One of the questions that people ask the most frequently on the Facebook group is what specific areas are like and if someone has info on what it is like living there.
We have a running post where people can give information and what it is like in their areas, so needless to say, there is absolutely no reason why you should not be able to find that info here. However, in Sa2eire.com style, we will supersize it a bit for you!
Hopefully this will help you narrow down where you want to lay your hat at!
This will be broken down by Province:
Green: Leinster
Red: Munster
Blue: Connacht
Dark Blue: Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan are in Ulster province but falls under the Republic of Ireland not Northern Ireland
At the end of this page you will find a link to the page with public transport, so you can have a look there for trains, planes and automobiles
Also to SEE what these areas look like do not forget to look at the member's pics
Green: Leinster
Where: Athy
Which county is it in: Kildare
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 56min (86km)
What do people say:
"Athy, Co. Kildare - small little town but so incredibly convenient, train station is a 5 min walk from our house. 40 min train ride into Dublin so the commute isn't bad at all. Rental in our area is fantastic, we pay €1300 a month for a 5 bed house. Schools are great, shops nearby, amazing vet, pubs, restaurants and you can go anywhere in town in a taxi for €7. (2019)"
"we also in Athy. My husband drives to Dublin each day so it about 1h to 1h30 with traffic"
"Based in Athy, which is about an hour out of Dublin. Train station is a 15 minute walk away and the trains run to Dublin. Shops, post office etc. very close by. It's been a good base for us to start from."
"40 min to Heuston station from Athy."
"I travel alot to Dublin too. I took train for 5 months now have a car and its hour and a bit on the highway"
"I love athy. It’s a small town so you can walk everywhere so no real need for a car. We didn’t have one for 2 years and we have 2 kids. Easy for commuting."
"We are in Athy.. absolutely loving it. Rental prices are decent and train station is close by. Only a 40 - 50 min commute to Dublin with the train."
"We live in Athy, Co.Kildare which is about hour drive to Dublin and 45 min to Kilkenny"
"We currently stay in Athy, Co. Kildare. By car it just over hour commute and by train it an hour. It a small town and was relatively easy to get my daughter into a local creche that 5 min walk from our house. Rental prices are reasonable here as of the distance from Dublin. We been happy here as a starting off point, and after our year lease up we will look at buying closer to Dublin.
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Where: Ballycullen
Which county is it in: Dublin
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 24min (26.4km)
What do people say:
Click HERE to see what the internet saysWhere: Callan
Which county is it in: Kilkenny
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 1hour 33min (151km)
What do people say:
"Small little town with all the necessities for day to day life and 12kms out of Kilkenny city for clothes shopping etc. There is one primary school, a boys only secondary and a girls only secondary. Everything is within walking distance and there is a bus service to Kilkenny. We pay €900 for a 4 bedroom house.(2019) I think you could get a better deal, but because we have pets it is a lot harder to find a place."
"I work as a carer in the community, and there is a fair amount of work because of Camphill."
"The people are friendly and welcoming, and there are a few Saffas in the area. The local butcher, John Murphy went out of his way to outsource the most delicious boerewors for us. Very happy, but just be aware it is farming country so hayfever sufferers be warned! Rent cheaper here, all amenities are in town (pharmacy, Supervalu, Aldi, garage) Hubby drives to work everyday, roughly 17min drive,no traffic,ever!
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Where: Donabate
Which county is it in: Dublin (North)
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 13 min (12km)
What do people say:
"Donabate. North Dublin. Great little village with a nice beach. Not cheap but certainly more affordable than it's Malahide neighbour. 30 mins on the train into town. 15 minutes drive from the airport. I like it cause it's quiet and you have the village atmosphere but you can be in town fairly quickly for a night out."
"yeah must say I do like Donabate. If I was going to live north side of the city, that would be it."
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Where: Drogheda
Which county is it in: Louth
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 32min (45km)
What do people say:
"We have moved to Drogheda, we moved here initially because that's where family was. I live 7 minutes walk away from the train station, this takes me straight into Dublin for work. The train ride takes and hour 20 minutes to one of the last stations in Dublin."
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Where: Drumcondra
Which county is it in: Dublin
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 8.7km (19min)
What do people say:
"I stay in Drumcondra it is about 2km away from Dublin City Center. Very central as you have the train station here and bus connecting you easy so ideal if you don't have a car ... chop chop to get work..not so ideal if you have a car because parking is a bit of a problem and also cause of the central location the landlords are not to scared to the price the rent."
