# Swords to Blackrock Commute



## gomadnadz (28 May 2006)

Just wondering if anyone makes this commute? Currently renting and working on Southside but considering the move. Anyone know how long it takes to get to Blackrock (for half eight) in the mornings? East link or west link?


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## bambino (28 May 2006)

about 40 mins, good train service, sp if you can get to Malahide for the DART.


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## mo3art (28 May 2006)

Unless you are going to travel by car outside of peak times I would only take the DART from Malahide.  In which case it's approx. 40mins from Malahide.  This is providing you manage to get yourself parking in Malahide or Portmarnock.  The good side is that you mainly get a seat at either end because you're travelling beyond the main business belt (Connolly Station to Lansdowne Rd).
Personally I wouldn't consider the bus service despite the QBC as it can become snarled during rush hour towards the M1/Port Tunnel.  However there is a 41X option which is an express bus directly from Swords to Belfield, which may suit your travel times.  It normally goes around the 7am mark - 3 or 4 services & then again in the evening around the 5pm mark.  The longest time of the commute will be spent between O'Connell Street & Leeson Street though!


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## CCOVICH (28 May 2006)

Parking in Portmarnock fills up at around 8.  I'd imagine Malahide is worse as the car park is smaller.

The 230 bus service links Swords to Malahide and Portmarnock, but I'm not sure of its reliability.  There are plans to merge the 102 and 230 services.

But if you want to get to Blackrock for 8.30, you would probably have to get the 7.17 DART from Portmarnock.  There is an Arrow at 7.33 that terminates in Pearse.  The next DART is 7.49.


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## mo3art (28 May 2006)

The 230 bus service is sporadic at best Ccovich I'm afraid.  I certainly wouldn't be counting on it.  Basically there are 2 buses to cope with the entire route so any delays at any point gives way to long waits at busstops & missed connections.

Completely agree with you in relation to the DART & parking at Malahide.  Although when I head for that DART there does seem to be a few spaces left in the yard.  The parking across the road at bridgefield (castle carpark) opens sometime after 8am though so there is more parking available.  It does close early in the evening.


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## thewatcher (28 May 2006)

gomadnadz said:
			
		

> Just wondering if anyone makes this commute? Currently renting and working on Southside but considering the move. Anyone know how long it takes to get to Blackrock (for half eight) in the mornings? East link or west link?


 
Unless you work shift i'd consider buying somewhere else or moving jobs before i'd undertake that commute by car !. 
As others have said,the train is about the only real option.


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## nai (29 May 2006)

I would disagree with the fact that train is the only commute - what about a motorbike ? i travel from swords to merrion sq every day by motorbike - on a really bad day (wet/windy and loads of traffic) it will take 35 minutes - normally it's less than 1/2 hour. so blackrock would probably be another 10/15 minutes from city centre and you don't have to worry about getting feeder buses/parking/delayed trains etc - just hop on and go - direct door to door. Also it doesn't cost near as much as petrol for car/monthly commuter ticket/parking etc.


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## CCOVICH (29 May 2006)

I didn't say that the train was the only option (I know that others have said so), and motorbike appears a viable option, I'd like to point out the following:


morning DARTs are very rarely delayed
if your employer participates in the taxsaver scheme, you can avail of very attractive tax and PRSI relief on the cost of an annual ticket


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## minion (29 May 2006)

I commute from Swords to Blackrock every morning now.  Even though Malahide is a different town Swords is still very close to the dart station there.  Where i lived in Bray was further from Bray Dart station than Swords Village is from Malahide Dart station - unbelievable.
In fact its faster than my commute from Bray to Sandyford used to be.
Heres what i do.
10 minute cycle to Malahide Dart station.
Trains leave about every 15 mins from Malahide.  
Train or combination of trains takes about 40 mins to Blackrock from Malahide.  I get the 7.30 arrow that leaves me at Connoly and then change to the dart.   Darts go about every 10 minutes or less at peak times from Connoly to Blackrock, so you wont be waiting around.

