DonabatePortrane.net

Hi everyone,

I am considering purchasing a new home in Donabate (Semple Woods) and wanted to get some guidance from the people already living there.

To share my own observations first, there is a lot thay I like about the area. Proximity to Dublin city centre was one of the reasons why I started looking at Donabate, and the train line makes it seem as though it’s very accessible. The Swords Express also seems to travel quite swiftly into Dublin in the mornings, although I haven’t tried this yet. I also love the proximity to Newbridge demesne, Portrane and Donabate beaches and the cliff walk. So, altogether, there are a lot of positives.

From visiting though, there are also a few things niggling in my mind that have been reflected in some of the posts here. The traffic seems consistently busy going through the town. I always knew he village centre would be very small, and it is, but I was a little taken aback by the sheer extent of the developments around it. I didn’t expext such dense population around such a sparce village centre. Also, and this wipp sound very judgemental, but from observing many of the adults and children around I would have some questions as to the existence of anti-social behaviour. This is party because there seems to be a lot of young people living in an area without an awful lot to keep them occupied.

The above might seem very negative, but I really don’t intend it to be. There is a lot I really love about Donabate and could see myself living happily there for years to come. I’m also well aware that there is no perfect place to live. I just wanted to share these observations with locals and hopefully get alem feedback from people who know more about the area than I do.

Any advice/guidance/feedback is really appreciated!

I moved here in 2006 and there are pros and cons

Pros
- Natural amenities: Not as natural as it used to be and climate change and development have taken a toll. Donabate beach is really nice, Portane a bit unsightly now with the houses/gardens tumbling into the sea. Newbridge is really nice, and you've also got Malahide and Ardgillan close by, as well as the cliff walk, broadmeadow estuary etc
- Train: It's crowded, but it's a very good service compared to many. Buses not so great.
- House prices: The reason we moved here. They're 100K+ cheaper for the same thing in Malahide (and you probably won't be living close to Malahide unless you're lucky)
- Community: It's still true, that people here are usually friendly. Everyone is in the same boat i.e. a blow in. I grew up somewhere where you were an outsider if there weren't 3 generations born and bred.

Cons
- It's a commuter town, with a lot of young families. The village is too small for the size of the population, and it's weighted towards young families. Nothing here for young professionals really (don't know your circumstances). There are some fledgling clubs, the Supervalu isn't as bad as everyone says, it has some interesting shops (a bakery, the farm shop at Jones, scrumdiddlys) and some bad ones too.
- Future development: I really do wonder about the extend of development without services to match. They're coming, but on what timescale we don't know.

On the fence
- Traffic: Was a major pain, should be better with the new road opening? Too early to tell.
- Anti social behaviour?: If you read this forum, you'd think it was like something of Mad Max every night. Yes there is some, but there is some of this going on everywhere. There isn't anywhere in Donabate I'd be scared to walk at night.

I’ve lived both south side and Northside.

The biggest difference between the two is infrastructure and community influence.

South side has everything -
Dart all the way to Greystones, Luas. Great street lighting. Good roads.

If south-siders object to anything, they get listened to.

This of course is because all the political, public sector and business influencers live there.

However, lack of facilities aside, Donabate is the best option in north county for potential and current natural amenities. Very happy to have moved here.

Thanks very much both for sharing your views. You’ve set out pretty much what I was thinking of the area but it’s nice to hear the thoughts of people who actually know.

It would be nice if there were a few more amenities in the town for adults, but Malahide and Dublin are short rides away, so I don’t think I’d feel too bereft. It still strikes me as odd though as I originally come from a much smalled country town with a much larger town centre. The natural amenities are a massive plus though and shouldn’t be underappreciated.

Thanks also for your views on my antisocial behaviour question. I agree that message boards often make these things out to be much more pervasive than they are, which is unfortunate because that’s the kind of stuff that gets stuck in people’s heads. No one feels the same need to share stories of their nice but otherwise uneventful day.

