Moving to Monasterevin

grahamdunne32

Hi I am just looking for anyone's opinion on Monasterevin as a place to live? I am considering moving there with my 3 children and my wife as it is a much shorter commute to work in Dublin than my current location, Tullamore.

Thanks in advance and if you dont want to mention something please private message me as we would appreciate any kind of input

ebbsy

Schools there are crammed to the brim. I sent my kids to Kildare town schools.

There is one supermarket there, but then again I shop in Kildare Town where the choice is wide.

Its a pleasant place, but facilities are very limited and I would look in Kildare Town first.

LMHC

grahamdunne32 wrote: »

Hi I am just looking for anyone's opinion on Monasterevin as a place to live? I am considering moving there with my 3 children and my wife as it is a much shorter commute to work in Dublin than my current location, Tullamore.

Thanks in advance and if you dont want to mention something please private message me as we would appreciate any kind of input

Would it not be an option to come further on up I.E maynooth, Celbridge?

10pennymixup

As another has said it it smaller and quieter than larger towns, which to me is half its attraction. It still has a "country" feel to it. I would loath to live in somewhere like Celebridge, too "towny", so that might be just a personal thing.

I'm guessing that with most new people thinking of moving to the town, the house prices are a major consideration. With a difference of €50/100k for comparable houses over north Kildare.

Schools have become an issue in the last year or two though, a similar problem to a lot of towns where there is a large, recent influx of people. But the new secondary opening next year should help some.

As for shops. During the lockdown anything I needed I was able to buy locally either in Supervalu, the Creamery, Willoughbys, Fitzpatricks etc.

Along with good transport links (rail, bus, and the M7), it's a great location. I can make the motorway in minutes and be in Dublin quicker than others trying to get through the morning traffic in towns such as Newbridge.

It's a great town to move to. The hundreds of people that have moved here in the last few years can't all be wrong.

Swaine

Live near enough to Monasterevin myself. Grand town which IMO is at the start of becoming a commuter town.

Has a Supervalue but little else in terms of shopping. However, you're a 5 minute drive from Kildare town which has pretty much everything. Portlaoise is 10 minutes away.

Junction 14 mayfield is a 2 minute drive away, it has Supermacs, Subway etc. Handy place to grab food.

2 GAA clubs in Monasterevin GFC and Ballykelly GFC (fantastic facilites). Also has a soccer club.

Moore Abbey woods nearby is great to explore during the summer.

Negatives IMO: Gardai love Monasterevin, always hiding somewhere in the town to catch those going 55 in a 50 zone. The vans are a permanent fixture around the Hazel Hotel. Very easy to rack up points if you're not familiar with the area. The Hazel Hotel is now a direct provision centre.

10pennymixup

I would have though that an active Garda presence and road safety vans a positive thing. I regularly see the Guards at the Hazel, a popular spot for them the last few decades now.

The go safe van I see the most is on main street/ west end, near the secondary school and playground. Long may it stay there.

The direct provision in the Hazel is not new, but must be there 5/10 years now. The only issue I've ever heard was when a poor troubled soul of a resident was found down the canal.

I've heard much more negativity about the one in Newbridge than the Hazel, and isn't direct provision nationally being phased out?

ebbsy

ebbsy wrote: »

Schools there are crammed to the brim. I sent my kids to Kildare town schools.

There is one supermarket there, but then again I shop in Kildare Town where the choice is wide.

Its a pleasant place, but facilities are very limited and I would look in Kildare Town first.

Monasterevin might have limited services at the moment John but the future is looking bright for the town. New secondary school being build at the moment and i think a new primary school is in the pipeline . New whiskey distillery visitor centre being build across from Ballykelly GAA which will have the Barrow Blueway (46kms long) running behind it. Umeras peatland park to be opened in the near future.

Calhoun

Its not a bad commuter town, i feel Portarlington feels more like a town at times due to its mainstreet and square but thats just my own quirk.

Location wise if your living in the midlands is great, you are inbetween Portlaoise
and Newbridge so have options of both those places and Kildare town for socializing. Whitewater is great for spending time with the family.

You are also very close to the likes of EMO (beautiful gardens), Kildare Farmfoods (petting type farm), the national stud/gardens and of course the race course. Lots to do around.

10pennymixup

Deleted User wrote: »

Monasterevin might have limited services at the moment John but the future is looking bright for the town. New secondary school being build at the moment and i think a new primary school is in the pipeline . New whiskey distillery visitor centre being build across from Ballykelly GAA which will have the Barrow Blueway (46kms long) running behind it. Umeras peatland park to be opened in the near future.

The Distillery, or "Bono's Mill" as some are calling it, is really coming along. The roof terrace thing is looking very interesting and I can't wait to see it finished.

And hopefully, along with Umeras and the Blueway, it will bring plenty employment in our kids futures.

The Umeras Peatland Park is at the very early stages of development but the community group have received funding to conduct studies in to design, planning, and biodiversity and have this week started holding consultations with local stakeholders. This proposed park when finished is expected to be similar to Lough Boora (link), where the bog will be re watered and allowed return to it's natural state

I'm not in the development group but I believe all members are volunteers so fair play to those that have gotten the project off the ground. This is a project that deserves support

But if it doesn't come to fruition, the area is definitely still worth a visit. I was out there late one evening last year and and I heard a curlew for the first time in maybe 40 years.

Walking the banks of the canal that crosses the bog listening to the curlews call...it doesn't get more Irish than that. (For those that don't know the Curlew, it's call is supposed to have started the myth of the Banshee.)

All on the doorstep of Monasterevin.

grahamdunne32

Thanks everyone for responses. The place seems grand from people's replies here, so I'm gonna consider moving there.

grahamdunne32

LMHC wrote: »

Would it not be an option to come further on up I.E maynooth, Celbridge?

It's actually not an option as we're a one income family and I'm not on a big salary. It seems anything closer than than monasterevin is out of budget for us, even kildare town. According to irishrail website the train is 43 minutes from monasterevin to heuston so that suits me anyway as my workplace is a short walk from there

Sophia Petrillo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117389548#Comment_117389548

Some good insights there folks. Thanks.

Sophia Petrillo

Some good insights there, thanks. I just put down the booking deposit for a home in Ferns Wood.