Portmarnock - whats it like

F

Fitzer

Guest
Hi,
Was thinking of moving to Portmarnock but don't know anyone living there. Does anyone have any experience of the area / opinions. Would be moving out from city as expecting a baby and thought the area seemed nice for a family. How does commuting by DART work out - the house we're looking at is near the White Sands so I presume you'd have to drive to the station in the mornings, whats parking availability like, would you get a seat on the train. I take it you'd be so far from town that you'd never go in for a drink or shopping etc.? Also, any 4 bed house in the area that we've looked at seem to have nice living areas but very pokey upstairs ie. 2 small doubles and 2 small singles, can anyone recommend a street with better layed out houses. Any opinions would be appreciated
 
Portmarnock is a great area to live. Bit biased but people are really nice. Lots of sports clubs, Two good primary schools and a good secondary school. Fairly good shops. However, never developed a proper town centre. However, best beach in the whole north county.
Carpark in Portmarnock Train station is getting really crowded in the morning. You have to be there well before eight to guarantee a spot. You might not be guaranteed a seat in the morning. Mainly standing room, however, only 30 mins train ride to Pearse Station. Use to do it. Summer time - you should be ok though.

A lot of houses were built in the mid 70's and then some more in the 80's and are mainly around about 1100-1200 sq ft hence your pokey 4 bedrooms. However, a lot of 3 bed semi detatched had garages.If you drive around you will see them. A lot of which have been built over and converted. So you might get a spacious four bed there. There was then a spate of new houses in a developent Del Riada (near leisure centre as well) and around there in the last five - ten years. These are larger 4 beds. There are some new 4 and 5 bed homes being built up just now opposite the leisure centre. Might try there if you want something new.
 
Thanks Canman for much valued advice, the commute doesn't sound ideal but I guess its a trade off we'll have to make, will check out those larger houses you mention
 
Moved to Portmarnock over 6 months ago. Generally positive on the area, but agree with the gist of Canman's comments

-No proper town centre, not a true 'village' feel like Malahide, Skerries.
- DART can be very busy, check the timetables and you'll see why. The new station at Beaupark will make things very bad, as it is already at full capacity.
-Car park at station really crowded (don't drive, but commuters parking in our development-we are going to get clampers)
-DART services will commence again at the weekends from June, so drinks in town easier to get to. Taxi from cc to DART station is €20, which isn't too bad, but would be a bit more to get to the other side of town
-Only one pub (2 hotels), and I wouldn't be mad about it. Malahide and Swords are relatively close, and not bad for a night out.
-Not a great choice of restaurants, but again, Malahide is close and also Sutton/Howth
-Dunnes Stores is ok, good Superquinn in Sutton, also convenient to Clare Hall (but nothing to shout about there other than 24 hour shoppping)
- Definitely need a car to get around, everything spread out

Big plus to me is the fact that you are out of the city, and it isn't too congested yet. Good access to M1 and airport, pretty convenient to M50 as well. Beach is great.

All the best with the house hunting.
 
Thanks Ccovich. Sounds like driving to the DART is a disaster, bus down to it doesn't seem to link up timewise, ie. you'd be quicker walking - Im guessing 30 mins from the white sands. So if you walk 30 mins, dart 30 mins and say another 15 mins walk from Pearse, you're talking a 1 hr 15 minute commute to work which I'd consider a disaster. I'll be changing jobs but assuming I'll be working in town with no parking, it sounds to me like weekend life might be nice but weekday life would be miserable, unless you can drive to work somewhere on the northside - would this be an accurate assumption? Sorry, I live in Drumcondra and love the idea of seaside, less built up / congested, but a long commute is a big concern. where is the new station at Beaupark, is that further down the line towards town?
 
The new station at Beaupark will be between Portmarnock and Howth Junction, so closer to town. Construction hasn't commenced, I think they can build x thousand houses before they have to start.

If you can get the DART at 7.18 or the train at 7.33, you will have no trouble getting parking at the station, and will get a seat on the DART. The DART from Tara at 4.55 pm isn't too bad at all, and you would get out of the station pretty quickly. Would you be able to work 8-4.30 in your job?

It's all about routine in the mornings-give yourself plenty of time, and you will be fine. I wouldn't really consider walking from the White Sands though.
 
"These are larger 4 beds. There are some new 4 and 5 bed homes being built up just now opposite the leisure centre. Might try there if you want something new."

Canman, you mentioned these new 4 and 5 bedroom houses. I've driven by them a few times but couldn't find out any more. Any more info/links?
 
There is a sign up but can't remember the phone number on it. I'll be driving by there over the weekend and I'll take the number down and post it up. Not sure if they are sold.
Those houses are at the entrance to a different development constructed within the last three years. An Torcaill is what that one was called. You occassionally will see a house for sale in there. Think the four beds there were around about 1400-1500sq ft. Fine house and modern. Always best to drive around these small estates because have found that a lot of those have been on sale with local agents and not posted on websites such as myhome or daft.
Other things to mention about the area, is that have excellent off licence in Portmarnock village, Malahide has a farmers market as well on Saturday which is great for getting good food as well.
 
Sounds great, will have a drive around and check for others on sale. Just to really confuse myself, how does Sutton / Howth compare? Would you get less of a house for your money over there (like Malahide seems to be)
One more question, just read up on Beaupark, sounds a bit like it'll make it a mightmare to get into town from Portm once its finished, bit like Adamstown for the Lucanites - it seems quicker to get into town via the coast rd. rather than the Malahide rd., there seems to be noises about development etc. getting worse on the Malahide rd as well. Am just wondering will Portm end up inaccessible. Although a good off-licence should make up for it!
 
Best wine off licence in Ireland for the last two years (as voted by god knows who-and wine isn't my cup of tea anyway), but they have good beer specials (and sell ice!).