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Where: Dublin
Which county is it in: Dublin
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: varies
What do people say:
"We live in Dublin, we love it, although we have been in lockdown so long that we actually can't give a true and complete reflection of what it is like....however, I can say the following:
- the streets are clean, no litter (after a windy spell you may see some but you also see people picking it up)
- the parks are lush, green, clean, neat and have lovely fenced off playgrounds (if anyone has little kiddies wanting to know)
- the walk-way paths have lanes for you to walk or a lane to cycle. Such a lovely gesture and reminder of courtesy
- the houses are different, mostly double or triple story. We live in a terraced house – which means its attached to the next house. A full street of them in some streets.
- we have parking bays outside our home, not allocated – first come first get basis. Some homes on the next street have their parking’s on street level but under their homes
- we love the freedom we have – it also shows up when you see kids’ toys & bikes or scooters left unattended outside and still there the next day.
- when you’re out walking in the park or shops, no one bothers you.
- We have a few large shopping centers nearby and they have most of what you’d expect to find in shopping centres from jewellery to cell phone shops to clothing stores to pharmacies to banks to post offices to cinemas and food courts
- plenty of free parking, not many paid parking spots at the shopping centres however I cannot say the same for parking in town/CBD center. Some spots you pay €30 for the day and sometimes more…depends where you go but it’s not always easy to get parking.
- the parking story makes me think of why I caught the bus to and from work. I’d pay about €100 per month via bus (during peak traffic it would take 1hour – 1hour 20mins one way) but compare the €100 per month to paying €30 per day for parking plus the petrol/diesel. It was just a no brainer for me. Also, the buses have WIFI and charger points so you can use your phone and charge it while travelling. The buses are actually on time to the minute. Incredible! If you miss a bus, be at ease because no doubt, the next one will be there! I use a Leap Card and if my family come on the bus with me, they’re a companion and it’s a cheaper fare for them compared to them paying cash. Taxis and buses have their own lane. They sometimes even have their own traffic lights LOL.
- The traffic flows, the road rules work here, people are courteous and stop to let you cross the zebra crossing and even the drivers stop before the yellow markings (AS THEY SHOULD ha-ha). I haven’t seen or experienced road rage or people speeding past and cutting in etc.
- there are many schools around and the kids are able to get to and from safely (sometimes they’ll get wet or a grazed knee from falling off their scooter, which are great things to worry about in comparison to me doing the mom run like a headless chicken in SA).
- the rent is a bit steep but its affordable and do-able.
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Where: Kildare
Which county is it in: Kildare
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport:45min (67km)
What do people say:
"it is a lovely county. Don't know enough about all of it to say which areas to avoid. Where you choose and your price will depend on your transport requirements. For e.g. we have 3 adults in t house who need to travel in different directions for work and 2 children who needed to be in walking distance of schools. So we opted for Maynooth as the public transport is excellent and kids walk to and from school. We pay high rent but don't own a car. Friends live in Prosperous not far away. They pay less in rent but need 2 cars. Be sure to check the public transport links into Dublin work for you from the area you choose. Also check the frequency. You may need a car to get to the nearest public transport link and need to pay for parking and be limited in how many trains or busses run and how often. These costs can negate what you save on a rental but may not. We will get a car eventually but don't need one."
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Where: Piltown
Which county is it in: Kilkenny
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 1 hour 41min (165km)
What do people say:
"We are family of six. Two adults and four children. We live in a little village called Piltown it's located between Waterford and Clonmel. Just over thirty minutes drive to Kilkenny. The company my husband is working for is located in Waterford and he travels to where each job is based. There's are two creche's, and a primary school in our village. The secondary school is in Carrick which is the next village over. Not even ten minutes drive. Bus Eireann runs a school bus for the children from the center of town and will drop and collect for a fee for those unable to do a school run. Our village is small but it does have a centra (which for those who don't is the corner cafe - something similar to a small spar), a post office, a pharmacy, two take away places , hair dresser, beauty shop and a doctor's room. We live out of the village but this is convenient for us at the moment as the school buses pass the house enroute to town so try collect the kids at the gate which is helpful. We do most of our 'big' shopping (stuff that can't be bought from Aldi or lidl) in Waterford or clonmel which if you don't have a car there is a bus running from the center of the village to various locations with a scheduled timetable."
