone know if it would be workable to commute from the Gorey area to North Dublin on a daily basis?

Currently I live in Dundrum, Dublin and work in Clonshough. I commute on the M50 and door to door takes me about an hour - leave the house at 7.30 and get into the office usually by 8.30. In the evenings I leave work at about 5.30 and get home about 6.30. If I can get out of the office by 4.30 I'd usually be able to shave about 15 minutes off that time.

We're living in a small apartment at the minute, and need something bigger. The Dublin prices are way beyond us, and I suppose it would make more sense to move out west of Dublin, but my wife and I both prefer Wexford.

We've been looking at houses in some of the villages within about 10 or 15 minutes drive of Gorey, and there are some gorgeous houses, but my wife's concern is that the commute will keep me away from the house too long - her view is that we'd be moving to get a better quality of life, but it won't be better if I'm leaving the house before the kids wake up and coming home after they've gone to bed. She's also pointed out that while I don't mind doing a potential 2 hour each way commute now (I'm mid 30s) I may not feel the same when I'm in my 50s.

Has/does anyone do this commute and is it manageable? What sort of drive time am I realistically looking at?

thedarkroom

twoshortlegs wrote: »

Does anyone know if it would be workable to commute from the Gorey area to North Dublin on a daily basis?

Currently I live in Dundrum, Dublin and work in Clonshough. I commute on the M50 and door to door takes me about an hour - leave the house at 7.30 and get into the office usually by 8.30. In the evenings I leave work at about 5.30 and get home about 6.30. If I can get out of the office by 4.30 I'd usually be able to shave about 15 minutes off that time.

We're living in a small apartment at the minute, and need something bigger. The Dublin prices are way beyond us, and I suppose it would make more sense to move out west of Dublin, but my wife and I both prefer Wexford.

We've been looking at houses in some of the villages within about 10 or 15 minutes drive of Gorey, and there are some gorgeous houses, but my wife's concern is that the commute will keep me away from the house too long - her view is that we'd be moving to get a better quality of life, but it won't be better if I'm leaving the house before the kids wake up and coming home after they've gone to bed. She's also pointed out that while I don't mind doing a potential 2 hour each way commute now (I'm mid 30s) I may not feel the same when I'm in my 50s.

Has/does anyone do this commute and is it manageable? What sort of drive time am I realistically looking at?

Here’s a link to a post I replied to a while back. It might answer some of your questions. If you have any more feel free to ask.

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057806421/1/#post105831058

salmocab

4 hours a day would really take its toll on you. Why not look north of Dublin somewhere near Drogheda would probably be less of a commute than you currently have I’d consider that a win/win.

Ranjo

The N11 is a nighmare. From Wexford to North Bray it services all northbound traffic.

Any accident, which is frequent enough, causes major effects.

Going south bound is just worse. The N11 M50 interchange is a daily traffic jam.

I've just moved into Sth Dublin so don't tackle this any more. I bought specifically to not be commuting like this every day.

If you like Gorey then I'd be looking for work there or at least work from home options.

jon1981

I'd share your wife's concerns on quality of life being reduced. A nice house isn't much use if you haven't much time to enjoy it.

I know you say you need a bigger place but you're making a large personal sacrifice with your time and possibly health here. 2 hours each way under ideal conditions i would add.

What about Drogheda or somewhere? At least you'd be on the right side of Dublin for work.

dubrov

Could you get a job in South Dublin?

I'd not, I'd be looking to move somewhere north of Dublin. Plenty of nice places around if you do your research

bleary

Absolute madness imo . I know the area and a lot of people around there. The commute to Sandford is doable but then doing the m50 to north Dublin would be insanity.change your job or the location.

Teyla Emmagan

You'd need to be mad to consider it to be honest. I used to do Terenure to Arklow before they finished all the N11 bypasses and it was horrific. OK in summer to be fair but gruelling in the winter. An hour and a half each way. I only lasted 6 months and then I just gave up and moved to Arklow. It's just dangerous to be driving that much in the dark when you're tired (and you will always be tired). You might manage it 3 days a week if you could WFH the other 2 days but that's it. Your life will be home and bed otherwise. Forget going to the gym, or taking a class at night or dinners out. It just wouldn't be worth it.

OldMrBrennan83

I wouldn't recommend it at all. I regularly go down the N11 from the N3 in the mornings and the queue of traffic heading up the other side does be awful looking every morning.

Wildly Boaring

Been said a couple if times. You set on Wexford or purely picking on price?

Take a scoot up the M1 from work one day. See how far your hour gets you.

With no traffic you'd get to dundalk from M50. Nice bit of traffic in mornings so depend on where in Dublin you're working.

