Relocating from Dublin & remote working

irishguy · 28-08-2020 4:46pm #1

I am considering relocating from Dublin 6 (Wifes Idea not mine, closer to her family). I would like to keep working in my current job from Dublin (Sandyford). 2 days/1 night in Dublin and 3 remote.

Would be looking at living in the Salthill/Knocknarea/Barna area, leaning more to something within walking distance to town/sea front.

Has anyone here done this? Do you like Galway? Whats the commute like (Pre COVID) could I leave at 7am to get to Sandyford for before 10am?

What do you miss from Dublin? Is there much to do in galway (We have 2 young kids)

What the job situation like there?

sgthighway · 28-08-2020 5:15pm

You will get there easily at that time. I commute to St. Vincent’s the odd day. No traffic anywhere. You won’t have any traffic between the East Side of Galway and the Motorway at that hour of the morning.
Probably worth getting a toll tag for N6.
Parts of Knocknacarra are a long walk to the City Centre and Sea side.

Best of Luck in your decision.

Goldenjohn · 29-08-2020 12:01am

B warned house prices are Gone bananas in Salthill/ Barna / knockers atm examples in Salthill 100k above their asking &#55357;&#56883;&#55357;&#56877;

GalwayGrrrrrl · 29-08-2020 7:37am

One thing to watch out for is good broadband. The city is fine but some more remote areas like the edge of Barna could be less well served.
Loads to do for children - pre-covid there were all the sports, more music/drama/arts groups than you’d ever need and plenty of beach/woodland/parks for outdoor exercise.
Put names down in primary and secondary schools as soon as you arrive as it can be hard to get places in your chosen schools. Look at going for the “feeder” primary school for your chosen secondary school.’
I’ve brought up two children in Galway - it’s an amazing safe, creative, friendly spot for families.

bobbyy gee · 29-08-2020 7:51am

I would not recommend commute 4 hours 20 minutes minimum a day. By next year there will not be work from home so you will be doing that nearly. Everyday if your away. From your family 4 hours a day you. Will be divorced in 2 years time if you have not died in car crash. An hour drive each way. Is ok but not more you would need to find a job in galway

biko · 29-08-2020 10:03am

Just driving through the city from Barna to the east side will take more time than you think.

Look at eastern Galway instead, Ballinasloe etc.

dastardly00 · 29-08-2020 10:14am

bobbyy gee wrote: »

I would not recommend commute 4 hours 20 minutes minimum a day. By next year there will not be work from home so you will be doing that nearly. Everyday if your away. From your family 4 hours a day you. Will be divorced in 2 years time if you have not died in car crash. An hour drive each way. Is ok but not more you would need to find a job in galway

What.
The.
Fcuk.

beardybrewer · 29-08-2020 10:43am

I would echo biko's comment that just getting from knocknacarra/salthill to the motorway can take 20-30 minutes. It might be quiet enough in the morning but the last thing you need after a long day is struggling to get home.

I think you guys should spend a few long weekends here and get more familiar with the place. See if it does anything for you. It sounds like you have doubts and there's no point signing up for hassle and expense unless you're reasonably sure you will be happy too.

JoeA3 · 29-08-2020 10:55am

You really should look at the east/north side of the City as others have mentioned. Oranmore area is lovely and you’re on the M6 in minutes. Crossing Galway city at the “wrong” time on a wet Friday evening would put years on you.

Mrs OBumble · 29-08-2020 11:18am

beardybrewer wrote: »

I would echo biko's comment that just getting from knocknacarra/salthill to the motorway can take 20-30 minutes.

It's a solid 15 min drive when there's minimal traffic. Add traffic, which will come back, and you can be a hour.

I'd also question what happens if the work-from-home policy changes, or you need to change company. Can you get work elsewhere here?

[Deleted User] · 29-08-2020 11:42am

I would strongly echo others, if you are going to Dublin regularly then you need to be on the east of the Corrib.

You should literally try out the drive and come off the motorway at about 5pm and go to Barna.

irishguy · 29-08-2020 1:00pm

Thanks for all the replies. I would only be looking at going to Dublin once a week, possibly once every 2 weeks. No way I'd do it every day. I can start late 10ish and finish early 4/4.30ish on the travel days. So would be getting off Galway motorway about 6/6.30. I assume it would be quick enough getting a cross Galway at that time? I would hope it should be <3hrs door 2 door

I have a good job which I like, stable employer, so would be happy there for a good while. Company has always been very flexible around WFH, but obviously if that changes I would need to find a job in Galway. I work in IT so I'd say Id get something, but there are obviously less opportunities, less money and the roles don't look as interesting there. I would have to look for something more junior.

