Lucan?

Hi Jules and Dave,
I've lived in lucan all my life, I would recommend it but definately St Marys parish if at all possible, just from having a look online there are one or two 3beds that may come under your budget, I'd recommend Hermitage or Ballyowen. They are on both the 25a and 66/67 bus routes and have already been through the worst of the traffic by the time you get on. If you get an express bus at Woodies (close to both estates) its pretty much a bus lane all the way into town. These estates are also close enough to walk to school, and near Liffey valley, Superquinn and Eurospar shopping centres. I always loved living in lucan, there are plenty of amenities and things to do, loads of classes and activities for kids. There the pubs are nice especially Courtneys in the village and do nice food. The nitelink service is good at the weekends and only €4, a taxi would be between 20 and 30 depending on the estate.. I have recently moved out of home and have found the buses to be slower into town despite being closer because there are not as many bus lanes.
 
Midsummer said:
Oh and we're probably not allowed to talk politics - but guess which party we have to thank for that !!
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When it came to corruption in Lucan there were very few innocent parties - trust me! Much as I loathe the party I assume you are referring to, they certainly weren't alone out here (see tribunals).
 
Hi Jules and Dave,

My wife and I bought in Fforestor (Ballydowd Manor) back in 2001 and we lived there for 3 years. The chronic traffic problems and general lack of a soul to the place were the main reasons we left. One poster has already alluded to the fact that nobody living there will tell you the whole truth about the traffic. I had to drive to bray everyday, when I started I could leave at 7;30 but by 2004 if I wasn't gone by 7 it would take me anything up to 45 minutes just to get from my house to down onto the m50. Coming home in the evenings at the end was a minimum of 90 mins but if there was an accident or anything - forget about it. I know you do not plan initially to use the m50 but that may change and you should be aware of it. I still have friends who live there and they say that nothing much has changed on the traffic front.

It is no place to bring up children. A friend of mine recently moved from Castle Riada to just outside Newbridge as he couldn't get his kids into a good school.

You are on the doorstep of Liffey Valley which is a good thing, but some of the scum that live around the back of that place are also on your doorstep. We were broken into in 2004 and that finished us off with the place altogether.

On a positive side the house itself was very well built and we never had a single problem with it. But, for us, that was where the positive side ended.

As regards pub etc, the Penny Hill is a dump, a soul-less dump. The Lord Lucan isn't any better. Courtneys is a decent spot but will set you back at least a €10 in a cab to get to 'new' lucan afterwards.

And before the Lucan 'Police' jump down my throat that was my experience and I'm afraid I couldn't recommend Lucan to anyone
 
Sangster said:
And before the Lucan 'Police' jump down my throat that was my experience and I'm afraid I couldn't recommend Lucan to anyone
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Sangster, I have heard countless people talk of the same experience as your own in Lucan. At least you're honest, which is a lot more useful to the OP than some of the other posts in this thread that sound like estate agent-speak. Reminds me of the ad only a year or two ago for a new development in Lucan: "Only half an hour from Grafton Street"! As my beloved said: "What? By helicopter?"
 
Sainttoff said:
right Nodser!

We have 2 golf courses, liffey valley, lidl, aldi, two big parks, tennis courts, astro pitch with another 2 on the way, running track, skate boarding area, gaa pitches and soccer pitches in the park. gyms, hair dressers, medical centre, bookies, finnstown hotel which has a nice restaurant, another 2 pubs, cinema in liffey valley, centra, superquinn, library, good bus service.

Any answer to these?
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You forgot to mention a few chippers !!!

2 big parks - are you for real ? Go have a look at Marlay/Phoenix and come back to us.
 
Sainttoff said:
right Nodser!

We have 2 golf courses, liffey valley, lidl, aldi, two big parks, tennis courts, astro pitch with another 2 on the way, running track, skate boarding area, gaa pitches and soccer pitches in the park. gyms, hair dressers, medical centre, bookies, finnstown hotel which has a nice restaurant, another 2 pubs, cinema in liffey valley, centra, superquinn, library, good bus service.

Any answer to these?
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You forgot to mention a few chippers !!!

2 big parks - are you for real ? Go have a look at Marlay/Phoenix and come back to us.
 
This thread will go nowhere near helping the OP if previous posters continue arguing as to whether there is or there is not enough facilities in Lucan, if the traffic is good or bad, etc.....This is a matter of opinion and everybody has different expectations.

No matter how you looks at it, traffic at rush hours is bad on any of the radial roads crossing the M50 (from M1 to N11).... IMO, N7 being far worth than N4 than to Newlands cross.
There is a good public & private transport to go from Lucan to City Centre. The problem is that people will not consider this option until the bus pick them up at their door step when they want to be dropped at their desk, via shop to grab a coffee!!! Could you imagine having to walk few minutes in the cold morning to get the bus??? better to sit in a car and moan about the traffic.:mad:

Anyway, can the people making swipping statement on how bad Lucan is, enlight us and recommend where the OP should buy for €350k and why?
 
bacchus said:
This thread will go nowhere near helping the OP if previous posters continue arguing as to whether.....
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It'll go nowhere if the OP is given misleading information about Lucan's traffic problem/school places/facilities! The argument that everywhere has traffic issues is pointless - we know that, Lucan's is just beyond everywhere else, as I know from experience. Surely the important thing here is to given the OP honest and accurate advice and information?