Anyway plenty nice areas up above drogheda.
Clogherhead, Termonfeckin, Blackrock

Plenty nice houses off the m1 in spots like castlebellingham or dunloe or ardee

Rattlehead_ie

I'd have to agree. It will take its toll on you eventually. I did it for just over 18 months and the drain it put on me. I'd to be up at 5.30 to get to work in a decent time...any later and it be 1.5-2 hrs IF there wasn't a crash then have to be past Bray heading home by 3.30 or else it would be the same. WFH did ease the pain a small bit, but not enough. To add to it, increase in fuel prices, car servicing and possible harsher winters. It's only when I do the drive occasionally now do you realise "How the hell did I do this"

twoshortlegs

dubrov wrote: »

Could you get a job in South Dublin?

I'd not, I'd be looking to move somewhere north of Dublin. Plenty of nice places around if you do your research

My job does have other locations, but the furthest south is Tallaght. I'm working in Data Centres, so they're never going to be in handy locations like Sandyford because of the price of land - they need huge areas to build in.

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

Been said a couple if times. You set on Wexford or purely picking on price?

Take a scoot up the M1 from work one day. See how far your hour gets you.

With no traffic you'd get to dundalk from M50. Nice bit of traffic in mornings so depend on where in Dublin you're working.

Anyway plenty nice areas up above drogheda.
Clogherhead, Termonfeckin, Blackrock

Plenty nice houses off the m1 in spots like castlebellingham or dunloe or ardee

That's a good idea, I'll give that a try.

We're not set on Wexford, it's more we both think it's nice, and yes, price is a big factor. You get a huge amount of house for your money. We passed a good few gorgeous houses for sale yesterday, and they'd be in our price range.

My wife's other concern is being relatively near our families. Both of us are from Dundrum, and our families are there. At the minute the kids see their grandparents about 3 days a week, whereas if/when we move they'll be going from that to about an hour a week on a Sunday.

Rattlehead_ie wrote: »

I'd have to agree. It will take its toll on you eventually. I did it for just over 18 months and the drain it put on me. I'd to be up at 5.30 to get to work in a decent time...any later and it be 1.5-2 hrs IF there wasn't a crash then have to be past Bray heading home by 3.30 or else it would be the same. WFH did ease the pain a small bit, but not enough. To add to it, increase in fuel prices, car servicing and possible harsher winters. It's only when I do the drive occasionally now do you realise "How the hell did I do this"

That's pretty much exactly what my wife was concerned about. She also mentioned the possibility of the roads being bad in winter - I think we're spoiled in Dublin where we live because the roads would be gritted all the time.

Thanks for the replies everyone, looks like it is back to the drawing board!

The Spider

Living in Gorey since 2012 and doing the commute since then, currently working in SCD and that is very doable. Few things the lifestyle in Gorey is fantastic great beaches, restaurants, shops, pubs etc. Really good place to bring up kids doesn't have some of the social issues that arise in Dublin, or any other city to be honest.

A lot of ex Dubs in Gorey and is a real mix of people from ballsbridge to Blanchardstown, a helluva lot of people commute every day to Dublin, however everyone is looking for a way not to do the commute, that's why you find shops constantly opening in Gorey if one closes another one is there inside a couple of weeks, never any shuttered premises.

As for the commute I've worked in the city centre and that was a nightmare, no easy way to do it, either drive to greystones and get the dart or try drive in, and watch your petrol burn, or alternatively get the direct train or bus to the city centre, either way you're looking at two hours. South County Dublin is 45mins to an hour and a half depending on traffic. The only way to make it tolerable is working from home a couple of days a week, diesel petrol costs are going to set you back around 100 euro a week either way.

I wouldn't consider it if you're talking north of Santry, that'll destroy you too far, tallaght is doable but again, it would really need to be off peak traffic.

That being said there's no way I'd consider living in Dublin again, I've had a few jobs since I moved down, and really force jobs to work around me, the lifestyle you have here if you take the commute out of it, you would need to be earning a decent 6 figure sum to have in Dublin.

deepsilent

Im doing Gorey to Dublin city centre at least 3 times per week. it kills me, 2 hours each way. You get to south dublin in 50 min / 1 hour but then to reach city centre is another hour. i try to work from home as much as possible, but is still not enough, i see my kids 1 hour when i get home and then we all go to sleep
i wish more IT companies would open here, the area in the hatch lab seems an excellent place to open a branch.

Gazzmonkey

@ OP

Your plan might work ok when schools are off, but when schools are on, the N11 will break your heart and.

I've been using the N11 for 6 years now, it was ok until about 2015 when most got out of recession and back to work, now its a daily nightmare and not fit for purpose anymore.

