Moving to Mountbellew

Charlie5

Hello, I am considering a move from Dublin to Mountbellow in Galway but know nothing about the town or if it's considered a nice family friendly town to live in. We would be moving with two young children so it's really important for us to get this move right as we will be uprooting them from their school and friends.

Ideally we'd love to move to a town with a good community, safe and good schools etc. If you can offer any advice I'd really appreciate it.

I don't have any particular place where I work as my work will take me into Mayo, galway and Athlone.

TIA

Charlie5

Charlie5 wrote: »

Hello, I am considering a move from Dublin to Mountbellow in Galway but know nothing about the town or if it's considered a nice family friendly town to live in. We would be moving with two young children so it's really important for us to get this move right as we will be uprooting them from their school and friends.

Ideally we'd love to move to a town with a good community, safe and good schools etc. If you can offer any advice I'd really appreciate it.

I don't have any particular place where I work as my work will take me into Mayo, galway and Athlone.

TIA

Jaysus, that's going to be some culture shock. Mountbellew is a nice little village, but has bugger all for a young family outside of the gaa.

Lived only a few miles from it for nearly a decade. If you are going to be commuting to Galway for work, be warned, the commute can be soul destroying.

You'll have a lot more facilities if you go to a larger town like Athenry, Gort, Ballinasloe, Oranmore, Tuam etc. You'll note, each of those is also on a motorway.

Anywhere is better than Dublin.

dubrov

Ronin Red Savannah wrote:

Anywhere is better than Dublin.

Someone's having a bad day

dubrov

OP, it's a nice village with a good sense of community.

Not many services close by or things to do though. I'd say it's fine for young kids but teenagers will get bored.

afkasurfjunkie

Maybe check out the area around athenry. You would be on motorway with access to Galway, Athlone and Tuam for Mayo. It’s a lot closer to Galway for older kids and college in the future and would provide more facilities than mountbellew.

Charlie5

Yisroel Greasy Sorbet wrote: »

Anywhere is better than Dublin.

Very true

Charlie5

afkasurfjunkie wrote: »

Maybe check out the area around athenry. You would be on motorway with access to Galway, Athlone and Tuam for Mayo. It’s a lot closer to Galway for older kids and college in the future and would provide more facilities than mountbellew.

Great thanks for that.
Any other town you'd recommend?

Charlie5

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Jaysus, that's going to be some culture shock. Mountbellew is a nice little village, but has bugger all for a young family outside of the gaa.

Lived only a few miles from it for nearly a decade. If you are going to be commuting to Galway for work, be warned, the commute can be soul destroying.

You'll have a lot more facilities if you go to a larger town like Athenry, Gort, Ballinasloe, Oranmore, Tuam etc. You'll note, each of those is also on a motorway.

Thanks for that. Have a very tight budget which has driven us further out from galway. Would hate to have to move again in the future so trying to get this move right.

We've already moved back from Dubai to Dublin now to Galway. Kids are now 6 so next move has to be the last.

Gingganggooley

Charlie5 wrote:

Great thanks for that. Any other town you'd recommend?

You should consider Claremorris as well.

Charlie5

Thanks everyone for your feedback.
We're looking for a house on it's own land rather than in an estate but what is consider a "reasonable" distance to be from a town like Athenry or Tuam?

I've viewed a few houses that have been 6 miles from Athenry. In Dublin that's nothing but I feel in Galway with the roads, tractors etc. that can be a lot but maybe not.

Any advice?

Charlie5

Really? Never considered that.
Is there any particular reason why you say that? We're open to anywhere really as long as it's a good move for the kids.

GALWAYGUY2019

I live in the village next to mountbellew and not from here originally and love it. great community spirit and perfect place to bring up children.

There is activities for Kids clubs, sports, after school activities, 35min from Galway / Athlone 30 min from roscommon. thats not to bad.

if your Looking for a quiet life in a nice community id recommend it

TCDStudent1

Charlie5 wrote: »

Thanks for that. Have a very tight budget which has driven us further out from galway. Would hate to have to move again in the future so trying to get this move right.

We've already moved back from Dubai to Dublin now to Galway. Kids are now 6 so next move has to be the last.