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Where: Maynooth
Which county is it in: Kildare
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 26min (33km)
What do people say:
"This is a super town. It has both a great train and bus service to Dublin. Great schools and a university. A beautiful main street with restaurants and coffee shop. A shopping centre with a good sized Dunnes and Easons. We also have a big Tesco, and an Aldi and a Lidl. So what are the downsides? Rentals of course. Scarce and expensive. But we absolutely love it and I can't see us leaving. Oh and we are on the canal and our parish is wonderful."
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Where: Riverchapel (Courtown & surrounding areas)
Which county is it in: Wexford
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 1hour 50mins (176km)
What do people say:
"We recently had our house burgled and car stolen from our driveway, apparently (not the car theft) the burglaries are quite common in this area as the rental costs are low but still "close enough" to Dublin, it's mostly classed as holiday-maker accommodation so in high peak times, mid-Summer/leading up to Christmas there are a lot more home invasions. We wish we were warned of this as we wouldn't have moved, but since this happened our neighbours came forward and said this is the 4th time in the last year/18 months, like clockwork apparently.
I must come forward and say that the response to the above has been phenomenal from all sides; Gardai, Insurance company, Landlord/Agent, neighbours etc. The support has just been incredible and obviously we are so grateful for this. But had we had known this about the area, we would've paid a little more monthly and rather moved to Gorey Town. The other information if people are willing to take the risk is actually positive, so it's quite a Catch 22 LOL.
There is a lovely primary school here and a nursery as well. We called to register our little girl for a few years time and they said they always make room, school will always make an arrangement so no child is left behind.
The closest hospital would probably be Wexford General, thank goodness we haven't needed to use this service as yet (touch wood) but I'd say that'd be the referring public hospital.
Traffic during school pick up and drop off as there's only one little main road but otherwise it's open roads.
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Where: Rosslare Strand
Which county is it in: Wexford
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 1hour 50mins (176km)
What do people say:
"about a 15 min drive to Wexford town. Very quiet as it's more a holiday town. Amazing primary school with three special needs classes. Has a Centra and Londis for your odds and ends. Public transportation isn't frequent but you do have options of three different bus services and you are able to get the train into the square in Wexford and as far as Dublin. Very nice beaches. It does get busy in summer for two months. Definitely a place you can consider when starting off, rent is cheaper"
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Where: Robertstown
Which county is it in: Kildare
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 45min (53km)
What do people say:
"My contribution... I won’t go into rental, I’m not sure what the norm is in our area, so Google will be you friend here... we live in a beautiful village called Robertstown, Co. Kildare, there is 1 primary school, the nearest high school is St Farnans Post Primary which is about 6km away in a town called Prosperous. The nearest major towns would be Newbridge or Naas or even Kildare town, all about 15-17km away. There is a bus that comes through twice a day, closest train station is Newbridge or Sallins. There is a self catering accommodation in the village. Amenities include, 2 cafes, 2 pubs, there is a sports club, a beautiful canal (Grand Canal) running through the village. Rentals in general are very hard to come by in our village."
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Where: Rosemount
Which county is it in: Westmeath
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 1 hour 12 min (111km)
What do people say:
"We are living between Horseleap and Moate, just outside of Rosemount. Our nearest big city is Athlone (15 min). It's quite rural but we really like it here. We won't be here long term but definitely for the next 2 or 3 years until we buy. Athlone has everything. Moate is just under 10 minutes away and has all the basics but for big shops we go to Athlone and that's where my husbands job is. Rentals prices are quite good"
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Where: Slane
Which county is it in: Meath
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 36min (52km)
What do people say:
"We are in Slane just outside of Navan. Commute on the bus into North Dublin (dockside) is 50 minutes. Lovely farm area - very community focused and shopping not bad in either Navan or Drogheda. A car is essential"
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Where: Tullamore
Which county is it in: Offaly
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 1hour 8 min (108km)
What do people say:
"Super small town vibes here. It's smack bang right in the middle of Ireland. Not much to do besides sport or drinking. There are fair amount of schools both primary and secondary. It's about 1h30 drive from Dublin. You'd definitely need a car out here as public transport is not as frequent. It has all the shops you need in terms of groceries and such. If you're looking for more big town vibes there's Athlone which is about 30 minutes away and has more shopping centres and shops like H&M etc."
