Blackrock / Douglas /Rochestown for family of 4 returning from Sydney

HillFarmer

Hi All,

Family of 4 looking to move from Sydney back to Cork.

We have two girls, a 10 year old and an 8 year old.
We used to live in Frankfield before we left a long time ago.

We are looking for a really good secondary school but having trouble in deciding on the right area. We've been gone so long assuming lots has changed.

I've never lived in Blackrock, but with the old railway walk / run, plus the distance to the city center for weekends it's very tempting.

( plus all the future plans for the area )

However I will more than likely be working in Ballincollig and am worried about the Blackrock traffic if any.

The other areas we were considering is Maryborough / Rochestown / Douglas.
Never lived in those exact areas so wondering is the premium worth it.

When we did live in Frankfield we enjoyed it however we are looking for more community / coffee shops etc as near as we can whilst still having a leafy suburb. I would also love a garage!

Spoilt here in Sydney but family is drawing us home.
Would be great to hear from people in these areas, advise on good schools / traffic blackspots etc.

Looking forward to coming home, can't wait tbh!

thejuggler

Why not consider Ballincollig? Good schools, sense of community, frequent bus services. Its a fairly leafy suburb these days. (Oh and its part of the city now since the boundary extension in May this year)

Slipperydodger

Blackrock is for me the nicest part of Cork city being so close to the city centre and some lovely walks while being close to the pairc. I can also see it boom in the coming years.

HillFarmer

thejuggler wrote: »

Why not consider Ballincollig? Good schools, sense of community, frequent bus services. Its a fairly leafy suburb these days. (Oh and its part of the city now since the boundary extension in May this year)

Thanks Juggler, I had thought about it but havn't been able to find out what the secondary schools are like there.
Would definitely be open to it, my only concern would be if EMC or Vmware ever left, it could have a major impact on the town. ( I'm probably over thinking it )

HillFarmer

Slipperydodger wrote: »

Blackrock is for me the nicest part of Cork city being so close to the city centre and some lovely walks while being close to the pairc. I can also see it boom in the coming years.

Thanks mate, I;ve never lived there, but those were my exact sentiments. With the Docklands redevelopement, Marina park and the walks / city center nearby it certainly did tick alot of boxes.

My wife prefers new builds though as she thinks there will be alot more kids the same age as ours ( 8 and 10 ). Therefore she is not as keen and prefers Maryborough / mount oval.

Personally I think I would prefer Blackrock. Need to book a flight and drive around the areas.

Is there much traffic issues in Blackrock more so than other areas of Cork?

TheQuietBeatle

You're not going to see massive traffic compared to Australia's cities. I drive through Blackrock every morning during rush hour and it's only bad if there's an accident elsewhere eg. The link gets backed up if a car crash happens.

But in general most traffic in Cork is manageable (the tunnel maybe being the exception).

pwurple

Blackrock / Ballinlough has more schools as far as I know than mount oval, because it is an older more established area. Most children in the area walk to school.
Beaumont boys and girls, crab lane, eglantine, st anthonys, st michaels, ursulines, school of the divine child, scoil an croise naofa.

The schools in rochestowns are the educate together and scoil naofa padraig. That's it I think.
A lot of people have to drive them somewhere else if they live in rochestown, like douglas or carrigaline probably?

HillFarmer

pwurple wrote: »

Blackrock / Ballinlough has more schools as far as I know than mount oval, because it is an older more established area. Most children in the area walk to school.
Beaumont boys and girls, crab lane, eglantine, st anthonys, st michaels, ursulines, school of the divine child, scoil an croise naofa.

The schools in rochestowns are the educate together and scoil naofa padraig. That's it I think.
A lot of people have to drive them somewhere else if they live in rochestown, like douglas or carrigaline probably?

Thanks mate, I'm going to check out those schools you have listed.
Is there one that stands out in the area as the best?
Looking for a co ed but if there is a very good all girls school would consider it as well.

The more I look into Blackrock the more I think we would like it. ( Mrs yet to be convinced, still thinks more family with kids in new estates)
Time to book flights and do a reconnaissance mission.

RINO87

There's new builds underway in/near blackrock..... if you could live somewhere called "Aylesbury" that is.

https://www.daft.ie/cork/new-homes-for-sale/aylesbury-ballintemple-blackrock-cork-119679/

Edit: a quick search also shows new builds in Blackrock Villas and Beaumont Drive.

https://www.myhome.ie/residential/cork-city/new-homes/property-for-sale-in-blackrock-cork

com7

Hi
I live in ballintemple /blackrock and would recommend it , traffic is fine rochestown douglas is worse in my opinion ........my kids went to the gael scoil in wilton ...brilliant school but crap lane is also very good ...there s also a very good bus service 202 and you would walk to town in 20 mins

cantalach

Cork city proper is crap for co-ed schools. Ashton College is one co-ed option but they give priority to non-Catholic kids which might put you at a disadvantage depending on your background. Colláiste an Phiarssigh is another co-ed but unlikely to suit kids whose primary schooling has been in English.

