Looking at buy in Donaghmede

nad25 · 06-02-2008 2:23pm #1

Hey all,

So as the title suggests I'm looking to purchase property in the area and was wondering what it's like.

The house / houses that we're interested in are around the Donaghmede shopping centre / howth junction district.

We have driven around a few times and from what I can see thaere doesn't seem to be any major issues. Just the odd abandoned shopping trolley here and there.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Dub13 · 06-02-2008 11:10pm

Moved into the Dublin City Forum.

microgirl · 07-02-2008 8:53am

I'm not an immediate local, but I've lived in Killester all my life and am fairly familar with Donaghmede/Kilbarrack. There aren't really any major issues any more in that area. 20 years ago I might not have recommended it, although even then it wasn't drugs and violent crime that would have been the problem, just anti-social behaviour from marginalised working-class council-house inhabitants

The area has really settled in the last couple of decades though, and mowadays most people buying property in the area would be young professionals who can't afford the classier areas and can see through the area's past to its great facilities and location. It's still a former council area, but there's really no problems anymore. Admittedly, someone immediately local could correct me, but I'd be surprised to hear about anything worse than occasional groups of teens making a bit of a nuisance of themselves.

If I could afford a €400k mortgage on my own, it's where I would buy

donaghs · 07-02-2008 11:27am

I'm living close by in Kilbarrack and am happy there. Different admittedly from where I grew up on the south side but not a problem.

Near Kilbarrack Dart Station and Howth Junction used to have a bad name due to the social housing there a resultant problems, but not really a visible problems nowadays. I sometimes walk and cycle through those estates to go to Dunnes.

Being beside a Dart station is very handy nowadays, esp. if you work in town, considering the crazy commutes people are doing. The Dunnes is huge and is great for shopping. If you have a car (or bike), you're only minutes from amenities like Howth Head, Bull Island and St. Annes Park. Its a bit far out from town for some people, but there's a Nightlink which stops at Kilbarrack Fire Station and Donaghmede Shopping Centre (Dunnes).

Have a good look around though, and visit at night. Especially check out any potential next door neighbours. As with all places, if you don't like what you see, why risk buying there?

gurramok · 07-02-2008 7:01pm

Hate to put a spanner in the works but there have been quite a few shootings in Donaghmede in the last couple of years. A googling of RTE site will tell you where.

That said, a whole area cannot be tarred with the same brush by a small dodgy bunch.

DonnaDarko · 07-02-2008 7:09pm

im not from the area myself, but i was seeing a guy from there for a year and spent alot of time there. he lived around 5mins walk from the howth junction station. once when he was leaving the station with his cousin, they both got attacked with glass bottles. i also remember him telling me about various shootings,etc. which were right accross from his house and his next door neighbours hhouse had been on the market for ages because of that. that said, every time i was there the area seemed pretty nice and i never had any hassle from anyone as i usually do in places on the northside (im a "punk-y" looking girl,hah)

Dub13 · 07-02-2008 7:13pm

I found the further North you go in Donaghmede (eg away from howth junction and to wards the new northern fringe area) the better it gets.

donaghs · 08-02-2008 10:05am

There's only been one shooting in that area that I know of in the last 2 years. And I think that was a inner city drugs debt issue, no connection to the area that I know of. A guy (drug addict and small time criminal) from Clarence St. in the north inner city was lured to open ground on some pretence, and shot. As previous post says, this can all be googled.

gurramok · 08-02-2008 11:58am

More than one donaghs, fatal and non-fatal since '05.
Another on St. Donaghs Rd, Ardara ave, Grangemore Rd, Grattan Wood in addition to above

http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENIE260&q=shooting+donaghmede+site%3Arte.ie&btnG=Search&meta=

donaghs · 08-02-2008 12:19pm

Hey Gurramok, I see there has been quite a bit in the general area.

Although Gratton Wood is a long walk from Howth Junction. Supposed to the "good part" of the area. The shooting I referred to in my post was on the green beside St. Donaghs. The other St. Donaghs shooting which can be found on Google occurred in 2003 (before 2005), and was stated as a mistaken identity shooting of someone unknown to Gardai.