Obviously East Galway would be better commute wise, but we want to be by the sea in a nice area, walking distance to shops/cafes/restaurants etc and have a good bit more space in the house.

45mhrc7evo1d3n · 29-08-2020 3:03pm

irishguy wrote: »

Obviously East Galway would be better commute wise, but we want to be by the sea in a nice area, walking distance to shops/cafes/restaurants etc and have a good bit more space in the house.

Oranmore, on the East side of the city, has all these facilities. There are numerous housing estates in the village and on the Maree Road within walking distance of the village.

[Deleted User] · 29-08-2020 6:45pm

irishguy wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. I would only be looking at going to Dublin once a week, possibly once every 2 weeks. No way I'd do it every day. I can start late 10ish and finish early 4/4.30ish on the travel days. So would be getting off Galway motorway about 6/6.30. I assume it would be quick enough getting a cross Galway at that time? I would hope it should be <3hrs door 2 door
.

Traffic can still be very heavy from Terryland, back over the bridge and along westside at that time especially on wet evenings etc.

As others have said you really should consider the east of the city or even the county but on the east side. You would have a very handy drive to/from Dublin with no traffic worries at at all in either direction (on the Galway side).

Knocknacarra etc are very nice places to live and since it is only one commute a week I assume (I.e. drive up/ stay the night/ drive down the following night) it wouldn’t be too bad but you could have a few frustrating evenings.

Also you would be walking distance from a fairly limited number of resturants living on the west side too - the city isn’t really walkable, there is Sheridans which is very nice and then you have capones but no where else comes to mind you would have more walkable living close to oranmore. There are a few cafes alright I think but again very few bars.

JoeA3 · 29-08-2020 8:19pm

Galway isn’t too bad either for good IT jobs, if you did need to change. There’s a number of large (ish!) employers that I know are decent places to work with good benefits, such as Fidelity, Cisco, MetLife, EA Games, Avaya. And several smaller places and startups too.

I work for one of the larger places myself and with WFH being the norm, my actual location is fairly irrelevant. Even before covid, I’d have WFH’d on an adhoc basis whenever I needed to. I think it’ll be the norm rather than the exception for a long time to come.

cannco253 · 29-08-2020 10:08pm

Get the bus, don't drive. GoBus or Citilink drop you right on the Quays, then it's a 5 minute walk to the Luas and 25mins to Sandyford.
I do it myself and am at my desk in Sandyford just before 10 on Monday. I leave around 4 on Fridays and am back in Galway around 8.

Traffic into Dublin on a Monday morning isn't worth it, and if you're on the Bus you can sleep after a taxi into the Bus station.

Mind you I've been working from home in Knocknacarra since March, and not sure when I'll be back to Dublin...

[Deleted User] · 29-08-2020 11:44pm

cannco253 wrote: »

Get the bus, don't drive. GoBus or Citilink drop you right on the Quays, then it's a 5 minute walk to the Luas and 25mins to Sandyford.
I do it myself and am at my desk in Sandyford just before 10 on Monday. I leave around 4 on Fridays and am back in Galway around 8.
...

I couldn’t think of anything worse, it’s a handy and fast drive. The bus is probably doubling journey time and halving the comfort. 4 hours Dublin to Galway??

LostDuck · 30-08-2020 12:09am

irishguy wrote: »

I work in IT so I'd say Id get something, but there are obviously less opportunities, less money and the roles don't look as interesting there. I would have to look for something more junior.

There are some interesting IT companies in Galway, but suppose it depends what specific area you're into. The job market has got more competitive in the last couple of years and wages are really catching up now.

Why would you have to look for something more junior?

inisboffin · 30-08-2020 12:12am

Javion Plump Packaging wrote: »

I couldn’t think of anything worse, it’s a handy and fast drive. The bus is probably doubling journey time and halving the comfort. 4 hours Dublin to Galway??