Lots of great things about Donabate. Really there are so many.
People are great. Genuine sense of community.
Anti-social behaviour is probably much less than you would see elsewhere. There will always be parents everywhere who don't really care about what their kids do, or aren't able to parent them, but i feel that currently this is confined to a small few in Donabate. Kids hanging around outside Supervalue doesnt amount to anti social behaviour in my opinion. For the mostpart when you walk past these kids you tend to know a lot of them and they say hello etc.

On the downside, the village isnt built for the population we have and most definately not for the population we will have in a few years. there is talk of the population doubling over the next 10 years or so.
trains are crammed in the morning time and pretty crammed in the evening.
roads are busy, very busy and will just get busier over the next few years. the new distributor road is to allow thousands more homes to be built.

with little to no infrastructure planned and a doubling of the population, it is my opinion that this town will become a hive of anti social behaviour in the next 10 to 15 years. It's just my opinion but it based on what we have seen down through the years in many many parts of Dublin. Obviously I want to be proved wrong.

i feel that the council really dont care about us. I feel they were given orders by government to build X thousand housing units, and they seem to be putting a large percentage of them out in donabate. i'd love to know the % actually compared to the rest of fingal County Council.

all the house building is well and good IF we had roads, shops, creches etc. But we esentially have 1 way in and out of the town.

so right now, yes Donabate is great. I love it.
In 10 to 15 years time I'm not so sure.

If i was starting a family again and looking for a place to buy, then it wouldnt be in Donabate.

Just wondering what activities matsugawa requires for young professionals. Sports clubs non fledgling 5 golf courses , hockey gaa and soccer with fabulous facilities, a running track being built shortly. Tennis club and community centre with gym. For non sporting drama society , irish music ceoltas group im sure theres a lot more groups. Ok pubs and restaurants might not be great . There is no casino but we have 2 bookies. Just curious what would be an addition for young professionals.

There are worse places you could live than in Donabate but ultimately what you are getting is a combination of the worst aspects of urban living (overcrowding, traffic jams, public transport that is barely useable as it is too full, pollution, criminality, antisocial behaviour) with the worst aspects of rural living (lack of facilities, isolation, lack of proper public transport).

I have enjoyed living in Donabate but if I had the choice again, I wouldn't move here. The worst part is that the population is going to increase from 10,000 to 30,000 with no additional facilities or any increase in public transport going in.

Living here is just about bearable now but it won't be in 5 to 10 years.

Hi Nemo

I had the same worries 2 years ago and posed similar questions. Have we regretted buying here? Absolutely not. viewtopic.php?t=2684

People on this forum saying its "just bearable" either havent lived in other parts of Dub or over exaggerating due to recent frustrations.

I think reading this forum made me anxious and in my opinion unnecessarily. Improvements need to be made but this is similar to other areas. I'd take the Donabate train ahead of the Green/Red Luas or Dart anyday if given the choice.

The Community is great & like everything you get what you put in. People are friendly & it was the best decision we made moving here. Good luck with your choice but I think its a no brainer.

I've only witness minor anti social acts - just kids being (slightly bad) kids.

The train isn't that bad. I've worked in Blackrock, and never had any issues with it. My partner works in Swords and had an easy commute on the 33B. Frequency is a bit of a pain off peak, but I'd say that'll improve.

It's a pretty little town with a lot of nice people & great sense of community.

I also had fears from reading here before I bought, but have no regrets

patsman wrote: ↑10 Mar 2020, 00:08 Just wondering what activities matsugawa requires for young professionals. Sports clubs non fledgling 5 golf courses , hockey gaa and soccer with fabulous facilities, a running track being built shortly. Tennis club and community centre with gym. For non sporting drama society , irish music ceoltas group im sure theres a lot more groups. Ok pubs and restaurants might not be great . There is no casino but we have 2 bookies. Just curious what would be an addition for young professionals.