All in all less than an hour of commuting and the cycle along the estuary is a nice one.  Even when i get the next Dart i'm still in work before 8:30 am.
If you want to drive, i would drive to Portmarnock - about a 10 - 15 minute drive from Swords.  The car park doesnt seem to fill up at all before 10am.  Malahide carpark is full at 6:40am.  There are some spaces but the way other gob****es park you cant get your car into the few spaces left.


I wouldnt get the bus though 
Hope this helps you.


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## CCOVICH (29 May 2006)

minion said:
			
		

> The car park doesnt seem to fill up at all before 10am.


 
Wouldn't agree with this at all-when I get the 8.36 DART there are cars 'parked' on the grass verge outside the station car park and I see no evidence of spaces inside.


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## Lappy (29 May 2006)

minion said:
			
		

> If you want to drive, i would drive to Portmarnock - about a 10 - 15 minute drive from Swords. The car park doesnt seem to fill up at all before 10am.


 
I dunno when was the last time you were there but I pass Portmarnock dart station every morning and today I was nearly taken out by a car heading towards the station on Station Rd. as there's so many cars parked on the ditch that runs up to the car park. That's before 9am!


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## mortimer33 (29 May 2006)

I find that the car park in Portmarnock is usually quiet full at 8..I wouldn't fancy my chances of trying to find a spot after that time.Have been driving from Swords to Eastpoint lately (via Kinsealey & malahide Road) and I find it takes about 40 minutes (Leave home at 7:15). I would 'guess' that it would take another 20 minutes or so to get from Eastpoint to Blackrock if you go over the toll bridge..?? I stand to be corrected..


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## minion (29 May 2006)

Different car park 

There are actually 2 car parks to park in in Portmarnock that are very close to the Dart.  I've been instructed not to tell anyone by my colleague sitting here, so i wont, but they are not hard to find.  Its been a few months since i have driven rather than cycled though, so my info on parking might be outdated if they other car parks are common knowledge now.

I wouldnt drive from Swords to Blackrock though.  Rail is the best option.


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## CCOVICH (29 May 2006)

minion said:
			
		

> Different car park
> 
> There are actually 2 car parks to park in in Portmarnock that are very close to the Dart. I've been instructed not to tell anyone by my colleague sitting here, so i wont, but they are not hard to find.


 
If you are talking about parking in one of the private developments adjacent to the DART station, your car will be clamped. If it's another public car park your colleague is referring to, then fine. But your colleague (or anyone else) is in danger of being clamped if they park on private property.


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## minion (29 May 2006)

CCOVICH said:
			
		

> If you are talking about parking in one of the private developments adjacent to the DART station, your car will be clamped. If it's another public car park your colleague is referring to, then fine. But your colleague (or anyone else) is in danger of being clamped if they park on private property.



We know that, as i'm sure do 99% of the population.
Give people some credit and dont assume people are stupid


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## CCOVICH (29 May 2006)

I’m not assuming anything about your level of intelligence, and unless you name the car park in question, how am I meant to know where you are talking about without guessing?


If it’s not a private development, then I guess they could be referring to the Driving Range or the Church car park, and I’m nor sure that either of these are ‘public’.


And there have been plenty of stupid people who have parked in private estates adjacent to the DART only to find themselves clamped on their return.


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## Lappy (29 May 2006)

Leaving my apartment in Seabrook Manor on Sat I had a good laugh to myself looking at a clamped car in the car park in front of the electric gates...


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## gomadnadz (29 May 2006)

Thanks to all the replys, one last question; is it realistic to be doing the commute (thankfully only 8 months of the year for teachers!!) and most of all, worth it?


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## Lappy (30 May 2006)

I would be inclined to buy a moped/scooter if I were you.

The DART is just too unreliable, particularly on the Malahide line from my own experience. The gaps in train arrivals are far greater than the Howth line (even though Malahide/Portmarnock are the areas filling up with new people and far more new houses and apartments).

