This is true about the road being isolated and few people walking on it, but in the 18 months that I have walked on that road very regularly I've had no reason to rethink the decision. From where I live I'd have no way of walking to a decent shop without using that road and have never even considered not using it.
Yes someone was shot in Cleary's but that does not make the whole area a no go area by any means. Someone was once shot in an apt block in Rathmines I lived in, right outside my apt but it doesn't mean the area should be avoided.
I did a lot of research into the area before buying there and heard all the scare stories etc but from people I know who live on that road and across from it in the CIE works estate all of them convinced me that the place was a good bet over all.
It's no Dalkey but then you're not going to get a house in Dalkey for €225,000 for very good reason. Quite frankly Inchicore wouldn’t have been my first choice. If I could have afforded to pay more I’d have chosen an area closer to town but given that prices are somewhat reasonable the area is not as bad as some people make it out to be, in fact I’ve come to like it more then I thought I would.
There is also a 4 bed house further up from Cleary's, about 3 mins walk, on the market at the moment for €950,000. Now tell me someone would be looking for that if the area was all that bad. It's technically Kilmainham at that stage but only just. I completely see why people might be cautious about the area but nothing has convinced me that it's as bad as sometimes made out.
I suppose when buying a house you've 3 variables money, size and location and when money is tight location becomes less of a variable, for a quick commute to the city for people on somewhat of a budget it got and gets my thumbs up. But other people are going to have different experiences wherever the location.