But we're just splitting hairtriggers at this stage...

Donagh.

Dub13 · 08-02-2008 12:23pm

A shooting can happen anywhere in Dublin these days unfortunately,Clontarf and Raheny have had shootings in the last couple of years.

lightening · 08-02-2008 12:33pm

Dub13 wrote: »

A shooting can happen anywhere in Dublin these days unfortunately,Clontarf and Raheny have had shootings in the last couple of years.

You just got in there before me... These shootings don't reflect the area.

OP, have you looked around St. Annes estate in Raheny? The prices seem to be dropping and getting a bit more realistic.

jos28 · 09-02-2008 2:04am

Parents have lived there since day 1. Never any major problems, although I would stay away from roads near the shopping centre and the dart station. The shopping centre is about to undergo a refurbishment with a multi storey car park. I just would not fancy all the traffic etc. There is a very active Residents association and some great neighbours. Fine solid houses, just be careful what road you pick.

Mullet · 09-02-2008 3:13am

Lived in Donaghmede all my life 5 minutes from Howth Junction and its a very mature area. To correct one previous poster donaghmede was never a council estate. Houses built in 1970 and all privately owned. The only downside is the amount of commuters who abandon their cars on our street every week day to commute into the city centre

Jonny Arson · 10-02-2008 6:31pm

Dub13 wrote: »

I found the further North you go in Donaghmede (eg away from howth junction and to wards the new northern fringe area) the better it gets.

yeah, i totally agree with that

i live down the road from Donaghmede so i know the area fairly well and from experiences the two areas at night time i hate are the shopping centre (and immediate area around it) and howth junction station. sadly both of these particular spots at night are constantly infested with dodgy little rough scumbags and i never feel safe. in saying that i can't recall having any other problems anywhere else in Donaghmede and i generally feel pretty safe in these areas.

Degsy · 11-02-2008 10:23am

Mullet wrote: »

Lived in Donaghmede all my life 5 minutes from Howth Junction and its a very mature area. To correct one previous poster donaghmede was never a council estate. Houses built in 1970 and all privately owned. The only downside is the amount of commuters who abandon their cars on our street every week day to commute into the city centre

Not true i'm afraid.The whole St Donagh's area is corporation.When i was in school in the areah ALL the troublemakers were from St Donagh's and there's still plenty of scumbags there now.Newbrook and carndonagh have thier share of fools who want to be gangsters.Basicaly,avoid areas near to the shopping centre.Ardara Ave,Grangemore and the offshoots of these roads would be your best bet.

merrionsq · 11-02-2008 11:33am

Around the shopping centre is fine (Newbrook, Carndonagh etc). I know people who've bought there in the last 3 years.
St. Donaghs was Corporation-built, but from the amount of For Sales signs I've seen there over the last few years, I'd imagine nearly all of the houses are privately owned now.
It's true that shootings can occur anywhere. There was a shooting in Kilmacud, Stilllorgan in 2006, and one in 2007. And that wouldn't but me off buying a house there (although I'd have to win the Lotto first).

nad25 · 11-02-2008 5:45pm

Well, thanks for all of your input.

Yeah I know that around Howth Junction can be a bit of a pain at night but hey so can a lot of places.

I noticed the flowers around the entrance to the Holywell district which are attributed to the residents association.

I currently live just up the road in Portmarnock so it wouldn't be a huge move anyway.

So what's this about the refurbishment of the shopping centre? A few people have been telling me about that.

To be honest it is a bit dated as it is. Do you remember the way it was originally?

Any ideas when that is going to get off the ground?

Dub13 · 11-02-2008 9:25pm

Degsy wrote: »

.Ardara Ave,Grangemore and the offshoots of these roads would be your best bet.

