Does your daily commute have you up at the crack of dawn? Are you spending hours getting to and from your day job? RTE are researching a one hour documentary on the extreme commutes some of the Irish workforce are habitually doing and would like to hear from individuals on the topic. If you are interested in sharing your experiences with RTE on this, please post a comment detailing your commute here or email us at
publicaffairs@aaireland.ie
Thanks in advance for your participation!
I commute daily from Carlingford in Louth to Southern Bray, a commute of 148km.
It usually takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. (Assuming there are no problems on the M50 in particular.)
I head down the M1 and turn off at Dulleek. Travelling Dulleek to Ashbourne, up the new section of the N2 and joining the M50 is usually quicker than sticking with the M1 all the way.
I usually head up the M1 at about 105kph. It doesn’t take any longer than doing 120kph, or even 125kph, but it saves me a significant amount of fuel and stress. I did try sticking at 100kph, but was constantly tailgated by articulated trucks, who would then spend 5 minutes passing me out and holding everyone up! So much for their 80kph speed limit and ban on using the overtaking lane.
I see some fairly crazy stuff on the roads, including an artyiculated truck driver apparently reading the newspaper, a car reversing from a dual carriageway onto a roundabout, cars using the hard shoulder to undertake, trucks reguarly pulling into the overtaking lane with not a glance behind them, a regular speed trap on the approach to Ashbourne in the orning rush hour, when you can only do 20kph, etc, etc, etc. I believe that it’s only a matter of time before I get caught up in something serious.
A big problem for me is the cost of toll fees, costing the best part of €200 per month.
I only work part-time – full days Monday and mornings only for Tuesday to Friday, as I look after my kids in the afternoons.
I’d love to get a job closer to home, but so far, nothing doing.
I commute from Tramore Co Waterford to Tallaght 171km each way. I leave the house at 6.45am and arrive in Tallaght at 08.45am Like wise i leave the office at 5pm and arrive home at 6.45pm.
I costs me €400 per month in diesel.
I also rent a room two nights a week in Dublin.
Why do i not move to Dublin? Because I like so many others bought a house in January 2007.
My wife and I have just had our first child a boy and I see him for 15 minutes 2 days a week and not at all two days and an hour on Fridays.
What a life!!
Probably too late at this stage as the documentry is on this Monday. But http://www.getdigs.ie have been discussing long commutes for the past year on their blog (http://getdigs.blogs.ie) for the past 12 months. Check out our blog and feel free to post a comment or register for free as a potential Lodger on our website. Getdigs.ie is a website that links Homeowners and Lodgers who are only interested in reneting for part of the week e.g. Monday to Friday.
I commute from drogheda to dublin every day. No huge deal probably. Except that I got so frustrated with public transport and traffic hell I started cycling. Its actually sometimes quicker door to door and I feel fitter and less stressed. Its a surprisingly fantastic option!!