Intel shortlists site in Galway for major plant

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118524951#Comment_118524951

Anyone who wants a good job can get one.

Labour shortages are only good for the skilled who get higher and higher wages.

We do not need more jobs. Jobs available now aren't able to be filled!

MaccaTacca

Couldn't agree more, there's absolutely nothing in Leixlip or Maynooth and both have outrageous house prices these days due to Intel.

Yes they're commuter towns but they're utterly depressing kips.

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528196#Comment_118528196

It's scary the things people are willing to accept just for some more jobs when current job openings can't be filled as it is! People still have the 2008 mentality.

Kilcock, 15 minutes west of Leixlip. It has a population of 6,000 people.

Yet, 3 bed semi's are being sold for 410k. 4 beds are starting at 475k and increasing.

https://www.daft.ie/new-home-for-sale/ledwill-park-ledwill-park-kilcock-co-kildare/2610279

On the outskirts of Kilcock there's a massive housing estate, called Millerstown. Been there a few years at this stage. It's selling new houses all the time, for same price point. And the funny thing is it's on a flood plain! Yet people are still throwing nearly half a milly to live there.

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

maestroamado

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528247#Comment_118528247

I am not aware of a river in Kilcock... i thought just the canal....

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118524934#Comment_118524934

As someone living in Leixlip, I would contest what you've said. Leixlip is not 30km from Dublin. By road, it is under 20km to O'Connell St.

As for property prices, I'm sure if you look in every village around Ireland, you'll see expensive housing. However, Leixlip does also have 3 and 4 bed properties under €400k. Price-wise it is cheaper than the likes of Lucan which is way over-subscribed for pretty much everything. From what i can tell, it is cheaper simply because of the change in county. Whilst Intel's presence may have helped strengthen property prices in Leixlip, the current prices are more based on supply and demand (as they are with the rest of the country).

Amenity-wise, there is plenty in Leixlip including excellent transport links (adjacent to M4 and close to M3 & M50, two train stations, bus routes going N, S, E & W) and if you want to be really anal about it is within walking distance of Weston Airport. There are also loads of social outlets there (pubs, restaurants and cafes). And so on.

By all means, if you think Intel would have had a negative impact on Galway, explain your thoughts but don't make stuff up.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118524951#Comment_118524951

nothing been build in Galway in dozen years, 

This is not correct. Some significant estates have been built in Roscam and the Monivea Rd. Others under construction in the Old Ballybane Rd, Monivea Rd, Knocknacarra. And likely more I don't know about.

donspeekinglesh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528318#Comment_118528318

The river in the video is the Ryewater (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Rye_(Ireland)) - it runs parallel to the canal at that point, and largely follows the county boundary from west of Kilcock to inside the Carton Estate.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118533997#Comment_118533997

Very true, Newcastle - new housing and apartments West of Gaelcarraig Park , Letteragh Road, Rahoon lots of housing and apartments as well, not to mention commercial area's like Parkmore East, Bonham Quay, Crowne Plaza site. Galway City has been growing population wise even during the crash years.

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528318#Comment_118528318

There's the River Rye

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118528347#Comment_118528347

Yes you're right, 20km to O'Connell street but anywhere north or south and you'd need the m50 and you'd be nearing 30km.

Saggart is a comparable town to Leixlip, albeit with a much better transit option with the Luas. Similar distance to Dublin city centre, and property prices are much more reasonable. For example, here's a nice sized 1 bed apartment in Saggart up for 180k.

https://www.daft.ie/for-sale/apartment-82-slade-castle-avenue-saggart-co-dublin/3559060

Meanwhile, to get anything similar in Leixlip will cost around 35k more.

https://www.daft.ie/for-sale/apartment-87-louisa-park-leixlip-co-kildare/3685143

There's also 3 times as many properties for sale in Saggart right now as there is for Leixlip. Tells you all you need to know.

You're really listing motorways as amenities? Everyone goes to Leixlip to work and then they leave. People born there don't even want to live there, they grow up and buy in nearby towns. It's an industry town. Warehouses, garages, sheds etc.

Pussyhands

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118524951#Comment_118524951

You can build houses but unless the supply of houses reduces demand the prices don't drop.

There have probably been close to 100k houses built in Ireland in the last 5 years and the prices are only going up.

timmyntc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118536081#Comment_118536081

Saggart is not remotely comparable to Leixlip.

Saggart is on the far side of Tallaght/Jobstown, and is far smaller than Leixlip.

Leixlip is on the liffey, better rail links, far more industry, close to Maynooth etc

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118536081#Comment_118536081

Saggart had a population in the 2016 census of 3133 whereas Leixlip was five times that at 15504. The two are very different towns and the attempts to compare them are daft. Leixlip is predominantly semi-D housing and, unlike Saggart, does not have many apartments so it would be no surprise to see next to none on sale.

As for amenities, my point (badly worded) was that it has the amenities (which I won't list off as it would be a decent sized list) and it also has excellent transport links. However, your claim that people born there don't even want to live there is stupid. I could equally argue that many people who were born here cannot live here simply because of demand. I managed to outbid several other bidders for my current house, most of whom apparently were locals wanting to stay here.

As for your last sentence, about it being "warehouses, garages and sheds etc", I honestly have no idea what you are referring to. There are a few places on the E & W outskirts of the town but blink and you'd miss them. Quite the opposite to Saggart which is bounded by Citywest, Baldonnel Business Park and to the north of the N7 you've the various complexes as you approach Newcastle.

