Is it possible to commute to Dublin every day?

fifomania · 25-08-2009 11:10AM #1

Anyone commute from Counties Louth or Monaghan to Dublin every day, like away in the morning and home at night? If so, what it's like, is it do-able? Thanks!

Carb · 25-08-2009 02:32PM

fifomania wrote: »

Anyone commute from Counties Louth or Monaghan to Dublin every day, like away in the morning and home at night? If so, what it's like, is it do-able? Thanks!

I do from Castleblayney to city centre every day. Drive to Dundalk, get the train to Dublin Connolly. I leave at 5.50 in the morning and I am at work at 8.10. Leave work at 16.30 for the enterprise and I'm home at 18.30. Total commute door to door is 4hrs 20min. I can put up with it because I'm home at a resaonable time.

I used to drive Donabate and get the train from there, but the overall cost of petrol/tolls/parking and train was too much although this way was quicker. It would be much quicker for me to drive the entire journey if I could afford parking.

The train is probably the slowest but cheapest way of doing the commute although my half hour drive to and from the station is my biggest problem. Obviously north of the city is much more accessable. The current situation with the rail line is not helping. Yesterday, I was over 5hrs commuting so I am starting to look into other ways of doing it ie car/bike etc. If you intend driving the route, don't forget to factor in wear and tear and the loss of value of your car from such high mileage.

In a nutshell, is it do-able. Yes. Is it adviseable, probably not. Swords, Santry, Finglas etc perhaps.

anniehoo · 25-08-2009 03:50PM

Carb wrote: »

Total commute door to door is 4hrs 20min.

I actually choked a little when i read that. How do you do it???Absolutely no way i could do that.

But this,

wrote:

Yesterday, I was over 5hrs commuting so I .

Seriously??!!!!:eek: I would need to be airlifted out of my bed in the morning at the thoughts of that commute. That cant be good for the soul!!

Carb · 25-08-2009 04:03PM

anniehoo wrote: »

I actually choked a little when i read that. How do you do it???Absolutely no way i could do that.

To be honest, there are many things I'd rather be doing. I got a contract role in the the city centre two years ago, sort of got stuck there, and with the recession there's no way out. The alarm goes at 4.50 every morning and at this stage I think little of it.

It was fun at the start of the year when I had to do overtime. Up at 4am, in the office around 7am, left the office at 8.15pm and home at 10.15pm. There was even one night where I didn't get to bed until half past midnight after been up from 4 the previous morning, and had to get up at 4 the next moring.

In general, if I get around 5 hours sleep, I feel fine, and I 'm home early enough to spend some time with the kids.

brownacid · 25-08-2009 07:20PM

Theres people in my course that commute from dundalk every day, I do it from drogheda. There is a guy on my hockey team who commutes to work from mullingar every day, that takes commtment. I also know people who commute from the far end of laois every day.

zAbbo · 25-08-2009 07:32PM

I commute from Dundalk via Bus. Grand now in the summer, might get a bit busier when the schools are back.

efb · 25-08-2009 07:43PM

I commute from Offaly daily it's approx 2 hours up 2 hours home, can be quicker if I get the train home 7pm. Otherwise it's 6.30am-7.30pm round journey. This evening did a few things in the city got the 7.15 train home, should be at my door at 8.50pm.

Fridays I may have a few drinks and get the 9 or 10.15 (If I'm really enjoying it!) and get a lift from Port. 6 hours sleep does me nightly with an extra lie in on Saturday!

It is doable and I'd your really stuck some evenings you can get a room in Dublin for as little as €40.

Taxsaver ticket saves me a good bit in tax too!

If you are able for the long hours do it!

carlmango11 · 26-08-2009 01:31PM

A teacher of mine in my old school comutes from Meath every day but she drives and just to Santry not to the city centre so I suppose it's alot easier

Rein-in · 26-08-2009 01:38PM

I do it. Been doing Blackrock (Louth) - South Dublin City for 5 years now. I'll be honest and say that it's gotten to be a bit tedious lately. I leave home early, just before 6am, then leave Dublin before 4pm, so I get home by about 5.30. I'd love to work closer to home, within a bike ride maybe, but the way things are, it's not looking likely anytime soon!

brandodub · 26-08-2009 06:52PM

I do Navan to the Mad Cow takes between 40 mins to an hour so not too bad.My commute in London was 2 hous eachway!
Couldn't do it without a car though but atempting to be green in other ways

Chris_533976 · 26-08-2009 08:28PM

I drive for 6km to work

netwhizkid · 26-08-2009 11:20PM

I know a guy who used to drive from London to Exeter and back every day (around 340miles round trip) but had to stop as he was in danger of losing his driving licence as he was caught a few times as used to push 100mph on the motorway. He was making around £800 a day so moved down there in the end as it was only contract work and he lives in Ireland now.

RadioCity · 27-08-2009 02:51AM

The 06:05 departure from Monaghan to Dublin which departed Derry at 04:15 is quite popular, and usually would be in Busaras at a reasonable time, usually about 08:15 and probably a bit quicker when it doesn't have to go through the Airport and that is allowing for traffic congestion from Lissenhall to the Airport.

The choice home would be the 17:45 Derry bus as it doesn't generally be jammed and makes it to Monaghan around 19:40, and sometimes earlier!
Both these services are operated by Ulsterbus and operate more or less non stop between Monaghan and the Airport.

fifomania · 27-08-2009 11:18AM

Wow, so a lot of commuting going on then! I was beginning to think I was mad to even contemplate commuting!

Going to college on the north side and my hours are about 20 - 25 a week so was thinking of saving a few quid on rent and getting the bus/train.
Thanks for all your replies

skywalker_208 · 27-08-2009 11:44PM

fifomania wrote: »

Wow, so a lot of commuting going on then! I was beginning to think I was mad to even contemplate commuting!

1000s of people commute from those border counties every day. You get used to it but it can be draining especially when winter comes in and you have to deal with dark mornings and evenings and also slippy driving condition which means you have to drive slower and so your commute is longer.

Up to 4 hour total daily commute for me. Outside Kells to Citywest area so driving is the only option. Been doing it for years

Used to work near city center which took longer as I had to go down Pearse St in the evenings - this often took over 1 hour just to get down that 1 street. Got so stressed at one stage that I gave it up and tried public transport. However had to drive to bus stop, wait for bus, queue to get on, pay, get into town and then either walk for 30 mins or get the dart. So it was taking longer overall and costing over twice as much!
I soon gave that up!

Also - the reason everyone commutes is that all the investment has gone into Dublin and the greater Dublin area by the clowns in our government so there are no jobs in the border counties. We just have mostly empty IDA parks, no feckin train line (meath anyway) and a silly Motorway that we will have to pay 2 tolls on before we even get to Dublin County! 3 tolls if you need to get down the M50!!! but thats another threads ranting!

solice · 28-08-2009 09:24AM

I travel from Ashbourne (Meath) to the city centre every day. I wouldnt call it a commute though, leave the house at 7.10, into work for 8.30/8.45.

But, for those that are thinking of commuting, it can be costly. Make sure that if you are thinking about doing it, you take account of the daily/weekly/monthly costs. Bus Eireann aint cheap. I dont have the option of a train so I cant comment but check it out. The cost is really the only thing that would put me off commuting.

Is it possible to commute to Dublin every day?

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