Buying a house in dublin - good areas for a family?

I am from the surrounding area so just to comment to that aspect.

The only educate together school I know of is North Bay near Kilbarrack. There are quite a few Church of Ireland primary schools but very few mixed multi denomination secondary schools in the area just to keep in mind. Mount Temple is also Church of Ireland I believe. Griffith Avenue is a nightmare at the wrong time but Drumcondra has a great vibe and lots of amenities.

I live in Clontarf which has the beach, park, dart and nearer the Howth Road/Malahide Road has good bus services and access to DCU/UCD even though that may seem way down the road. Fairview is a nightmare also God only knows what’s going on with that but I walk/cycle into the city regularly not at night mind you. No safety issues and I am 53 but then maybe thats partly luck and partly the fact that I am cautious in nature. Kids have trekked up Griffith Avenue for years for sports and friends with never an issue. Sutton/Howth also great but again traffic might be a consideration but as a dog lover Burrow Beach is great.

Marino has a big meet up with dog owners in the local parks and is friendly. It’s all very subjective to be honest but just giving my personal experience. Clontarf does not have a great shopping/village centre imo, there are better options but we spent a lot of time in the park and beach with the kids when they were little and again now with the doggo. I love the period houses in Drumcondra/Glasnevin particularly the Strain built houses around Iona Park. Its personal choice I am just giving feedback on the area if its any use to you.
 
DannyBoyD said:
Dublin's not the only city in the country - there are those who would claim it isn't even the capital! ;)
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yeah, sorry, didn't mean to say it was the only city :) but if I look at, for example, live concerts, most artists and bands that I love, when they come to Ireland, it's usually to Dublin, so that's one of the things I consider as "city amenity"
 
veredcd said:
Thanks everyone for the input, it helps, even though some comments are contradictory :D
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Whatever you decide, don't base it on concerts. People in Ireland are going to Spain for a weekend to see the likes of Bruce Springsteen because it's cheaper.

I worked in public sector recruitment where we try and get overseas staff to work here. A recruiter told me they think Dublin and Cork are the only cities here.

Start with where your going to be based, then look at schools etc.
 
veredcd said:
yeah, sorry, didn't mean to say it was the only city :) but if I look at, for example, live concerts, most artists and bands that I love, when they come to Ireland, it's usually to Dublin, so that's one of the things I consider as "city amenity"
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Its a very small island.
 
DannyBoyD said:
Dublin's not the only city in the country - there are those who would claim it isn't even the capital! ;)
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There’s only one real city in this country, and then a few glorified towns. Some nice spots admittedly, such as Galway, but the “real capital” stuff is laughable, as is the idea of places like Cork and Kilkenny being classified as cities, when they’re closer to Gorey on steroids.
 
veredcd said:
Thanks, I read a lot about childcare being difficult to find, but by the time we move, our daughter would only need 1 year of ecce before starting school. Is ecce as difficult to find as well?
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It's a little while since I was in ECCE circles, I was thinking more around day care type childcare. Once you have a location in mind you can contact all the local childcare providers in that area for availability. I suspect ECCE is not as over subscribed as younger ages.
 
Bray in Wicklow seems to be still relatively good value v the amenities. It is a coastal town with a nice seafront and plenty of choice of restaurants. A few different types of school, plenty of activities for when your child is older (sports, scouts, library, lego, coding whatever) and some nice local businesses. It is on the Dart so very easy to access the city and everything that has to offer in terms of culture and entertainment. On the doorstep of Wicklow for some countryside. There are some new developments in the area which would make a purchase from a distance a little easier as you would be buying a new house. Or look at Dun Laoghaire for a similar vibe, higher prices but closer to the city centre.
 
misemoi said:
It is on the Dart so very easy to access the city and everything that has to offer in terms of culture and entertainment.
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Bray to city centre on the DART is 45 minutes of train ride alone.

This wouldn't be described as "easy access" in most European cities of a similar size.
 
ThomasAquinas said:
I am from the surrounding area so just to comment to that aspect. The only educate together school I know of is North Bay near Kilbarrack. There are quite a few Church of Ireland primary schools but very few mixed multi denomination secondary schools in the area just to keep in mind. Mount Temple is also Church of Ireland I believe. Griffith Avenue is a nightmare at the wrong time but Drumcondra has a great vibe and lots of amenities. I live in Clontarf which has the beach, park, dart and nearer the Howth Road/Malahide Road has good bus services and access to DCU/UCD even though that may seem way down the road. Fairview is a nightmare also God only knows what’s going on with that but I walk/cycle into the city regularly not at night mind you. No safety issues and I am 53 but then maybe thats partly luck and partly the fact that I am cautious in nature. Kids have trekked up Griffith Avenue for years for sports and friends with never an issue. Sutton/Howth also great but again traffic might be a consideration but as a dog lover Burrow Beach is great. Marino has a big meet up with dog owners in the local parks and is friendly. It’s all very subjective to be honest but just giving my personal experience. Clontarf does not have a great shopping/village centre imo, there are better options but we spent a lot of time in the park and beach with the kids when they were little and again now with the doggo. I love the period houses in Drumcondra/Glasnevin particularly the Strain built houses around Iona Park. Its personal choice I am just giving feedback on the area if its any use to you.
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There's an Educate Together primary school in or planned for Drumcondra (All Hallows).

And worth mentioning the main reason for the traffic issues at specific times on Griffith Avenune is the proliferation of schools on it!

For shopping in Clontarf there is Nolans Vernon Avenue, which is a lovely supermarket although premium prices.
 
NoRegretsCoyote said:
Bray to city centre on the DART is 45 minutes of train ride alone.

This wouldn't be described as "easy access" in most European cities of a similar size.
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True! Was thinking more of frequency of trains rather than journey times. I have friends and family living on commuter lines and the timetables aren't amazing v the ten min gap between Darts - which certainly are poor themselves v most other cities.
 
veredcd said:
Thanks, which areas for example? We still want to live in the city as we're both urban types, so currently not looking beyond the m50, although for the same price, you definitely get more there.
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On the North side Glasnevin is very nice and there's easy access to the Botanic Garden's.
Balinteer and Marley are nice areas near Templeogue, if a bit further out. There are better parks, good primary schools (non-religious ones) and easy access to the Mountains and the M50. Public Transport isn't as good.
 
Right Winger said:
You could look at the Phibsboro, Grangegorman, Cabra, Navan Road, Ashtown, Castleknock, Carpenterstown corridor. Mixture of long established "nice" areas and rapidly gentrifying areas courtesy of Luas, commuter rail and new third level campus.
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Phibsborough is nice but Cabra is definitely not as nice. The traffic around Carpenterstown can be dreadful. I suspect Castleknock (not the bits of Blanchardstown that call themselves Castleknock) is just as expensive as most South Dublin and the nice areas along the coast.
 
Cabra will be the new Stonybatter :)
At least the bit close to Phibsboro, Grangegorman and the Luas will be. Gentrification in action as we speak - just like Phibsboro itself over the last couple of decades. The far end is a bit different alright. Good schools nearby on the Navan Road too.
And Mary Lou has her "mansion" there on the old Cabra Road.;) Policing shouldn't be an issue.
 
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