Recently I've been avoiding the N11 entirely and just go the Roundwood way instead, unless schools are off.

twoshortlegs

The Spider wrote: »

Living in Gorey since 2012 and doing the commute since then, currently working in SCD and that is very doable. Few things the lifestyle in Gorey is fantastic great beaches, restaurants, shops, pubs etc. Really good place to bring up kids doesn't have some of the social issues that arise in Dublin, or any other city to be honest.

A lot of ex Dubs in Gorey and is a real mix of people from ballsbridge to Blanchardstown, a helluva lot of people commute every day to Dublin, however everyone is looking for a way not to do the commute, that's why you find shops constantly opening in Gorey if one closes another one is there inside a couple of weeks, never any shuttered premises.

As for the commute I've worked in the city centre and that was a nightmare, no easy way to do it, either drive to greystones and get the dart or try drive in, and watch your petrol burn, or alternatively get the direct train or bus to the city centre, either way you're looking at two hours. South County Dublin is 45mins to an hour and a half depending on traffic. The only way to make it tolerable is working from home a couple of days a week, diesel petrol costs are going to set you back around 100 euro a week either way.

I wouldn't consider it if you're talking north of Santry, that'll destroy you too far, tallaght is doable but again, it would really need to be off peak traffic.

That being said there's no way I'd consider living in Dublin again, I've had a few jobs since I moved down, and really force jobs to work around me, the lifestyle you have here if you take the commute out of it, you would need to be earning a decent 6 figure sum to have in Dublin.

It's the lifestyle that really attracted us to it. I spent a lot of time down in Wexford as a kid, and loved it. I'm just about as far north as Santry, I've to go to the M1 to get to my office. Some days I could probably work from home until the traffic eased, but there are a couple of days per week where I'd need to be in at 8.30/9 for meetings.

We've taken drives down there a few weekends and it's a really nice town, seems to be lots going on and everyone really friendly.

deepsilent wrote: »

Im doing Gorey to Dublin city centre at least 3 times per week. it kills me, 2 hours each way. You get to south dublin in 50 min / 1 hour but then to reach city centre is another hour. i try to work from home as much as possible, but is still not enough, i see my kids 1 hour when i get home and then we all go to sleep
i wish more IT companies would open here, the area in the hatch lab seems an excellent place to open a branch.

That's exactly what we're worried about - no time spent with the family. On Friday evening, I left the office at 4 to try and be home early (kids are sick this week, so wanted to get home a bit early to give the wife a break) but a bin lorry went on fire on the M50 and it took me 2 hours to get home. I got in the door at 6.15, but my wife pointed out that if we were living down near Gorey an incident like that could have had me on the road until after 8pm.

Littlehorny

You'r wife is right OP. My brother in law bought a house in the arse end of Cavan and drove 2 hours everyday to his job in Sutton. He was in his mid thirties and by the time he was 40 he was worn out spending 20 hours plus a week just sitting in his car, thats a day a week you would spend driving!
As others have said scour the property sites for anything north of Dublin, good luck.

mardybumbum

Do the IBT, buy yourself a 500cc motorbike and cut your commute in half.

fits

I think it’s a very doable commute if you can take the wexford bus and work in south side. Otherwise no.

heretothere

Nope! Listen to your wife. I live on the Cavan boarder, with no traffic it's 1.15hr to Dublin I was sent on a secondment to South Dublin City centre. Minimum 2.5hrs each way in the car each way. If you are set on Wexford then you need a job in south county Dublin. It is just not worth it. My husband said I was a zombie to live with and we don't have kids.

The Spider

To be honest the way to look at this is lifestyle first, and ask yourself what you want. If it was me and I can only speak for me, I'd look at buying the house see if you can get the mortgage etc. After I had the house I'd look for a new job/career further south, you'll be surprised how quickly you'd spring into action looking for a new job etc, but I'd wait till I had the house, new job bank'll want you in it at least a year before they'll give the mortgage, so better to get it now when you've been in a job for a while, then look for a new job.

Personally I've learnt to put lifestyle and family first never a job, if you want the big house and life near the beach and all that, I'd start putting the plan in action.

salmocab

Do your company have a DC in grangecastle OP or even Tallaght. That would help but still a killer of a run daily, there are limited places that have DCs as you know and it’s unlikely your ever getting one south of Dublin.
As already said look North there are very nice towns with beaches nearby up that direction.
I don’t think a single person here has said it’s do-able so I suspect your already rethinking your plan.

Wildly Boaring

Looked up the M1 last year and nearly bought in clogherhead. Might be a bit isolated for you.

Another lovely spot up there is Blackrock. One of these places takes tidy towns v seriously. Close to dundalk too.

Value head away from coast.