Sutton and Howth are a lot more expensive than Portmarnock. It's easier to get a seat on the DART in Sutton though, and you can get the 102 to Sutton station from somewhere in Portmarnock village (alernative to driving to Portmarnock station), but I don't know how this would work in practice.

Coast Rd. is a nicer drive into town, but the AA route planner suggests that the Malahide Rd. is quicker (I'm not so sure, traffic is usually worse, and there are more lights and junctions).
 
The 102 from Malahide to Portmarnock isn't bad. I might get it some mornings if i miss the 0713 from Malahide. It normally takes about 25 mins from Malahide to Sutton station and you also get a seat in Sutton.
You might consider Bayside as it's quite close to Sutton and you have a good possibility of getting a seat on the DART. It's also directly on the coast road with a fairly good Supermarket etc close by although you do need to commute for meals out. There are some reputable schools in Bayside, I'm reliably informed that kids travel for miles for the primary schools and you're very close to St Fintan's High School for the fellas and then Santa Sabina in Sutton for the girls.
HTH
BTW, I wouldn't touch Baldoyle with a bargepole personally, it's bad enough at the moment congestion wise.
 
Thanks mo3art, I'll check out Bayside again, last time I looked at houses there, the address on myhome.ie was listed as Bayside or Sutton but when I searched comreg.ie for directions, they were listed as Baldoyle or Kilbarrack, as I don't know the area, I just stayed cleared.
I compared the 102 timetable to the Sutton and or Portmarnock DART times - sure why would you schedule a bus to arrive at any time close to a train departing... I take it theres no / very little parking at Malahide, would you get a seat on the 8:25 from Malahide if I got a lift up there? I know, I'm a lazy git obseessed with seats. Also any Gael Scoils in the area?
Thanks
 
IMHO one of the best Gaelscoils in Dublin is just up the Road in Kilbarrack. There is also a bus service to the school that runs from Baldoyle, but it is only a 15 mins walk away if you're that way inclined. It's called Gaelscoil M'Íde and in all my dealings with the staff and children I've found it to be a very impressive school.
The 8.25 from Malahide - if it's a diesel train you're talking about, you can forget about it. On a DART it's likely. Most times I get the DART from Malahide, I would be extremely unlucky not to get a seat. Parking in Malahide is pure crap, and not worth your while though! So you would be dependent on a lift to the station.
Anymore questions, feel free to ask!
 
Thanks Mo3art, I think I heard of that school before but that its really hard to get your child into, that you need to be Irish speakers in the home, is this right or am I getting it mixed up with another one?
Canman, I checked out the new estate you mentioned up by the leisure club. Theres a new estate, quite big and houses in there are roughly 360k for a 2 bed, 410 for a 3 bed semi, and 770 for a 4 bed detached (Torcaill or something). The estate currently being build and being sold by Gunne's is approx 800k for a detached and approx 700k for semi 4 bed with 5th bedroom in attic (they're setting prices soon), lower stamp duty of 15-20k cos they're new builds, 12 houses in the estate, on sale from plans. Personally I thought for that price you'd be better in the Kilns down by the DART, same price range, same size, more accessible.
 
i've been living in porto for the last year and love it but I would like to take up golf but it seems to be impossible to join a ladies club!.....does anyone have any ideas?
 
Have you thought about clubs in Donabate, there are loads.


Beaverstown
The Island
Donabate
Balcarrick
Corballis (public)

Most of these are quite pricey though

There is also Deerpark in Howth that is a public course.

Also, Swords is promoting itself as a welcoming club, and is fairly new.

Check out Most clubs have links to their own website. I'm considering Citywest myself, seems a shame when you have 3/4 courses within a 5 minute drive around Portmarnock, but I refuse to shell out XX thousand to join a club.
 
thanks for this - most helpful - yip i'm with you on the membership fees front - i would rather join a group and just pay as i go...will check out that website- many thanks...
 
Fitzer, yeah you might be right.
I was looking at buying a two bed in An Torcaill, two years ago at 295K. How about that for inflation. Just didn't have the cash.
Suppose the other houses are more expensive because there is only a small number of them.
The Kilns are being built at the moment. Haven't seen them. Not sure what they are like. Not sure what price they are going for. They are very close to the dart station.
A few things about that end of Portmarnock is the road that fronts them is busy, and it is not lighted either. Also, if there is a lot of heavy rain, that is the end of Portmarnock to get flooded. This doesn't occur as frequently as before due to improvements by the council.
Good luck with your search.
 
Hi Moneypenny, I checked out the portm hotel & country club re. golf. They do a winter membership for 1k which basically lets you play from Oct. to March anytime for 1k. I think it'd only be a runner for someone at home during the day who could get value out of it. They also do twilight green fees during the summer for €40, they're usually €140, its a beautiful course. I think deerpark is about €30 green fees. Beaverstown is about 15k to join with about 1k a year subscription and there is a waiting list, they'll only take you as a weekday member initially - again not much use to you if you work. You'd need to be playing more than once a week to justify membership I reckon. I must say, I love the idea of being able to go for 9 holes when you get home in the evenings during the summer, but its not realistic
 
I'm not sure if you need to speak irish in the home but you do need to show a competency and a willingness to encourage and support your child's learning within the home. As with all schools, it's all hearsay until you speak to the principal - Máistir Ray is the PríomhÓide over there so why don't you contact them and ask them their enrolment policies directly?
The houses in Bayside would be quite large, and semi-detached. The advantage of buying there is that the gardens are generous and you would have scope for improvement. Technically the postcode is Bayside, Sutton, Dublin 13, but you would get post to Bayside, Dublin 13 - you're still within the Fingal County Council cachement area.
HTH
 
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