Hi Sherman,
Yep Ballygall Road is a pretty good spot. Plenty of shops, good bus routes and very near the Botanical Gardens which is a lovely place for a stroll.
Wadelai similarly has all the above a little further away from the Botanic Gardens but has the advantage of being very close to Albert College Park which is a gem of a facility. Has footie pitches, great place to bring the dog (see you there) and a relatively new playground which is excellent.
Close by to both you have DCU - you are 5 minutes from the M50, you are 10 mins from the OMNI centre if you don't want to go into town and because of the M50 you can hit the Blanch centre handily. You can be in the airport in 15 minutes.
You also have restos eg. The Washerwoman in Glasnevin, a good Indian, a thai, a chinese and a good Italian in Drumcondra. You also get to go to Tolka Park enery 2nd Friday to support the League Champions. Oh there a very nice cafe called Andersons which you should try on The Rise
(please don't park on my grass verges though
All in all a good deal to recommend the general area but as I said earlier I would be inclined to stay as close as possible to the Botanic Gardens end or alternatively in the direction of Griffith Ave. The closer you go the more prices would rise but if you pick up a place needing work it will pay dividends in the long run.
Best of luck
Roy