I live in Portmarnock as well. I think tis a great spot for bringing up a family and things like that (if walking distance to schools). But living in an apartment in Station Road wouldn't appeal to me at all. Would much rather to be closer to things and closer to the city if I was young and worked in the city. The Dart is a pain, as it's just getting busier and busier. Also the absolute necessity of owning a car in that location is a negative in my eyes. The beach is a nice thing, but to be honest it's probably over-rated as an attraction, unless you enjoy driving down, parking there, and going for a powerwalk in the rain

Also the village is crap. It really is, and there's no good reason for it being so bad. Also the pub in the village is for old-folks. You have to travel to Malahide to get to a proper pub, and the only nightclub is Tomangos which grows old fairly quick (although its recent renovation is quite decent).
Portmarnock is a beautiful spot I must admit, but it's for families. And if I had a family I'd prefer to be closer to fields and schools (more central in portmarnock), and preferably live in a house(I know there is some duplexes)...