Moving to Dublin - location advice please!

[NotThatKindOfDoctor]

I’ve started a job in Dublin but am currently splitting working from home with a couple of days in the office - only problem is that at the moment, home is France!

Finding a house has been difficult to say the least, but we have a virtual viewing for a place in Rathfarnham tomorrow and I’d love to know if anyone knows anything about the area?

It’s specifically on Marian Road.

Our kids will (hopefully) be going to the Lycée Français d’Irlande in Foxrock (we’ve a place for our 7 year old already and will hear about places for our 11 and 13 year olds at the end of January) so we don’t want to be too far from the school (I’m working in Dublin 1 but after commuting from France anything will be easier 😂)

My main question then is whether Rathfarnham, specifically Marian Road area, is nice for families?

And which other areas could you recommend which are commutable to the lycée?

Thanks so much for you help, the anxiety at the moment is REAL!

I hope your employer is covering your school fees - those are eye-watering, if you will have three attending. If you are set on the Lycee, you really need to ensure you are on a transport link for the older children to get home easily. If you in look at Rathfarnhsm, Clonskeagh, Blackrock, and Dublin 1, these are not mutually helpful choices in terms of transport links.

Is it a permanent post?

@Sweetmotherofallthatisholyabov You're right, I hadn't realised that the primary school was in Foxrock and the secondary school in Clonskeagh.

The swathe of South Dublin from Rathfarnham to Foxrock has some of the more expensive rental prices in the city. It's a 12km commute to the school and it would be travelling on some of the busier roads in south Dublin.

@Janeandjohnny

Probably not what you want to hear and I realise your school is already set up etc but......Dublin is a pretty awful place to live even in those areas. Everyone I know with kids is trying to leave. Crime, homelessness, social deprivation, poor transport. Im sure you have researched well but its gonna be a hell of a change from France. My last friend who moved from France to Dublin with her kids and has just gone back to France.

Complete nonsense.

@Janeandjohnny

Probably not what you want to hear and I realise your school is already set up etc but......Dublin is a pretty awful place to live even in those areas. Everyone I know with kids is trying to leave. Crime, homelessness, social deprivation, poor transport. Im sure you have researched well but its gonna be a hell of a change from France. My last friend who moved from France to Dublin with her kids and has just gone back to France.

Nobody that I know with kids is trying to leave. We moved here from London and it's far better for kids, although I still miss London even after a decade.

Housing is a huge problem because the population has been growing quite rapidly. Traffic is also a huge issue and it would be a bit of a slog from Rathfarnam to the far side of Foxrock. Plus it seems that they move to the German School campus in Clonskeagh in secondary school so you're going to have quite a few years of two different direction slogs. However, houses are being built like mad and you are renting so it's perfectly possible that something much better will come up in three or four years and you can stick it out for a while.

The definite bad thing about Dublin is affordable renting, general expenses and commuting are huge headache.

Rathfarnam to Foxrock would just be a nightmare. Then if your older children get into the school it'll be via Clonskeagh, which might involve going through Dundrum. It's about 20 maybe 30 mins in normal traffic. Doing it in morning traffic 😲.(the main run through both Dundrum and Clonskeagh are dreadful at rush hour.)

Can we presume your budget is a generous on if you're putting your four into fee paying schools?

I would suggested checking (in the morning when you'dbe doing the school run) the route on Google maps from where ever you a viewing.

Living in Dublin is expensive, that’s for sure. But it is a nice place to raise a family, especially the areas you are looking at. The social problem that PP mentioned happen in all big cities. Not really in the leafy suburbs, though...

The French Lycee primary is in Foxrock - the same block as both Hollypark Boys and Hollypark Girls NSs. So it is traffic chaos for school drop off and collection time with all 3 schools along a narrow residential road.

Your DH will be going the right way in the mornings on the informal 1 way system to go from Foxrock side to drop them and continue towards Blackrock if the plan for a studio works out, but he will have to go back to Foxrock again and double back on himself in the evenings. (There are parents who insist on going the "wrong way", but with cars parked on both sides of the road there is only 1 lane of traffic fits through and not enough gaps at driveways for everyone to pull in).

13 year old will likely be secondary school - I don't know where the french secondary is (I think the St Kilian German school is the one in Clonskeagh).

Dublin is good but there is a shortage of rental property here at the minute. Public transport is ok and improving, but there is a period of chaos as the bus network changes (look at Bus Connects project for info). I don't think there are direct buses between Rathfarnham and Foxrock. Generally, there are buses along spines from the edges of the city into the city centre, like a bicycle, and not that many joining up those spines. The 75 route does join across, from Dun Laoghaire passing Foxrock but not as far as Rathfarnham - Dundrum (meets Luas line) and on to Tallaght - and it is not that frequent a bus and takes a long time.

Cycling routes are improving all across the city.

But traffic is a problem for cars - and certainly a major problem for getting into or across the city centre.

If you are coming in by air to do your days in the office currently, and hopping on a bus/into taxi from airport to D1, you probably don't really get a sense of the city. If you can, I would take an extra day or much later flight one of those trips to take some time to get a feel for it and how long it takes to get around.

But yes, Dublin is lovely in lots of parts and like any city in others.

Nobody that I know with kids is trying to leave. We moved here from London and it's far better for kids, although I still miss London even after a decade

Exactly this!

Dublin is expensive compared to Dublin previously. It’s an absolute bargain compared to london and other big cities. Although the amenities are not comparable.

@BiddyPop - The middle and secondary Lycee is on the same campus as Killian's in Clonskeagh. Think it's called the "International campus".

Rathfarnham to Foxrock commute would be difficult.
The traffic at the moment is a nightmare.
At all hours.
I think less people are using public transport because of Covid and using their cars.
Sandyford, Leopardstown, Carrickmines, Deansgrange, Blackrock, Stillorgan, Monkstown and Dun Laoghaire would make more sense than Rathfarnham if your dc will be going to school in Foxrock.

That commute would be horrific for the kids and your DH. I’d definitely look at some of the other areas mentioned or reconsider the school.
Rathfarnham is nice. Lots of amenities nearby.

Obviously Janeandjohnny doesn’t like Dublin, different cities appeal to different people. Dublin is expensive, but a great city once you get sorted for housing. Lots of amenities, green spaces, friendly people.

Dublin is a pretty awful place to live even in those areas. Everyone I know with kids is trying to leave.
Can't disagree more!! People live in a very relaxed (albeit they must be stressed financially!!!) cocooned little bubble! Great amenities, low crime etc. You're thinking city centre, totally different ball game in the places the op mentioned!!!

@NotThatKindOfDoctor
Listening to a podcast of Liveline ( RTE Radio 1 ) there was one on a book on how Ireland is doing at 100 years old ( since partition ).
The book is called In Fact An Optimists Guide to Ireland at 100 hy Mark Henry.
It was really interesting. The programme was very positive and the book is full of information on the good things about Ireland.
I'm going to buy it.
The podcast is well worth a listen - so many interesting facts.
@Janeandjohnny you might enjoy it. There are positives to living in Ireland.
The places posters have suggested to the OP are nice places to live.

I would even look as far afield as Bray and Shankill for Foxrock school access.