As for recommending elsewhere, I've already asked, on the OP's behalf, for more information about Maynooth. If you are going to choose to live in west Dublin/Kildare then picking a location near to a train station (not Adamstown - see above) should be worth considering.
 
Well I have been reading this thread with interest, so I registered on the site to post my first post ever!

There is a lot of shouting going on here in this thread, some people seem to think the more times you reply and the more "!!!!" you use will mean their opinions are believed over others.

Well I'll give you my opinion on Lucan. I used to live there for just over 4 years, recently moved out to a place in Kildare. I really would recommend it as nice place to live. I would say that with regards to the older parts of Lucan e.g. St Marys Parish. I dont particualary like the newer parts, it just looks very new and bleak to an extent.

Traffic wise, it is the same as anywhere else, its crap at rush hour trying to get up to the M50 roundabout due to the slow N4. I used to live in Fairview, the traffic was crap there too at peak times. Even last week driving into Naas on a sunday afternoon had bad traffic, so Lucan is the same.

However, anyone with a bit of foresight can see that the new M50 roundabout will make a big difference as it will be free-flowing. But that may just push the traffic jam up to Kilmainham. However, if you are not a lazy fecker like myself you could walk to the Bus stop and get into town in about 45 mins. Normally leaving the house at 8am I would be on Baggot st by 9am. 60 mins was the average for the commute. Tuesdays always seemed to be the worst days though for some reason.

One thing I really liked about Lucan was the low level of anti-social behaviour as its termed. I also used to live in Inchicore, well lets just say they are 2 different worlds. I felt safe out walking and running around Lucan in the evenings along with the other people doing the same thing. I used to enjoy sitting out the back garden reading a book, as I was in a cul de sac it was a very quite area. Yeah i also heard of a neighbours house being broken into once over the years, is that really a big suprise? Thousands of houses are broken into yearly, it's unfortunate but it happens.

My neighbours were nice and it was a nice estate, mostly families.

I had the Liffey Valley gym about a 10 min drive away, for 450 a year its a great facility with a 25m pool and a big Gym. Getting into and out of town via a taxi or the nightlink meant I still had a social life too whenever I wanted one.

Lucan is a good place to live, choose the older parts I'd say. For reasonable prices you'll get a decent 3 bed semi. Good Luck!
 
Welcome to AAM.
This is a great first post, and would share the same experience as yourself. IMO, people (incl. myself!) tend to get defensive about where they live. And, sure, where they live is the best place until they move, everywhere else is not as good (assuming comparing like for like) or "hell" as posted in some other threads. They live where they live because it ticks all their boxes, and one is to accept that others may have different needs/criteria when choosing a location.

Difference between Lucan and Maynooth?
IMO, there is not much difference, simply matters of opinion.
Geographicaly, Maynooth is 25kms from city centre while Lucan is 13kms, which makes a big difference to somebody using taxis often. Traffic wise, Maynooth drivers will hit Lucan traffic (or N4-M50) as some stage when driving East, so not much there IMO. Both have the advantage of giving equal access to North and South Dublin county. Access to the airport is quick (important for me - It never takes me more than 40min to go to airport on weekdays 5pm,e.g. rush hour).


Blueberry08,
What facilities is missing in Lucan that is not missing in any other town on the commuter belt?
 
When it came to corruption in Lucan there were very few innocent parties - trust me! Much as I loathe the party I assume you are referring to, they certainly weren't alone out here (see tribunals).
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I know but we know who the main culprit was...

One thing I really liked about Lucan was the low level of anti-social behaviour as its termed.
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I agree with this - we haven't had any problems in 10 years... (touch wood).

I had to drive to bray everyday, when I started I could leave at 7;30 but by 2004 if I wasn't gone by 7 it would take me anything up to 45 minutes just to get from my house to down onto the m50.
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I really sympathise here but Bray is a very long commute anyway even without traffic.
 
Well the lucan debate continues.

I would just like to point out that I don't have a rose tinted view of Lucan, I moved here in July and if I didn't like the place then I would say it. I am originally from Templeogue, a very sought after area. My experience of Lucan is that it has more ammenities for me than Templeogue and the traffic is way better. I used to get the bus to work in Templeogue, would take at least 1 hour, the bus I get now takes 40mins max to take me to the same destination. People are losing sight of the fact that the op's budget is 350. Somebody on here mentioned marley and pheonix park in comparison to the parks in Lucan. Could these people please get a grip on reality. Where on earth beside marley can you buy a 3 bed house in a good estate for 350k? I lived in Clonee for a year and I hated it so I moved, I don't have any reason to say that lucan is great if its not. It is in general a lovely place to live. Another posted recommended either Ballyfermot :)confused:) or Maynooth for the poster to buy in instead of Lucan. I have a friend who bought in Maynooth because she couldn't afford the house she wanted at the time in Lucan. I would still see Lucan as being superior to Maynooth (although I am sure it is also very nice and the people who live there are happy etc - don't want to start a Lucan v Maynooth debate) and I wouldn't even consider Ballyfermot, the person who suggested that was not helping the op in any way.....