Eh, somewhere to spend their money or hang out in Donabate that isn’t a bookies or a pub? That’s what’s missing. You agree that the pubs and restaurants are not great - which I think is an understatement . I agree there are lots of sports clubs. Donabate is a great place if you like golf. Agree on that.

Now why don’t you go pick on all the Donabate-hating trolls below who can’t wait to get out of this supposed kip? I was trying to be balanced.

Op I wouldn't take anything said here as a balanced representation of the area. It's the same small group of posters saying the same negative things over and over that post in every thread.

Hi. We have lived here permanently for 30 odd years and to be honest we wouldn't move anywhere else. There are always positives and negatives about any area that you may decide to move to.
The people are great. And don't forget our superb local library and our Secodary school which we eventually got after much effort from our elder population. I would say go for it and enjoy your life here.

Zo123 wrote: ↑11 Mar 2020, 10:05 Op I wouldn't take anything said here as a balanced representation of the area. It's the same small group of posters saying the same negative things over and over that post in every thread.

yes OP because people are only allowed to say positive things about everything. Some people don't want to hear anything negative or anything that goes against their own opinion.

I personally think my own post was balanced.
Lots of positives about the area, particularly the people, but negatives coming down the line too in relation to overdevlopment and infrastructure. If the infrastructural issues were to be addressed then brilliant. But that's unlikely.

The only thing that might actually change all of this is there may be a worldwide recession unfortunately due to Corona Virus which will impact development anyway.

The OP needs to have everyones opinions so they can use it to help form their own opinion.

aoifey wrote: ↑11 Mar 2020, 12:20

Zo123 wrote: ↑11 Mar 2020, 10:05 Op I wouldn't take anything said here as a balanced representation of the area. It's the same small group of posters saying the same negative things over and over that post in every thread.

I personally think my own post was balanced.

You are totally deluded if you think your post was balanced. The first 2 sentences were positive. 90% of it was not. But keep on doing what you do.

Zo123 wrote: ↑11 Mar 2020, 13:24
You are totally deluded if you think your post was balanced. The first 2 sentences were positive. 90% of it was not. But keep on doing what you do.

My post said the following:

Lots of great things about Donabate. Really there are so many.
People are great. Genuine sense of community.

The words 'lots' and 'so many' indicate exactly that. I didnt feel the need to list everything in the post.

I elaborated on one negative, namely 'Infrastructure'.
It is absolutely a valid point to make/concern. if you think we have sufficient infrastructure then I would suggest it is in fact you that is deluded. We don't have enough infrastructure for now, let along when the population doubles. That's really not all that hard to understand and I have no doubt that 95%+ of people living in Donabate would agree with that.

I also said I love living in Donabate. Again not negative. I pointed out however that my concerns are for the future.

I did say that if I was starting out again I would not choose Donabate based on what the place may become. Of course it may continue to be a wonderful place to live, but only if Infrastructure is addressed. Many people are happy to take that risk when buying a new home.

The OP asked for opinions. I gave mine.

You are easily the most negative person in this forum. Maybe you should think of another outlet for your frustrations other than spamming this place. I'm not going to get into it any further. Good luck.

Zo123 wrote: ↑11 Mar 2020, 14:49 You are easily the most negative person in this forum. Maybe you should think of another outlet for your frustrations other than spamming this place. I'm not going to get into it any further. Good luck.

if you don't want to hear facts or opinions then maybe its best to stay offline.

i wonder why it is that you don't want to hear anything negative about the area?
What frustrations? I'm not a sheep. I don't accept everything I have been told by vested interests simply because they want to keep building in an area without the proper infrastructure.

If that's negative then so be it. But it's the truth.
Talk to anyone from Donabate offline and you'll get the same opinion as me for the mostpart. In fact I have yet to talk to anyone in the area that is happy with the infrastructure.

I'm a glass half full person, but I will point out failings in order to try to get things done. Better than sitting in silence and pretending everything is great!

Can we please stay on topic and avoid personal bickering.

Thanks everyone for your opinions, especially the relatively new arrivals as your situation will most reflect our own.