Gobus and Citylink are 2.5 hours to City Centre Dublin, less to Heuston. They are direct buses, no stops.
Some special Citylinks make town stops, as do some Bus Eireann so they are longer.
Wifi is grand too (better on Gobus).
Train is an option too, and only a fiver more than the bus. Bussing it is cheaper than driving too and you can nap or work.

MrMusician18 · 30-08-2020 12:13am

irishguy wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. I would only be looking at going to Dublin once a week, possibly once every 2 weeks. No way I'd do it every day. I can start late 10ish and finish early 4/4.30ish on the travel days. So would be getting off Galway motorway about 6/6.30. I assume it would be quick enough getting a cross Galway at that time? I would hope it should be <3hrs door 2 door

I have a good job which I like, stable employer, so would be happy there for a good while. Company has always been very flexible around WFH, but obviously if that changes I would need to find a job in Galway. I work in IT so I'd say Id get something, but there are obviously less opportunities, less money and the roles don't look as interesting there. I would have to look for something more junior.

Obviously East Galway would be better commute wise, but we want to be by the sea in a nice area, walking distance to shops/cafes/restaurants etc and have a good bit more space in the house.

Would wexford not for the bill for that?

MrMusician18 · 30-08-2020 12:23am

cannco253 wrote: »

Get the bus, don't drive. GoBus or Citilink drop you right on the Quays, then it's a 5 minute walk to the Luas and 25mins to Sandyford.
I do it myself and am at my desk in Sandyford just before 10 on Monday. I leave around 4 on Fridays and am back in Galway around 8.

Traffic into Dublin on a Monday morning isn't worth it, and if you're on the Bus you can sleep after a taxi into the Bus station.

Mind you I've been working from home in Knocknacarra since March, and not sure when I'll be back to Dublin...

I used to do that journey too, once a week when I was young and trying to maintain a distance relationship. Leave galway bus station at 6:15 arrive dublin quays 9 am on a good day. Between waiting and transfers it would easily take over an hour to get to ones desk in sandyford at that time of the morning.

Realistically, anywhere west of the Shannon is unsustainable commuting for even one day a week imo. Having done it, I lasted a year. The bus, just out of the garage, is ****ing freezing at that time of the morning too. I had to get a heated travel blanket

[Deleted User] · 30-08-2020 1:04am

inisboffin wrote: »

Gobus and Citylink are 2.5 hours to City Centre Dublin, less to Heuston. They are direct buses, no stops.
Some special Citylinks make town stops, as do some Bus Eireann so they are longer.
Wifi is grand too (better on Gobus).
Train is an option too, and only a fiver more than the bus. Bussing it is cheaper than driving too and you can nap or work.

I’m well aware they are direct and they have their place no doubt if going up to the city centre in Dublin, the airport, you want to drink etc but in most instances driving is much faster, more convenient and more comfortable.

MrMusician18 wrote: »

Realistically, anywhere west of the Shannon is unsustainable commuting for even one day a week imo. Having done it, I lasted a year. The bus, just out of the garage, is ****ing freezing at that time of the morning too. I had to get a heated travel blanket

If driving a commute to Dublin even two days a week is very doable and perfectly sustainable imo. I do a longer drive most weeks sometimes twice a week and it doesn’t bother me at all, I’d do a long drive once or twice week and working from home the rest over a daily commute.

Doing it in a bus would be a load of sh*t though, I’d be sick of it after two weeks.

inisboffin · 30-08-2020 3:34am

Javion Plump Packaging wrote: »

I’m well aware they are direct and they have their place no doubt if going up to the city centre in Dublin.

Doing it in a bus would be a load of sh*t though, I’d be sick of it after two weeks.

Its not much longer than driving, and can go in bus lanes leaving the city.
Each to their own, some people hate buses, but for others, it's an extra 2.5 hours of worktime, or a sleep, or have a cuppa and a sandwich!

[Deleted User] · 30-08-2020 9:59am

inisboffin wrote: »

Its not much longer than driving, and can go in bus lanes leaving the city.
Each to their own, some people hate buses, but for others, it's an extra 2.5 hours of worktime, or a sleep, or have a cuppa and a sandwich!

The reality isn’t 2.5 hours though. Unless you live in the city centre and are traveling to somewhere very close to where the bus drops you on the other end. Also have to allow time to park at the station, allow a little time to make sure you don’t miss it etc.

If the op lived on the east of the city he would be half way to Athlone by the time he would be parked at the bus station.