The op's husband has to travel to the city centre for work so that is a factor for them. The fact of the matter is I do this every day. I either get the mortons bus, 25a or 25x from where I live (Esker) at around 8am every day and I get off the bus on Pearse street at 8.40. That is a fact. I'm never late for work. I usually get the mortons bus home in the evening. One person mentioned a commute to Bray. Surely Lucan to Bray is a fair aul journey even if there was no other traffic on the road! I get the bus at 5.30 and I am in my house by 6.15, earlier if the kids are off school. If the op buys in St. Marys I believe she has a good choice of schools, if this is incorrect feel free to point that out.

I would not recommend the op to buy up near the Penny Hill and beyond... but I'm not going to make a big song and dance about those areas being godforsaken hell holes (as was mentioned on here before)etc because its really not necessary.

Also, I would just like to point out that myself and himself could now buy in Templeogue if we wished, we are not in Lucan because this is all we can afford. We choose to stay here. We have a relatively low mortgage, a great house (one of the biggest 3 beds I've ever been in), the commute to work is great. Our neighbours our lovely and have been in the estate since the houses were built about 15 years ago. I feel that we have a great quality of life living here, if only people would stop dissing the area :)

Best of luck Jules and Dave!
 
I had to get out of lucan because the traffic is a nightmare.Even on saturday and sundays you will be stuck in your car going up to the local shop.Theres a couple of parks for kids ans thats all.Most of the houses are rented out to foreign nationals.
 
deedee80 said:
Where on earth beside marley can you buy a 3 bed house in a good estate for 350k?
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Whitechurch is one, right beside Marlay Park.
I leave it to the readers decide it is a "good" estate or not, as this is a subjective notion IMO.
 
bacchusRe: Lucan?
Quote:
Originally Posted by deedee80 http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=579501#post579501
Where on earth beside marley can you buy a 3 bed house in a good estate for 350k?

Whitechurch is one, right beside Marlay Park.
I feel it to the readers decide it is a "good" estate or not, as this is a subjective notion IMO.
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Well I know where I'd be picking to spend my 350k......... but I'm sure there are plenty of posts on here for the op to check on Whitechurch
 
BlueBerry answer this;


Whats bus goes by Finnstown that is too packed to get on in the morning? Its the 4th stop for the 25x coming on griffen avenue and third stop for 25a.

Also i get the 25x into town every morning and it takes jsut under a hour to get to ballsbridge/Baggot st on it/


So either your friends are getting a 25a into town which is a bit stupid considering the 25x runs every ten mins or just telling some little lies!!

And to prove your talking rubbish, get on the 25x some day and you see for yourself.
 
People will give out about traffic no matter where you live. Fact is lucan traffic is not half as bad as other parts of dublin. I lived in milltown in Dublin before i moved to lucan. It used to take me over an hour to get from milltown to city centre in the morning rush hour and thats only 6k away!

Most areas around Milltown have all the same traffic problems that is worst that lucan.

But for some one to say it takes an hour from south lucan to the m50 and another hour to town is wrong, and i am willing to take any bet off these people that say that and drive them from finnstown to town, and it be under the two hours someone said!
 
you are in denial about traffic in lucan.Its a nightmare and thats why i moved.If i wasnt out of the house before seven to get onto the m50 i would be 45mins getting on to it and i lived in esker meadow.Even on saturday and sundays it would be bad going up to the local shop where the pennyhill is and it would take you 30mins to get out of car park after 5.
 
I would have to agree that Lucan is the worst traffic blackspot in Dublin. It has it's good points, a lovely village being one of them, but the traffic problems detract greatly from any enjoyment to be taken from living there.

We moved house last year and looked all around Lucan while house hunting. There is no doubt that "New Lucan" is high-density and maze like and appears soulless as you drive around it. I'm sure the situation is somewhat different if you live there as getting to know people changes your view of an area.

I am also a frequent visitor to Laraghcon as we have close family and friends living there. I have observed the traffic situation for our family members deteriorate from a nuisance, to a struggle, to a major hurdle to be overcome every day. Since the road opened up outside their estate their enjoyment of daily living is serverely compromised.

I am sure there are many good points about living in Lucan and it is true to say that everywhere in Dublin has traffic problems to some extent.

However, it is also true to say that I have not and do not hear so much time devoted to conversations about traffic (mainly expletives..) as I do in Lucan households.
 
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no one is denying there is traffic in lucan. however there is no way it takes 2 hours to get to town or 30 mins to get to local shops. I drive to lidl beside penny hill every weekend on a saturday or sunday and have never had any problems with traffic.
if it did take me 30 mins to get to local shops then I don't think I'd be living there any more. Maybe I'm just lucky but I've never had problems like that.....
 
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