Its all down to what you want. Mountbellew is a small rural village. To me, it would be an ideal place to raise young kids with a good community spirit, primary / secondary schools nearby etc. Some tasty cafes there too. A few years ago, it was a village that always came high in tidy towns competition. If you are into GAA, you will find a vibrant GAA community there.



However, it's not exactly convenient for Galway city.....Athenry would probably be a better option if that's in your price range - near motorways, rail system, nice(ish) commute to Galway. If Athenry is out of your price range, Monivea is a beautiful little village between Athenry & Mountbellew.

TCM

Deleted User wrote:

Jaysus, that's going to be some culture shock. Mountbellew is a nice little village, but has bugger all for a young family outside of the gaa.

....and what more could they want?

Addle

Is Mountbellew a town or s village?!
I consider it a town.
I've heard good things about the secondary school there.

TCDStudent1

Addle wrote: »

Is Mountbellew a town or s village?!
I consider it a town.
I've heard good things about the secondary school there.

I was also debating which term I would use. Has a mart too which villages woul not have, but towns would!

Lol, it's a long way from ever being classified as a town, there is less than 800 people living in it

Fann Linn

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Lol, it's a long way from ever being classified as a town, there is less than 800 people living in it

And plenty of pubs and a fine chipper.
Sorted.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

............

Lived only a few miles from it for nearly a decade. If you are going to be commuting to Galway for work, be warned, the commute can be soul destroying.

You'll have a lot more facilities if you go to a larger town like Athenry, Gort, Ballinasloe, Oranmore, Tuam etc. You'll note, each of those is also on a motorway.

Indeed, living outside of Galway city and commuting into it is grim.
Dublin offers plenty to be fair. I'd not be making the jump from Dublin to a country spot like Mountbellow too quickly.

Mad_maxx

Charlie5 wrote: »

Hello, I am considering a move from Dublin to Mountbellow in Galway but know nothing about the town or if it's considered a nice family friendly town to live in. We would be moving with two young children so it's really important for us to get this move right as we will be uprooting them from their school and friends.

Ideally we'd love to move to a town with a good community, safe and good schools etc. If you can offer any advice I'd really appreciate it.

I don't have any particular place where I work as my work will take me into Mayo, galway and Athlone.

TIA

It's a dump, that's just about the least interesting part of county Galway ( North East) so there isn't even an interesting hinterland

Buy in tuam, its still reasonably good value and you have the motorway all the way to Galway

Mad_maxx

Addle wrote: »

Is Mountbellew a town or s village?!
I consider it a town.
I've heard good things about the secondary school there.

It's just about a town, same as glenamaddy in that regard

Those parts of county Galway are clannish beyond belief, tuam has a population of 8k plus, fact is there are no good towns in county Galway, the divide between the city and the county is stark culturally and economically, at least tuam is cheap and big enough that being a blow in is less of an issue relatively speaking

cena

There really isn't much to do in mountbellew. Sports wise it is mainly a gaa place.

Two secondary schools. I myself went to the school outside the town. Not sure what it is like today.

allysangel

Have you looked at Abbeyknockmoy or Barnaderg? Closer to Tuam and Galway several primary schools (Newtown (Abbeyknockmoy), Barnadearg, Cahergal ( brand new building), Brierfield, Ballinderry , Annagh Hill all within a 5/6 mile radius of each other and buses running to secondary schools on Tuam & Mountbellew ) Abbeyknockmoy has Football, Hurling, Soccer, Irish dancing , hip hop etc . You’re not far from Tuam for gymnastics/rugby/athletics/swimming etc . Might be worth checking out those areas . Good luck .

heart is in London

Hi
Monivea which is the other half of Abbeyknockmoy parish is another good option. It has a new primary school only recently opened. It is about 8miles roughly from Athenry. It has a rugby club, new boxing facilities and GAA football club with its own grounds, playground, community hall and a forest with some lovely walks.

Athenry and Tuam would be easily accessible from there and are on bus routes for secondary schools. Athenry has 3 secondary schools - Presentation College (new school), Clarin College (new school being built at the minute) and Secondary Irish school which will be built when Clarin College vacates its current premises.

Good luck.