Duffryman

Just to echo what many others are saying - I do a run from Ferns to DCU about once a month. I go up the N11/M11/M50, and come off at what I call the Ballymun roundabout (the once near IKEA), to head down for the university. Every time I do it, I'm glad I don't have to do it any more often. There's no way I'd even consider it as a commute every single day, and I think it wouldn't be long before you'd be regretting it either.

Joe Daly

I am going up to DCU tomorrow with a van load of potted plants leave during rush hour am hope to be in the campus around 10-am unload get out of the m50 , you also have to look at a toll each way five days a week that can add up.

thedarkroom

Joe Daly wrote: »

I am going up to DCU tomorrow with a van load of potted plants leave during rush hour am hope to be in the campus around 10-am unload get out of the m50 , you also have to look at a toll each way five days a week that can add up.

Be curious to know how long that takes you. Don’t know where you’re leaving from but if it’s Gorey I would expect it’s going to take you about 2 1/2 hours if you’re leaving at around 7.30
From NewtownMountKennedy it will slow down, from the Glen of the Downs it will crawl and most likely stay like that until the Loughlinstown exit. The rest of the M50 will be slow and even stopped on many occasions. All that could change for the worst if there’s any kind of accident, no matter how minor.
Oh, and by the way, today and tomorrow is Open Day in DCU so traffic here will be busier than usual.
I drive up from Gorey to DCU every day, I leave at 5.30 and arrive at 6.50 keeping at 110km/hr for most of the way. Listening to the traffic reports each morning on the radio, I wouldn’t have the patience to travel later.
Good luck

twoshortlegs

The Spider wrote: »

To be honest the way to look at this is lifestyle first, and ask yourself what you want. If it was me and I can only speak for me, I'd look at buying the house see if you can get the mortgage etc. After I had the house I'd look for a new job/career further south, you'll be surprised how quickly you'd spring into action looking for a new job etc, but I'd wait till I had the house, new job bank'll want you in it at least a year before they'll give the mortgage, so better to get it now when you've been in a job for a while, then look for a new job.

Personally I've learnt to put lifestyle and family first never a job, if you want the big house and life near the beach and all that, I'd start putting the plan in action.

There are no jobs in my area further south, the companies just aren't building Data Centres there - land is too expensive to build the size of building they need (we're talking acres and acres here) everything is north dublin or out towards kildare/leixlip.


Changing career isn't really feasible either, I'd have to retrain, and since I'm the sole earner in the house, that's not an option. I also retrained from my original profession as a plumber thanks to the recession, nothing worse than spending 5 years getting qualified and then having to go back to college full time so I'd have a chance at getting a job. Not keen on doing that again!

salmocab wrote: »

Do your company have a DC in grangecastle OP or even Tallaght. That would help but still a killer of a run daily, there are limited places that have DCs as you know and it’s unlikely your ever getting one south of Dublin.
As already said look North there are very nice towns with beaches nearby up that direction.
I don’t think a single person here has said it’s do-able so I suspect your already rethinking your plan.

There is one in the Tallaght area, but whether or not I'd get a transfer there is another question. I'm a manager, but I manage a whole centre, so there's only one of my role in each location. For me to get a transfer to another centre, that manager would have to move, so there's no guarantee that would happen.


You suspect correctly, we're definitely rethinking now Much and all as Wexford is gorgeous, I think the commute would be a dealbreaker. We hadn't considered going too far north, but I think it would be more commutable that way. We've also just been given the option to move into my wife's family home for a while, to save a bigger deposit, so that's something we're seriously considering because it would enable us to get something somewhere closer to our families and also my job.


Thanks everyone for all your replies, you've been really helpful, I appreciate all the advice.

OldMrBrennan83

The Dublin-bound traffic was at a crawl all the way down to Newtownmountkennedy this morning shortly after 7am.

fitzparker

I posted this on another thread recently, maybe it will help, i go from Riverchapel to Sandyford 4 days a week (past 18 months)

I get up early to beat the traffic on M11, straight run to work(Bar any crashes on motorway) commute is 90km E/W (Work from home 1 day a week)

Wake at 5:40
Leave house at 5:55
Arrive in work 6:50
Either Gym/Sleep for 35 mins
Desk for 7:40

Leave at 15:40
Home by 16:40

(if these times changed by 15 minutes later id be in 30+ minutes extra traffic)

Doing it 18 months, Yes I miss having breakfast with the kids, but im home at a great time to still do homework,eat dinner with them and do activities before bed.

Long term would I change it? Probably not, but I wouldnt go any further either. unless something closer really grabbed my attention. the job is compensating so the hours are perfect that I miss the traffic, if i had to sit in it id probably be gone after a week