"Good mix of town and country living. Easy to get to North, South, East or West of the country. I've studied in Galway and Dublin... worked in Dublin, Midlands and Roscommon... never needed to relocate"
"Easy living. A number of schools, churches, pubs, restaurants. Has most grocery shops. Public transport available via train, buses, coaches, townlinks. Cars are great to have not absolutely necessary. Towns like Mullingar, Athlone and Portlaoise are 20-30 mins away, where you will find bigger clothing stores eg. Pennys, M&S, Next, H&M.
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Where: Wexford
Which county is it in: Wexford
What province does it fall in: Leinster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 1hours 49min (160km)
What do people say:
"It's an arty town with a lot of music and theatre which we really like. Obviously due to Covid, none of that is happening right now. "
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Red: Munster
Where: Bandon
Which county is it in: Cork
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 3 hours 10 min (298km)
What do people say:
"Bandon, West Cork. A gentleman once told me it is the best way to see into "Old Ireland", I am a huge Bandon mascot. There is everything you can ask for, we have a brilliant Aldi's / Lidls and and Supervalu within a shopping center, you want for nothing. The main street offers a Boots pharmacy and several others, as well as a Library, takeaways and clothing stores. If you as blessed as we are, we are about fifteen minutes walking distance from town. The walking routes are brilliant, you will never become bored with routes. We are forty / forty five minutes from Cork City and the public transport is good. It is very much a family oriented town."
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Where: Carrigaline
Which county is it in: Cork
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2 hours 34min (272km)
What do people say:
"Other towns around us are Crosshaven, Douglas, Rochestown, Riverstick, Minane Bridge, Fountains Town, Myrtleville, Ballygarvan, Ballinhassig. We are 7 miles approx from Cork City. We have a good bus route. God's junior and high schools. Rentals like anywhere else is quite hard to find. The town has young families and older folks too. The population of the town is approximately 20 000. Very pretty main Street alongside a river usually filled with a mix of Swans, ducks and even a Heron. Our famous bird. Not far from the sea or countryside. Hopefully this will help some folk when looking."
"traffic can get bad in Carrigaline. If you drive to Cork in the mornings there is some bad places for traffic"
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Click HERE to see what the internet sysWhere: Churchtown
Which county is it in: Cork
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2hours 37min (251km)
What do people say:
"A little rural community 30 min from Mallow, 60 min from Cork City. 3 Bedroom semi €850 pm excl. No bus or train near enough so car is essential. The Village has a little store, a B&B, Pub and a Fish & Chips take away. Kids are a 10 min walk from Churchtown National School and a Montessori for little ones. We have a park around the corner for the kids and a GAA Club as well, which offer a week or two summer club for summer school holidays. Small close knit community so can be a little "clicky" but most smile and greet at school drop offs."
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Where: Cobh (Pronounced Cove)
Which county is it in: Cork
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2hours 49min
What do people say:
"20 minutes from the city. A harbour town that brings in loads of tourists from the cruisliners and bus tours. Cruisliners in the harbour every week in Summer and its a spectacular sight! Especially as they are so close (looks like a block of flats landed on the pavement!), we never had this in SA. Quite a large South African community here so you are bound to bump into one of us somewhere. Rentals are all around €1200 for a 3 bed semi detatched home. A few Day Cares and after cares as well as Primary schools, all boys school (St Josephs) and all girls (St Marys) in Cobh town itselft and then there is a suburb called Rushbrooke which has a co-ed school (Rushbrooke Primary) 1 High School which all the schools feed into called Colaiste Muir. People are very pro active here in terms of keeping the town clean. There is a facebook group called Cobh Edition Discussion Group, they discuss anything from poo on the pavement to which bands are playing at what pubs tonight. No big shops, just Aldi, Lidl, Centra, SuperValue and a few tourist shops down town. Alot of pubs and a few restaurants, live music, great walks and a general feeling of being on holiday. All in all, its a great place to live"
"I was there last year visiting with family. Very interesting, historical place due to its connection with the ill-fated Titanic."
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Where: Conna
Which county is it in: Cork
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2hours 19min (245km)
What do people say:
"Pay way less rent. 45 mins from the city with no traffic. Car is essential. I love cork and so happy that we landed up here."