All it takes is for one person to throw themselves in front of a DART (it happens at least once a week from what I'm aware) and you'll be over 2 hours late.


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## CCOVICH (30 May 2006)

Lappy said:
			
		

> I would be inclined to buy a moped/scooter if I were you.
> 
> The DART is just too unreliable, particularly on the Malahide line from my own experience. The gaps in train arrivals are far greater than the Howth line (even though Malahide/Portmarnock are the areas filling up with new people and far more new houses and apartments).
> 
> All it takes is for one person to throw themselves in front of a DART (it happens at least once a week from what I'm aware) and you'll be over 2 hours late.



Portmarnock/Malahide has been gaining trains at the expense of Howth for the last few years now. 6 trains between Portmarnock and Connolly between 7am and 9am. The same number between Howth and Connolly.

The last part about attempted suicides is quite an exaggeration.  It does happen, but not with any great frequency.


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## minion (30 May 2006)

I have been doing this commute for the last 6 months or near enough and have never once been on a train that wasnt on time going to Blackrock.
Twice only have i been delayed coming home for about 20 mins both times because someone crashed into the Merrion gates.  A small pain, but sure i had my iPod.
As for the Dart suicide comment.  I think there was one suicide in the history of the Dart.
The train service is fantastic.
I wouldnt drive or bike it to blackrock at all.
The only reason to get a scooter is to get you to Malahide but you could cycle that easily.  The dart will still beat you in even if you travelled on a scooter all the way to Blackrock with no traffic.


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## Lappy (31 May 2006)

minion said:
			
		

> I think there was one suicide in the history of the Dart.


 
What!!??  

Only in the last 14 days did it happen again.

This post will be deleted if not edited immediately lads you must be on a different DART line to me cause I've never found a ************************* commute anywhere on them.


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## CCOVICH (31 May 2006)

Lappy said:
			
		

> What!!??
> 
> Only in the last 14 days did it happen again.
> 
> This post will be deleted if not edited immediately lads you must be on a different DART line to me cause I've never found a ************************* commute anywhere on them.


 
If you can show us some stats, or a report to back up the assertion, then well and good.  Or that it happens once a week.

DART services were suspended yesterday between 10 and 12-the one time I had ever gone for a 10.40 DART.  The cause was a bridge strike between Howth Junction and Malahide (at Moyne Road I suspect).  I don't think I've ever seen that before; Amiens St., Tara St. and Grand Canal, yes, but not that often.

And I haven't said that the commute is *************************-but it is nowhere near as unreliable as you are making out.


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## Lappy (31 May 2006)

I don't think IE provide stats on how many decide to take their own life by jumping in front of a train...

I do however have a friend who is a fire officer and only last week was giving out stink about the guards who took 40 minutes to arrive at the scene of someone who had jumped. That was in the last 14 days.

Anyway, the point has gone on so long now it's irrelevant at this stage, fact is, it happens.

I still would rather a moped to do that commute.

And the Howth line still has more trains and more frequently - have a look at the weekend times for Portmarnock to Tara, sometimes there's only one an hour, it's a sham and it's 100% Irish.

Try living in Sydney where you'll wait no more than about 10 minutes for a train AT ALL TIMES and obviously more frequent during busy times. Now that's a public service transport system that you CAN rely on to bring you to work day in, day out.


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## CCOVICH (31 May 2006)

As far as I know, teachers don’t work weekends, so train times on a Saturday aren’t exactly relevant for commuting purposes. There are more trains serving Howth at the weekends-fair enough. But it doesn’t change the fact that there are the same number of trains serving Howth and Portmarnock/Malahide at peak times Monday-Friday, which is when most people would be travelling to work.


And I don’t dispute that fact that someone tried to throw themselves in from of a train in the last 2 weeks-what I disagree with is your earlier assertion that “it happens once a week”. I have been using the DART for well over 4 years, the last 2 from Portmarnock, and have not experienced the kind of unreliability in the mornings that you seem to infer. The evenings can be bad, but maybe once a month.