So I get back to my original two points refuting your original claims: Leixlip is not a kip and the property prices there reflect the overall fecked up market and are not overly influenced by the presence of Intel.

The Cool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118524934#Comment_118524934

I have to disagree - having lived in Maynooth & Leixlip the last 10 years and recently moved to Galway. Intel is of course bound to be a factor but still not the reason that house prices have gone through the roof: it's all supply and demand. You've got Dublin people who are having to come out that far for something affordable yet connected, which is adding to the competition for locals trying to get homes, and everybody's getting pushed further and further out. Renting is the same, at any given time there's generally a couple of houses to rent out of 30-odd housing estates. People in Leixlip certainly don't think it's a dump. You've got 2 train stations and the DART expansion coming, lots of bus routes, 2 big parks on each end of town, 2 GAA clubs, the amenities centre and canal. Aldi/Lidl/Supervalu and the big tesco in Maynooth. You can see from the flags during summer GAA season that it's full of blow-ins from the west, people love it as it's got a small town feel and is handy for the road west but you can be in Liffey Valley in 10 mins or less. Basically just to say, demand in Leixlip is more based on it being so family friendly, than on Intel, and the housing market was going to crap well before Intel started its massive expansion.

Regardless, adding more employment without adding to the supply of housing is just awful planning and frankly irresponsible. It's hard to believe that living in a city like it, the like of the Help To Buy scheme is just absolutely pointless cos there's hardly any new builds about. I have a house deposit pretty much ready to go but scrolling through Daft is just grim at the moment. It's a disgraceful situation and really, we should be out protesting like we did with the water charges.

maestroamado

I agree it is a difficult situation but....For me we should have been protesting 5/5 years ago against cuckoo/vulture funds buying up properties that were built i expect as homes when at the planning stage. I have said this here before and was told there was no stipulation in planning but if there is not there should be... There is little point inprotesting unless we can force local authorities./nama to develop houses for our people.

There are various reports online that Intel have selected Magdeburg in Germany.

https://www.volksstimme.de/sachsen-anhalt/regionale-wirtschaft/in-zukunft-bis-zu-20-000-neue-jobs-us-chipriese-intel-soll-nach-magdeburg-kommen-3340631

Ubbquittious

10,000 jobs for robot AI overlords !

Fred Cryton

Well who would have thought it - Intel decide not to invest in a country like Ireland without a reliable power supply due to Green virtue signalling, as well a planning system that allows every crank in the country to object cost free.

On a side note the old East Germany is getting a lot of high profile investment these days. Tesla has a massive factory in Brandenburg. VW are investing massively in electric cars there.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118680846#Comment_118680846

That's the first time I've ever heard someone call the autobahn a bypass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118681465#Comment_118681465

Thanks for following my posting history 👍

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118681465#Comment_118681465

Town, ha ha, its 3 times the size of Galway. Never been, but been to the 3 other much larger Citys in its "Triangle". Hannover, Leipzeig and the biggy: Berlin

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118680825#Comment_118680825

"Zuletzt waren auch noch Dresden (Sachsen) und Penzing (Bayern) als mögliche Standorte genannt worden."

Dresden was also in the running for it; I thought it would end up here.

Dresden is(was) to Microchips in Germany as Galway is to Medical Devices.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118681840#Comment_118681840

It's the same pop as Galway county, the same density as Galway city, but those aren't the same things.

Comparing like with like, the state is a bit bigger than Connacht but with 4 times the population.

I met a German friend here a few years ago who was touring Ireland and when I asked him about driving here his first comment was how empty our motorways were.

Magdeburg is on the main road between Paris and Berlin.

what_traffic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118681840#Comment_118681840

You are comparing apples and oranges.

I have lived in a number of German Citys/Towns/Villages - all would have higher density's than the Irish equivalent.

Pussyhands

Intel were never going to pick Ireland for this. They only have one EU factory, Ireland.

Makes no sense for them to have all their eggs in one basket with another mega factory.

timmyntc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118684014#Comment_118684014

They'll soon regret picking Germany too though, with the highest electricity prices in Europe

Mind you we arent very far behind..

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118684014#Comment_118684014

Sorry but many companies invest and invest again in towns and countries...

Herzogenaurach - Adidas and Puma

Newbury - Vodafone

The SAP town in Germany...

Philips in Netherlands.

Volvo in Sweden

Nokia in Finland

Skoda in Czech Republic

Multiple companies in South Germany...

So you don't make sense....

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118684079#Comment_118684079

Do you think Intel get electricity from the local Grid, they use them as a back up...

Major factories use Generators (General Elec. is main supplier)... Go into the car park of any major factory in Ireland and you will see a few containers with a tank beside them... They will have three pipes coming out of them, Electricity, Heating, Cooling.... Every few weeks they filling it with Green Diesel(i.e. No Tax)...

They started as being the back up supply ages back but they discovered they are cheaper than the ESB(& Others)...

The reason they are in the middle of the car park is because one went on fire in Cork and brought the factory with it (I think)...

GE got the whole thing into a container and it is super efficient, no heat loss...

CowboyTed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118379571#Comment_118379571

Ireland has the highest amount of fresh water in Europe through out the year per captia... I think we have 8 - 10 times more water than Germany per captia...

Fred Cryton

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118722333#Comment_118722333

Yes but water volume falling out of the sky, and actual serviced water delivered through infrastructure to industry at a reasonable price are two very different things. It comes down to money and as usual Ireland has massively under-invested meaning most of our water goes to waste.