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Where: Cork
Which county is it in: Cork
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2hours 33min (266km)
What do people say: CORK:
"Cork has got VERY expensive in the last few years and the housing crisis has hit hard in Cork. If you're gonna be renting be prepared to join queues at house viewings and to be paying roughly €1400-€1800 a month now for a 3-4 bed in commuter zone cork. Prepare to spend a month or so in temp accommodation (bnb/self catering/hotel). Jobs aren't as much as an issue down here as housing."
"Commuter zone with a car or 2 cars depending if you both going to the same place or different directions. Draw a circle around Clonakilty, Kinsale, Bandon, Carrigaline, Cobh, Castlemartyr, Fermoy, Mallow and Macroom. Without a car bring that circle right in to Carrigaline, Cobh, Midleton, Mallow and Ballincollig. And look at bus/train routes where they go and times because the whole area is not covered by public transport all the time. You need to make sure the times and routes of public transport because taxis cost alot in Ireland"
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Where: Dungarvan
Which county is it in: Waterford
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2hours 21 mins (215km)
What do people say:
"Small, coastal town. Reminds me of Jeffreys Bay, love the slow pace"
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Where: Dunmore East
Which county is it in: Waterford
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2hours 15 mins (192km)
What do people say:
"Dunmore East is a lovely seaside town that is a 15-20 minute drive from both Waterford and Tramore. Housing is cheaper than in Waterford, a 3 bedroom house might be around €900 pm to rent. In the summer it buzzes with activity as people flock to the beaches, and in the wintertime it is quiet and peaceful. The town has a few restaurants and pubs, 2 small convenience stores, a pharmacy and a few other small businesses. There is a beautiful park, tennis courts and a cliff walk, making it ideal for nature lovers. "
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Where: Kenmare
Which county is it in: Kerry
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 4hr 363km
What do people say:
'It's gorgeous and has most things you need. If you crave action and city life it might not be for you. A more sedate pace...which suits us perfectly"
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Where: Killorgan
Which county is it in: Kerry
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 3hr 40min 324km
What do people say:
"we have been living in Kerry for almost 3 years and my word it's beautiful. We live in Killorglin. Tralee is about 30 km from us. When we moved here we spent the 1st week in Killarney. It's magical here in Kerry. There is so much to do here there's Ross Castle, Dingle is breathtaking, Slea head, the Kerry Cliffs. On weekends we get in the car and just drive for hours on end the scenery amazes me every time."
"we live in Milltown. Small village between killarney, tralee, killorglin. Great place to stay! Wonderful people. Close to the ring of kerry. Fantastic hiking trails, killarney national park. You will love it"
"the people here are very friendly and welcoming and always willing to lend a hand. The lifestyle is very relaxed and laid back and when driving you might be stoped by a few cows on the road walking to their next field. Winters can be long and cold but winter is absolutely beautiful here. Summer is amazing not to hot and not to cold. If you want to shop try Aldi or Lidl their food prices are really good. Always stick to the road speed signs because you get penalty points for driving to fast. The roads are quite narrow but you get used to that very fast. All of the best and you're definitely making the right decision this place is amazing"
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Where: Kinsale
Which county is it in: Cork
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2hours 58min (295km)
What do people say: "Is kinsale reasonable if one nèeds to work in cork city please?"
"if you have a car about an hour drive depending where in the city you are. But by public transport the timing of buses and all that could be difficult"
"it takes us 30 mins and bus goes every hour last bus leaves Cork 10pm."
"yep depending on time of day. same as from our side its about 30mins at 9am or later, but can be really bad traffic spots along the way, and then switching buses to where ever you work"
"Just drove to all Kinsale, timed it to Cork about an hour but that was not peak traffic. A lot of companies apparently have staggered starts because of the traffic.
Not sure of rentals but to buy very expensive, we spent an hour in Kinsale, walked around the pretty streets full of American tourists, the roads are narrow and parking is difficult to say the least."
"there is sneaky parking by SuperValu - and up by Friar Street where we are. Due to covid many roads closed to give space to walkers. It is a tourist town - once Summer over next month or so its Kinsale lockdown and we again have the place to ourselves."
"it's a lovely town."
"Kinsale, Cork, a very picturesque and historical town, great place to live, cosmopolitan with fantastic schools, shops and restaurants. Many South African families have chosen Kinsale. Travel to Cork takes me 30min and we 15min from the airport. Downside, properly is above average high and good rentals are difficult to find, Kinsale gets very busy in the summer months."