The girls schools *perceived* to be best are probably Scoil Mhuire, St. Angela's, and Regina Mundi. The first two of these are in the city centre but secondary school kids can get the bus which would make where you love less important.

Think letter B: Blackrock, Ballintemple, Beaumont, Ballinlough, Boreenmanna, Blackrock Road. All adjoining each other and good places to love.

HillFarmer

cantalach wrote: »

Cork city proper is crap for co-ed schools. Ashton College is one co-ed option but they give priority to non-Catholic kids which might put you at a disadvantage depending on your background. Colláiste an Phiarssigh is another co-ed but unlikely to suit kids whose primary schooling has been in English.

The girls schools *perceived* to be best are probably Scoil Mhuire, St. Angela's, and Regina Mundi. The first two of these are in the city centre but secondary school kids can get the bus which would make where you love less important.

Think letter B: Blackrock, Ballintemple, Beaumont, Ballinlough, Boreenmanna, Blackrock Road. All adjoining each other and good places to love.

Thanks Cantalach, great info. Yes we come from a Catholic background but we're not religious. Girls also don't have Irish so a few things to note.

Appreciate the time outlining the above. I'm not sure I fancy the kids going to school in the city center. I'm now checking out Regina Mundy. Location looks good, but looking at G maps not sure there is much playground space in the school but can't have everything.

You can't beat getting local knowledge!

pwurple

The co-Ed primary schools are Crab Lane and St Michaels. St Michaels is church of Ireland, the students there generally go to Ashton (co Ed secondary). Crab lane has a very good reputation too.

Beaumont has two schools on the same site, a boys and girls, but are run entirely separately.

Corkgirl18

Regina Mundi would have a very good reputation.
Christ King may also be worth a look.
Colaiste Choilm is a very big mixed school secondary school in Ballincollig which again, would have a very good reputation.

If your daughters are 8 and 10 coming over they will probably have to study Irish.

cantalach

HillFarmer wrote: »

I'm now checking out Regina Mundy. Location looks good, but looking at G maps not sure there is much playground space in the school but can't have everything.

You did say secondary school right? Not really following how playground space is terribly relevant tbh. Even in 1st year they don't "play" at break time. They just stand around trying to look cool.

Regina Mundi is a small school with an ambiguous admission policy, at least it did when we were shopping for a girls secondary school 7 years ago. Officially they take girls from the surrounding area. But at an information night the principal refused to define what "surrounding area" meant. One suspects it depends on where precisely in the surrounding area you live, and possibly what Mammy and Daddy do for a living too.

One other thing to consider when choosing a girls school is that some of them have poor subject choices for girls interested in STEM careers (again, keep in mind that my info is 7 years old!). For example, one of the top girls schools didn't offer higher level physics at all. So when meeting principals be sure to ask about subject choices and don't just assume, if that is important to you.

kub

cantalach wrote: »

You did say secondary school right? Not really following how playground space is terribly relevant tbh. Even in 1st year they don't "play" at break time. They just stand around trying to look cool.

Regina Mundi is a small school with an ambiguous admission policy, at least it did when we were shopping for a girls secondary school 7 years ago. Officially they take girls from the surrounding area. But at an information night the principal refused to define what "surrounding area" meant. One suspects it depends on where precisely in the surrounding area you live, and possibly what Mammy and Daddy do for a living too.

One other thing to consider when choosing a girls school is that some of them have poor subject choices for girls interested in STEM careers (again, keep in mind that my info is 7 years old!). For example, one of the top girls schools didn't offer higher level physics at all. So when meeting principals be sure to ask about subject choices and don't just assume, if that is important to you.

Sorry but we have a child attending Regina Mundi, with another to follow.
We are very happy with the school and cannot agree with your experience or indeed your reference to a child parents occupation.

cantalach

kub wrote: »

Sorry but we have a child attending Regina Mundi, with another to follow.
We are very happy with the school and cannot agree with your experience or indeed your reference to a child parents occupation.

As I said, my experience was 7 years ago. The Department of Education has since issued rules requiring schools to have much clearer admission policies. Perhaps that has made all the difference.

By the way, on a question of language, you can't agree or disagree with another person's experience because that is their experience. You may not be able to relate to it. I'll assume that's what you meant.