Working on a bus is not a comfortable experience either and a cuppa and sandwich can be had while driving too.

I’m not saying the bus hasn’t it’s place I use it from time to time myself when it suits but for a regularly commute like this it wouldn’t make sense imo.

beardybrewer · 30-08-2020 10:42am

Why are ye bothering to discuss a bus during a pandemic? If you can afford a car and the petrol, which OP cleary can, you'd be mad not to use it.

doc22 · 30-08-2020 11:41am

beardybrewer wrote: »

Why are ye bothering to discuss a bus during a pandemic? If you can afford a car and the petrol, which OP cleary can, you'd be mad not to use it.

An empty bus I could sleep in would beat driving 3-4 hour concentrating on the road and then work a full day

Wompa1 · 30-08-2020 1:32pm

Javion Plump Packaging wrote: »

The reality isn’t 2.5 hours though. Unless you live in the city centre and are traveling to somewhere very close to where the bus drops you on the other end. Also have to allow time to park at the station, allow a little time to make sure you don’t miss it etc.

If the op lived on the east of the city he would be half way to Athlone by the time he would be parked at the bus station.

Working on a bus is not a comfortable experience either and a cuppa and sandwich can be had while driving too.

I’m not saying the bus hasn’t it’s place I use it from time to time myself when it suits but for a regularly commute like this it wouldn’t make sense imo.

Have regularly taken GoBus and it's more often than not 2.5 hours. The only times it has taken longer is when there has been heavy traffic coming into Galway and at that, it would have taken longer by car because even though the city has feck all bus lanes, there are at least some lanes along the way by Dublin Road.

Working on a bus is fine with the right device. I usually bring a 13 inch laptop. Wi-Fi is good enough for a remote session into work. Works out great. Get my work done so by the time I get to Galway, I can relax a little.

LostDuck · 30-08-2020 1:35pm

If it was me it'd have to be the train. Get a bit of work done on the journey.

Wompa1 · 30-08-2020 1:38pm

OP, I was living in a city larger than Dublin for 8.5 years and moved to Galway. Rented for a year to try and figure out where would be a good spot to settle. During that time, I opted to pay out of pocket for a co-working space in the city so was commuting into that 3 days a week.

I'm working remotely for a US company. They wanted me to go back twice a year but after the first trip back they said it's working well enough that there is no obligation to come back if I don't want to.

Galway City had a lot of IT jobs available over the last 18 months. Not sure what the future holds now though.

What we decided when it came time to buy was that it only made sense living here, if we weren't living urban. When deciding to move to Ireland, we wrote Dublin off right away because it didn't make sense to leave one large city for another.

It sounds like you have some soul searching to do though. It can't just be your wife's decision. No point moving to Galway and then being resentful and not enjoying it because you never wanted to move here in the first place.

Before we even moved into a rental, we came a year earlier for 3.5 weeks and rented a short term spot to get a feel. Maybe yee could do a short lease. You never know, you might end up loving it and she might end up hating it. There's is usually plenty for kids...not now so much due to COVID but we've swapped structured activities for trips to the beach, parks etc.

Wompa1 · 30-08-2020 1:40pm

beardybrewer wrote: »

Why are ye bothering to discuss a bus during a pandemic? If you can afford a car and the petrol, which OP cleary can, you'd be mad not to use it.

Since OP can already WFH. Figured the question was more about long term since the move would be permanent...so, when the pandemic has fecked off.

[Deleted User] · 30-08-2020 4:24pm

Wompa1 wrote: »

Have regularly taken GoBus and it's more often than not 2.5 hours. The only times it has taken longer is when there has been heavy traffic coming into Galway and at that, it would have taken longer by car because even though the city has feck all bus lanes, there are at least some lanes along the way by Dublin Road..

And I’m not denying it takes 2.5 hours from leaving the station to drop of in Dublin but that’s not a truthful comparison.

Get in your car and drive to Dublin you are immediately on the way, allowing the time to drive to the station, park board etc and then get to your destination on the other end could easily add an hour and most likely up to 2 hours depending on where you are going on the other end.

If I was to get the bus (at an off peak time early in the morning say so no traffic) I’d have to leave the house 40 mins before the departure time. Id be almost in Athlone by the time the bus left the station if I just drove.

Relocating from Dublin & remote working

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