Grange Abbey is also fine.

jos28 · 11-02-2008 10:53pm

First phase of the refurb is nearly finished. Thats the new medical centre where the Doctor's bungalow used to be. Second phase is due to start soon. AFAIK it includes a multi- storey car park facing the Newbrook end. The centre will be completely redesigned over the next 2 years. Plans have been approved and they were available in the Donaghmede library at one stage. There was a problem with the plans for the car park but I think that has been resolved. Shopping Centre management agency is supposed to be in talks with Argos and TK Maxx. Here's hoping......

Dub13 · 11-02-2008 11:10pm

A Argos would be super....we have none in Dublin North East.

donaghs · 12-02-2008 10:27am

I've heard about a few of the objections to the redevelopments. Whats the main problem, the increase in traffic?

Surely it will be worth it in the long run. The current shopping centre, useful as it is, is very much stuck in the '70s. Extra shops would be nice too.

DublinWriter · 12-02-2008 10:35am

nad25 wrote: »

So what's this about the refurbishment of the shopping centre? A few people have been telling me about that. To be honest it is a bit dated as it is. Do you remember the way it was originally?

Yes, it hasn't changed that much since 1974. At least Clare Hall is up the road.

I'd agree with Dub13's comments, Donaghmede gets 'nicer' the further North you go, but in general the area's pretty mature now and there isn't as many problems with anti-social behaviour as there was 15 years ago.

merrionsq · 12-02-2008 11:55am

I always felt the skanger "centre of gravity" was Swan's Nest in Kilbarrack - and everywhere gets 'nicer' as you move away from it.

raheny red · 12-02-2008 1:39pm

merrionsq wrote: »

I always felt the skanger "centre of gravity" was Swan's Nest in Kilbarrack - and everywhere gets 'nicer' as you move away from it.

That problem is long gone. Getting rid of those flats was the best thing to happen to the area in the last 20 years (along with the Barrytown folk

). Use to be scarred ****less as a nipper going down to the dentist in Kilbarrack.

jos28 · 12-02-2008 3:39pm

donaghs wrote: »

I've heard about a few of the objections to the redevelopments. Whats the main problem, the increase in traffic?

Surely it will be worth it in the long run. The current shopping centre, useful as it is, is very much stuck in the '70s. Extra shops would be nice too.

It was the location of the multi storey that caused the problem. It will be built opposite Newgrove and the main exit/entrance for the car park will be there too. It would have made more sense to locate it on the main Grange Road beside the new medical centre. Then cars would not have to come into the estate at all. I think the developers won in the end, I heard that anyone living opposite the proposed site was given dosh to keep them quiet. Rumours were in the region of €12,000 per house.

donaghs · 25-02-2008 1:59pm

Nad25, how did your house hunting/research go?

Any revelations from the experience? Would be interested to hear!:)

nad25 · 18-04-2008 1:17pm

So, it's been a while since I last posted and I'm happy to say that I bought the house I was looking at.

Happy days.

Only been there a week or so but so far all good. Met a few of the neighbours but they're all really nice and friendly.

Found a leak in the roof of the extension that the previous owner must have painted over. The surveyor missed it when he checked out the place. Bit his head off!!! Only a small fixer upper though but that's the problem with flat roof extensions. At least it wasn't as bad at what happened to those new places by the racecourse.

A word of advice: If anyone looking at property around the shopping centre, look very carefully for any signs of water damage and check where the outlets from the bathroom etc.. are.

Yea I will have to get in touch with the residents association and try get involved.

Thanks for all the advice / comments

Dub13 · 18-04-2008 2:02pm

Congrats,come back in a while when you have settled into the area and give us an up date.

Dord · 18-04-2008 2:14pm

Congrats! I live just about 5 minutes from the shopping center. I think the area has improved greatly in the last few years.

As you said, a lot of the houses round there have flat roof extensions.
Actually I was just talking to a taxi driver the other day about it, he had some leaking in his and it turns out that flat roofs aren't covered under home insurance. Bit of a pain in the arse but what ya gonna do.

Sweet.Science · 14-11-2020 8:36am

Sorry to bump this old thread

Looking around Howth View Park . Looks fine to me and great location . If any locals have insight

Looking at buy in Donaghmede

Comments