Mom and Dad's job did have something to do with it at that time. Our daughter did not get in, despite us living 400 metres from the school entrance, but her classmate living miles away whose dad was a CEO did. Neither of that girl's parents had any family connection with the school or no other basis on which to establish a right of admission. Ask yourself the question: why do *comparatively* few girls from off the South Douglas Road attend RM and so many girls from Maryborough, R'town Road, etc.? That's not coincidence or chance.

But with all that said, please keep in mind my original response above. I did actually mention RM as an option the OP should consider. It's s good school.

kub

cantalach wrote: »

As I said, my experience was 7 years ago. The Department of Education has since issued rules requiring schools to have much clearer admission policies. Perhaps that has made all the difference.

By the way, on a question of language, you can't agree or disagree with another person's experience because that is their experience. You may not be able to relate to it. I'll assume that's what you meant.

Mom and Dad's job did have something to do with it at that time. Our daughter did not get in, despite us living 400 metres from the school entrance, but her classmate living miles away whose dad was a CEO did. Neither of that girl's parents had any family connection with the school or no other basis on which to establish a right of admission. Ask yourself the question: why do *comparatively* few girls from off the South Douglas Road attend RM and so many girls from Maryborough, R'town Road, etc.? That's not coincidence or chance.

But with all that said, please keep in mind my original response above. I did actually mention RM as an option the OP should consider. It's s good school.

So your advice to the OP so is, to live in the Maryborough/ Rochestown area if the OP wishes to send their child to Regina Mundi.
Personally I do not have access to such personal detail as knowing where each and every child lives and neither have I any idea of what percentage of them come from wherever.
It is indeed a shame that your own child could not attend a school so close to your own home.

cantalach

kub wrote: »

So your advice to the OP so is, to live in the Maryborough/ Rochestown area if the OP wishes to send their child to Regina Mundi.

No, my advice to the OP in the first reply was pretty clear: Blackrock, Ballintemple, Beaumont, Ballinlough, Boreenmanna, etc. Unless you know for certain where your kids are going to be going to school, there's no point trying to live close to any one particular school. Personally, I think 13 is high time to be learning how to use public transport. Our second child got the bus from day 1 in secondary. But I completely respect OP's concern about that.

kub

cantalach wrote: »

No, my advice to the OP in the first reply was pretty clear: Blackrock, Ballintemple, Beaumont, Ballinlough, Boreenmanna, etc. Unless you know for certain where your kids are going to be going to school, there's no point trying to live close to any one particular school. Personally, I think 13 is high time to be learning how to use public transport. Our second child got the bus from day 1 in secondary. But I completely respect OP's concern about that.

Apologies, you did indeed.
My point is, am I correct in understanding your point with regard to Regina Mundi is that kids from Maryborough/ Rochestown have a better chance of attending that school than other areas ?

cantalach

kub wrote: »

Apologies, you did indeed.
My point is, am I correct in understanding your point with regard to Regina Mundi is that kids from Maryborough/ Rochestown have a better chance of attending that school than other areas ?

I can't speak for RM admissions today, as I said above. But at the time we were "shopping" for a girls secondary school, yes, I believe that to be the case. The evidence then was that preference was given to girls from the right addresses (we had just moved here and were renting). The school's admission policy was at best ambiguous because the then principal repeatedly and publicly declined to define what she meant by surrounding area. Every parent there that night heard her. The dept rules have been tightened a lot since and maybe RM now has a broader socio-economic intake.

But would I live somewhere just to ensure my child got into a certain school? Absolutely not. This isn't London yet.

HillFarmer

Thanks Cantalach and Kub for the information.

I'm heading back in November for two weeks and we have spoke to several schools including Regina Mundi.

One last question if you don't mind, in the general blackrock / Ballinlough area, is there a lot of coffee shops / restaurants etc or do most people living there head to the city instead?

We're leaning towards Blackrock / Ballinlough but the one thing drawing me back to Douglas is the likes of coffee shops/ restaurants within walking distance.

Not a big deal really, first world problems to be fair but been able to walk instead of taking car / bus would be nice.

pwurple

Food in Blackrock isn't bad at all considering the size. Ballinlough is mainly residential alright.

Here's a few to Google

Blackrock castle cafe (fab restaurant and cafe)
Salt
The leaping salmon
The natural food bakery
Pronto cafe (tiny Italian place with great coffee and homemade biscuits)
Basil
Longboats (the temple Inn)

Then over ballinlough direction you have
Silver key
A great chipper... The golden fry
Gogo's.


There are piles of pubs here too , social life in the evenings is pretty good.
Maple leaf, leaping salmon, the pier head, the two above that do food (longboats and leaping salmon) , the Blackrock Inn, the venue. 7 pubs in easy walking distance in the area.