Here is a better description from CorkGuid.Ie: https://www.cork-guide.ie/kinsale.htm"
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Where: Lismore
Which county is it in: Waterford
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2hours 36min (226km)
What do people say:
"Beautiful historic town, lovely countryside and an acceptable commute to Cork. (1hour, 56km) Large farmhouse and garden for our 2 SA dogs for less than an apartment in the bigger centers. Love it."
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Where: Midleton
Which county is it in: Cork
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2hours 39min (259km)
What do people say:
"Midleton is a beautiful vibrant town, has all the necessities you require"
"Midleton is a great commuter town close to Cork city within about 30 mins in peak traffic. Therefore it's a highly desired area to live in an has become expensive and properties are hard to find.
- 5 Primary schools (1 Educate Together, 1 Church of England and the others Catholic school)
- 4 Secondary Schools, (1 being a private school, 1 co-ed and the other 2 are a Boys Senior and Girls Senior school.)
- All the necessary shops, Aldi, Lidl, Supervalu, Iceland and Tesco. Cinema.
- Train station which links you to Cobh and Cork City.
- bus route to the city
- Lots of sports: golf club, GAA, rugby, soccer to name a few
- Swimming pools/clubs in Midleton Park Hotel, Youghal & Cobh
- South Doc: the after hour emergency doctor.
- The Hospital showed on the Midleton map is actually a nursing home now.
- A&E at CUH (Hospital) or Mercy (Hospital) is 40 mins away in Cork city
- Rentals are from €1300 + in Midleton and surrounded areas for a 3 bedroom"
"If you live in the town itself you can get around by foot. Outside of Midleton there is some sporadic bus routes, but mostly car transport will be needed."
"School placements are an issue because of the very quickly growing population in the area and housing/building more homes is subject to demand on infrastructure like sewage and water supply. So you could be waiting for a placement for kids at the schools for a while"
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Where: Tramore
Which county is it in: Waterford
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2hour 5 min (188km)
What do people say:
"From the start we have wanted to be here and so far it's working out really well for us. I see a future here!"
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Where: Waterford
Which county is it in: Waterford
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 1hour 52min (177km)
What do people say:
"Its irelands oldest city but its quite small considering... it has all the conveniences needed.... plenty of good schools short drive from centre of town and you're straight into the country like most of ireland..... it's in the southern part of Ireland so weather is slightly better.... close enough to beaches and has a big technical college..... so short term rentals in summer holidays are easy to come by but like rest of ireland there is housing shortages..... rentals are around 1100 for a 3 bedroom.... there are a few companies like telemarketing companies always employing"
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Where: Wilton
Which county is it in: Cork
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2hours 39min (270km)
What do people say:
"We are in Wilton Cork and it’s fantastic! We have everything at our fingertips. Walking distance to hospital, library, shopping Centre and schools... we are right by the bus stops. Schools by us are great."
"it is a suburb of the city so very convenient, but quite busy"
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Where: Youghal (pronounced You-ull)
Which county is it in: Cork
What province does it fall in: Munster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2 hours 37 min (247km)
What do people say:
"Youghal is commuteable by bus and car but it is a long trip. The issue with bus is timing your trips based on frequency of buses to the city to coincide with another bus to take you elsewhere in the city. The timing of transport. ALWAYS easier by car. For the last few years these also been major road works at Killegah and Castlemartyr which makes it a bit hectic at peak hours. Its a quaint town with an old fisherman village vibe."
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Blue: Connacht
Where: Lettermore/ Carraroe
Which county is it in: Galway
What province does it fall in: Connacht
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2hours 55min (256km)
What do people say:
"The scenery is unreal. Nature is left pretty much undisturbed and it is very beautiful with the little stone walls criss-crossing the vast green lands that get painted by gold grass in autumn and yellow flowers everywhere in spring. Beaches everywhere with very few people going to them, which is nice and private. Sunsets are amazing!
Rentals are very affordable with many 4 or 5 bedroom freestanding houses going for under €700 available. There is a few National schools around and a secondary school also. In Carraroe there is a library, fire station, sports ground, Euro Spar, a couple of hairdressers and a few pubs. Also an Asian restaurant and a florest. There is a Dr, pharmacy, old age home and a couple of beauty salons. There is a Nan Dooley, which is a school for special needs children who are not able to attend the National school and a pretty cool playground. There is also a playschool.