Clealy there are very differing opinions here but overall my concerns have largely been mitigated. Most of the dissatisfaction appears to be from people who are well-established in the and see the changes that are happening as making things worse. In a way, I’m might be in a better position in that I don’t any better. I only know the area now.

That being said, I agree with the infrastructure comments. Even when I first viewed Semple Woods, it struck me as nuts that such a large estate exited onto such a narrow road right at the entrance to the village (and contains a rise blocking your view of traffic coming from the left!). I also agree with the previous poster that it would be nice to have more amenities for adults (I might join a sports club, but have no interest in bookies and pubs - cafes, restaurants, swimming pool or cinema would be perfect).

All that being said, the pros outweigh the cons for me and I look forward to getting to know people in the area. If the worst does come to pass for Donabate as some have predicted (I’ll remain naievely optimistic that with people come services in time), then nothing is forever and we can always make different choices then.

Thanks again all, looking forward to the move!

Nemo wrote: ↑12 Mar 2020, 00:23 Thanks everyone for your opinions, especially the relatively new arrivals as your situation will most reflect our own.

Clealy there are very differing opinions here but overall my concerns have largely been mitigated. Most of the dissatisfaction appears to be from people who are well-established in the and see the changes that are happening as making things worse. In a way, I’m might be in a better position in that I don’t any better. I only know the area now.

That being said, I agree with the infrastructure comments. Even when I first viewed Semple Woods, it struck me as nuts that such a large estate exited onto such a narrow road right at the entrance to the village (and contains a rise blocking your view of traffic coming from the left!). I also agree with the previous poster that it would be nice to have more amenities for adults (I might join a sports club, but have no interest in bookies and pubs - cafes, restaurants, swimming pool or cinema would be perfect).

All that being said, the pros outweigh the cons for me and I look forward to getting to know people in the area. If the worst does come to pass for Donabate as some have predicted (I’ll remain naievely optimistic that with people come services in time), then nothing is forever and we can always make different choices then.

Thanks again all, looking forward to the move!

As a couple who are also moving to the village in the near future your post is very similar to the way we feel about Donabate and we too are looking forward to our move

Welcome to you all.

aoifey wrote: ↑09 Mar 2020, 09:49 it is my opinion that this town will become a hive of anti social behaviour in the next 10 to 15 years. It's just my opinion but it based on what we have seen down through the years in many many parts of Dublin....

...If i was starting a family again and looking for a place to buy, then it wouldnt be in Donabate.

This is clearly hyperbole.

I've been here since 2006 having moved here from a nearby town. Before that I spent most summers coming to the beach and Newbridge House.

I've recently moved into a new development again in Donabate - my neighbours are lawyers, accountants, tech people, medical professionals. Most people are suited and booted in the mornings and head off to their employment early each morning.

I wouldn't hesitate in speculating that most people who live here, or have moved here, will not start families which will spawn anti-social behaviour.

Anti-social behaviour is inevitable everywhere, but the scale of it in Donabate will remain low.

The sports clubs in the area are a great outlet and very popular. The schools perform very well by all accounts.

Maybe if you're that concerned, you could consider moving now to preempt the inevitable doom that you believe is coming. Safest option surely.

Donabate is a great place. Couldn't recommend it enough!

I'd share aoifey's concerns about the amount of development happening and, in particular, the levels of that development that are likely to end up as social housing. I've nothing against social housing in principle but FCC are taking the piss in terms of the percentage being allocated as social in these new estate. At the purported 10% of any development you're unlikely to get more than one bad apple in an estate, with 30% you're likely to get a couple of them and that's all that's needed to ruin an otherwise lovely estate.

That said, we moved in to Portrane nearly 3 years ago and prior to that we lived in what would be considered one of the most desirable locations in North Dublin for 7 years: Clontarf. We'd miss the convenience of more regular public transport, cheaper taxis back out of the city on a night out and the range of take-aways but in all other ways I can think of I think we prefer living here in Portrane.