If you favour a moped, that’s fine, I’m sure many would agree. I prefer the DART, and I don’t think there is any harm in getting the facts right as to its reliability when you have stated otherwise.


What is certainly not relevant is how things are in Sydney-there’s no way that it’s a quicker commute from there to Blackrock than it is from Swords. Any ranting about Irish transport issues can be saved for Letting off Steam, where it belongs.


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## Lappy (1 Jun 2006)

And just one more thing... 

How is it, if I stand at Landsdowne Rd at 4pm the next train going to Portmarnock doesn't arrive til nearly 4.50pm - in that time there will have been 3, maybe 4 trains to Howth.

You don't drive a DART at all CCOVICH do you?

I think my Sydney point is VERY valid, you'd swear the Irish transport system was state of the art reading some of your posts and from my experience in other countries, it's FAR from it.


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## CCOVICH (1 Jun 2006)

Lappy said:
			
		

> You don't drive a DART at all CCOVICH do you?


 
Yes, of course I do.  I'm typing this on my laptop as I drive.  I want to get as many people on the DART as possible because I'm paid based on the number of passengers I carry (no, wait, Bertie didn't fall for that one yet....).  I also work for a builder and Fingal County Council.

Do you work for a scooter manufacturer?  I mean, I presume that's the only reason that you're advising people to buy scooters, right?



			
				Lappy said:
			
		

> I think my Sydney point is VERY valid, you'd swear the Irish transport system was state of the art reading some of your posts and from my experience in other countries, it's FAR from it.


 
Like I said, take it up in _Letting Off Steam_.  Or just go back to Sydney.


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## Cahir (1 Jun 2006)

Lappy said:
			
		

> And just one more thing...
> 
> How is it, if I stand at Landsdowne Rd at 4pm the next train going to Portmarnock doesn't arrive til nearly 4.50pm - in that time there will have been 3, maybe 4 trains to Howth.




If you take the Howth Dart to Pearse at 4pm you can then get the 4.15 Drogheda train to Portmarnock.


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## CCOVICH (1 Jun 2006)

To the OP:

I'd be wary of moving right over to the other side of the city if you intend commuting to Blackrock long-term. That said, the Metro will eventually arrive in Swords, improving it's transport links no end I'd iamgine. 

At the moment, you have five options: car, scooter/motorbike, bus, DART or don't move to Swords.

The car is probably going to be the most painful. 

I don't know if the bus is much better-as someone said, you can get the 41X to UCD, but getting from there to Blackrock? The 17 is a joke AFAIK, but I'm not sure if the 46A is an option? Or I guess you could get the bus to town and DART from there?

Scooters/bikes-I have never used them. I'd say they are pretty convenient, but not for everyone.

The DART from Malahide or Portmarnock-I've said enough on that option. l better not say any more for fear of being accused of being the Minister for Transport.


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## Lappy (1 Jun 2006)

Cahir said:
			
		

> If you take the Howth Dart to Pearse at 4pm you can then get the 4.15 Drogheda train to Portmarnock.


 
Yeh, last time I did that I ended up in Malahide as the train decided not to bother stopping in Portmarnock and it cost me €10 in a taxi to go home.

CCOVICH - take a chill pill. If you did any of the jobs you mention you wouldn't be able to spend so much time posting on here so it's probably a good thing, depending on which way you look at it.


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## CCOVICH (1 Jun 2006)

Lappy said:
			
		

> CCOVICH - take a chill pill.


 
Winners don't do drugs.


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## Lappy (1 Jun 2006)

:d


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## addob (15 Jan 2007)

*Re: Free Parking in Blackrock*

I have a friend who is driving to Blackrock town centre for work and is looking for free parking. I know theres a street about a 10-15 minute walk away for the centre of town where theres no pay-and-display, does anyone know where this is?
Thanks!
PS driving is the only option as there's no bus or other transit routes from where she lives and Blackrock.


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