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Thinking of buying in Ballybane - is it safe?

InDarkWoods

First-time buyer looking at an apartment in Ballybane. I've been told the estate (near Merlin Park Woods) I'm looking at is particularly rough. Does anyone have experience or stories about living there?

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biko

I've lived in Ballybane with no issues.
It has a reputation for being rough but I suppose it depends on the street you live on, and what your definition of rough is.

Do you live in Galway already?
Walk/drive around the area and have a look.

Btw, where will you be working? You should live on the same side of the river as you work.

InDarkWoods

I've lived here for a few years, but in the Knocknacarra/Westside area. I work on this side of the city too, but I'm very aware of the rule

It's going to mean a longer commute for sure, but at the moment there's nothing I can afford on this side of the river. The apartment I'm looking at is amazing, but I've been hearing from a few people that there's no way they'd live in Ballybane. It's near the library there, down in that estate.

BrokenArrows

Its not got the best reputation.

Just go there every evening for a week and walk around the place and see what its like.

Anima

It's pretty close to Castle Park. I'd probably avoid to be honest.

ben.schlomo

That part of Ballybane isn't the best alright, lots of feral kids knocking around, throwing stones at cars etc. There are some decent apartments down there and lots of nice people too but it's the others that ruin it. We live on the Mervue side of Ballybane where we are 99.9% of the time trouble free. Blanket statements from people not living in the area should be ignored.

InDarkWoods

What have you heard about Castle Park?

Anima

Well there and Ballinfoyle are probably the dodgiest neighbourhoods in Galway. You could live right beside it and not have any trouble for years, who knows. It's playing the percentages but I'd rather be as far away from it as possible. It's cheaper for a reason.

Nothing against the people there, most of which are grand but it only takes a small group of people to cause trouble and it can happen in any estate in Galway. Knocknacarra also has a few bad areas which I'd avoid.

Galway is mostly grand though. If the place you're thinking of buying is a temporary thing then maybe it's worth it.

zell12

bane
noun
1. a cause of great distress or annoyance.

biko

You can find some info in the news
Ballybane is the most heavily littered urban area in Ireland

Residents living in fear of thugs

Drone Footage of Fana Glas area in Ballybane

RainNeverBow

The areas by the main road are grand. The areas around Merlin Castle have a little more hassle but have a decent community group to counter it. Around castlepark is fine if you're in a squeeze.

[Deleted User]

InDarkWoods wrote: »

I've lived here for a few years, but in the Knocknacarra/Westside area. I work on this side of the city too, but I'm very aware of the rule

It's going to mean a longer commute for sure, but at the moment there's nothing I can afford on this side of the river. The apartment I'm looking at is amazing, but I've been hearing from a few people that there's no way they'd live in Ballybane. It's near the library there, down in that estate.

The commute east to west will be a lot easier than the reverse so it won’t be as much of an issue as you would think. Going west in the morning and east in the evening isn’t too bad.

Ashleigh1986

Indarkwoods .... It depends on your own situation .
If I was on my own ..... Maybe
If I had a partner / young child ... Not a chance .
I've picked up a lot of people in that's area in my taxi .
It all depends on you .
Some are able to turn a blind eye to some of the carry on in that area , while I've had others that can't wait to get out of it if they could .
Picked up a young girl and her child from there once .
She had just moved in , when some scumbag had fired a stone into threw the bedroom window her child was sleeping in .
Put it this way .... She wasn't the type that expected these things to happen in an estate .
Picked up many who wouldn't bat an eyelid to what happened to her.
It all depends on you .

AidoEirE

Was ballybane not the second worst urban area in Ireland only a few months ago for litter. Place is a kip that gets no money council side. Stay well away.
If your going to question or be worried about the place you want to move in to, why would you move in there in the first place if you'd have some doubts from people.

Would be interested in the asking price offered to you

Blazedup

ben.schlomo

AidoEirE wrote: »

Was ballybane not the second worst urban area in Ireland only a few months ago for litter. Place is a kip that gets no money council side. Stay well away.
If your going to question or be worried about the place you want to move in to, why would you move in there in the first place if you'd have some doubts from people.

Would be interested in the asking price offered to you

Everyone should question the area they're looking at buying in, why would anyone in their right mind just buy blind. And as for hearsay from people who don't live in an area well that's of no use really.

[Deleted User]

Anywhere in or around Castle Park is a big no no for obvious reasons. I lived in various spots around there and never had any issues besides seeing the odd traveler fight (as in mums shouting at their kids). A car was burned out outside my house one night though.

I know there's a gated estate there but it's the other side to where you are looking I think. If I was looking to buy or rent it would be one of the last places I would look, I'm happier commuting 35/40mins and not living there than commuting < 5mins and living there.

Mrs OBumble

Deleted User wrote: »

Anywhere in or around Castle Park is a big no no for obvious reasons. I lived in various spots around there and never had any issues besides seeing the odd traveler fight (as in mums shouting at their kids). A car was burned out outside my house one night though.

I know there's a gated estate there but it's the other side to where you are looking I think. If I was looking to buy or rent it would be one of the last places I would look, I'm happier commuting 35/40mins and not living there than commuting < 5mins and living there.

Wayyy too broad a statement.

Yes there are some dodgy bits where no sensible blow-in should every move in to. But there's are plenty of bits that aren't too. I'd pick bits of Ballybane over certain bits of Westside in a heartbeat, no matter what some point-in-time littering survey said.

The gated social housing complex is over in Doughiska Rd, nowhere near Ballybane. Was originally planned as a gated private estate, but got caught in the tail end of the recession. Is now operated by a co-operative housing group.

bobbyss

InDarkWoods wrote:

First-time buyer looking at an apartment in Ballybane. I've been told the estate (near Merlin Park Woods) I'm looking at is particularly rough. Does anyone have experience or stories about living there?

I just read the the newspapers. It's not rocket science. Wouldn't go near the place.