Coral Beach is there, which is a natural phenomenon where there is coral instead of sand and is incredibly rare in the world.
It is 36km from Galway city.
The area is a Gaeltacht, which means Irish first language. In the first 2 years at National school they speak Irish Only to the children, but they do offer support for children who are not English first language. There are Irish lessons available for adults through Galway University which has a branch there to further the development of Gaelic communities.
The community can pretty much be divided into those who are incredibly friendly and welcoming and those who don't want non Irish (speaking) people living there.
While the distance seems to be short at 36km to the city, it is important to consider that there is only one road in and out, which is a single carry way in each direction, going through several other small villages and with busses on every hour and a half in each direction (there is a bus stop in Carraroe with 1st bus pick up at 7:30am and last bus drop off at 8pm).
Because of this travel takes approximately an hour into town. It is a very scenic drive though, but if you are needing to go to Aldi or Tescos or any of the other stores you mostly need to travel to Galway City for it. The other thing to consider is that this is also where your closest hospital is, and with the single carriageway and traffic it will take you at least an hour to get there, even in the case of an emergency.
There is a Garda office, with someone available once a week and also an an post."
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Where: Shrule
Which county is it in: Mayo
What province does it fall in: Connacht
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 2 hours 23min (239km)
What do people say:
"We just outside Shrule Co Mayo. Very rural. We are with in 15 mins of bigger towns with all required shops etc. We have no light pollution but access to public transport being rural is almost non exsistant as is broadband. We rent a 5 bed 3 bath house for €700. I work in Galway which is 40 mins drive away I hardly have traffic. Schools are great in our area we had no issues getting our 2 boys in. For a small place we have quite a few South Africans in Shrule"
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Where: Oranmore
Which county is it in: Galway
What province does it fall in: Connacht
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 1hour 58min (208km)
What do people say:
"Oranmore co.galway is incredibly beautiful and schools are fab!! But has become seriously congested and although 3 new estates are coming up, the cost of rent is at an all time high. Very popular village and 10 min from Galway city. You won't find anything in oranmore town for less than €1000, and that's if you are lucky. Housing prices in Galway in general have become very expensive."
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Dark Blue: Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan are in Ulster province
but falls under the Republic of Ireland not Northern Ireland
Where: Virginia
Which county is it in: Cavan
What province does it fall in: Ulster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 87.9km (59min)
What do people say:
"Hi all. We live in Virginia county Cavan. It’s about 80kms from Dublin. My hubby works in Dublin 12 and drives in and out daily. Takes him about an hour or so. But it is also directly on the Bus Eireann commuter belt. Small town but has all the amenities necessary. Two larger towns close to us ate Cavan town (26km) away and ballieborough about 20 minutes drive. Country town lifestyle but really beautiful. ????????"
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Where: Killeshandra
Which county is it in: Cavan
What province does it fall in: Ulster
Find it on: GOOGLE MAPS
How far is it from Dublin Airport: 127km, 1hr and 46mins
What do people say:
"Positives
- About 1.5 hrs to Dublin
- 15 minutes to Cavan town, which has everything
- Schools in Killeshandra, Arvagh, Cavan Town and many more.
- 365 loughs, (So one for every day of the year.) Great area for all forms of water sport. (Top Pike, salmon and trout fishing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing etc.)
- Very rural lifestyle, lovely community, very safe. (During Covid I can phone my local shop, place an order and either the local postman or the Gardai will deliver!!)
- Bucket loads of interesting history and archaeology in the area.
- Hundreds of forest walks, mostly with cycle trails.
- Good local doctors, chemists, grocers and butchers.
- Great area for young and old
- Rents pretty reasonable. We rent an old farm house on about three acres / one and a half hectare, with 4 outbuildings and a shed. Double storey house has three beds, two bath, two lounges and large farm type kitchen all surrounded by fenced lawn. Rent €600, electricity €140 every two months, oil fired central heating about €500-€600 per annum.
Negatives
- No trains and limited bus service, apart from school busses, so a car would be a necessity.
- May be a bit too quiet for serious city slickers.
- Can be a bit chilly in winter due to being situated centrally and slightly raised altitude.
- Employment is tricky, particularly with the whole Covid situation, but ideal for anyone self-employed."
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