Sport, culture, a strong community spirit – and the M3 – make Meath towns such as Navan and Trim an attractive proposition for commuters, writes SANDRA O'CONNELL
IF EVER proof were needed that the world is getting smaller, Navan supplies it. A generation of us grew up hearing it promoted as “only an hour from Dublin”. These days, although no one seems to promote it as such, it’s only half an hour.
“The biggest development to have taken place in Navan by far has been the M3, it has cut the journey time from Dublin in half,” says Eamonn Shields of estate agents Gunne.
The motorway has made a town that was always popular with commuters from Dublin even more attractive. Navan doubled in size during the boom as a result and, as the population grew, the retail sector grew too.
“The shopping here has expanded greatly in recent years, to the point that we have all sorts of big-name stores from Easons to Argos and Marks & Spencers,” says Shields.
According to mortgage broker Michael Cassidy, a former president of Navan Chamber of Commerce, the snow at Christmas time proved just how well developed the retail sector is.
“Locals had no choice but to do all their shopping in the town and they discovered they were perfectly able to do that. Navan provided everything they needed and there is now a huge campaign to keep them shopping locally,” says Cassidy.
For people moving to the town, accessibility to Dublin is still a big factor. “However, what people also like is that it combines the feel of a rural, country town with urban facilities,” he says.
It’s also good value, he reckons, with three-bedroom semis in the town available for under €200,000.
“We are lucky that although the town grew during the boom, its development was, by and large, well managed. We have no ghost estates, for example,” says Cassidy.
Though it is a huge sporting town, for those of a cultural bent the jewel in Navan’s crown – and one of the few enduring legacies of the boom – is the Solstice Arts Centre. It opened on Railway Street in 2006. The multi-disciplinary centre combines an art gallery with a 380-seat auditorium for theatrical and musical performances. It has a resident theatre company, Tall Tales, and plays host to visiting productions too.
“It was the first cultural centre established with a remit for the whole of Meath and we are lucky to be in a beautiful building that attracts architects from overseas just to see it,” says marketing executive Aine Flanagan.
The venue has been a godsend to the community and is currently used by everyone from Navan Silver Band to St Mary’s Musical Society and Navan Theatre Group, as well as for local school productions.
For Aidan Heffernan of Sherry FitzGerald Royal, however, the attractions of Navan pale into insignificance beside those of Trim. He’s well placed to know, having grown up in one town before settling in the other almost half a century ago.
“In my honest opinion, Trim isn’t just the best place in Meath to live, it’s the best place in Ireland,” he says.
The tiny town certainly punches above its weight in terms of heritage. Although it is dominated by Trim Castle, throw a stick in any direction round here and you’ll likely hit an ecclesiastical ruin.
“The town is working very hard to develop itself as a tourist destination and has been very successful at that,” says Heffernan.
Thanks to the boom it now has a three, a four and a five-star hotel.
“These, plus a regular bus service from Dublin, have allowed us to attract tourists down to stay overnight in a way that we couldn’t previously,” he says.
“We are also very lucky to have 100 acres of public lands right in the centre of town, which provide beautiful walks. What we have been able to do in recent years is encourage people to use Trim as a base while exploring places such as Newgrange and the Boyne, and it is working very well.”
Trim has a very active Tidy Towns committee which ensures it lives up to its name. It also boasts one of decentralisation’s few success stories. The OPW moved here two years ago and the presence of its 300 or so staff has given retailers in the town a welcome fillip.
Prices are lower here than in Navan, with three-bedroom semis available from €150,000, half what they cost during the boom.
“We found that very many of the new people who moved here during the boom – and our numbers doubled too – get actively involved in the community and help keep it nice,” says Heffernan.
The swelling of its ranks also helps to support its restaurants, including Franzini O’Brien’s and Shank’s Mare.
“On the commercial front, I’d be lying if I said there weren’t vacancies but, then again, the lower rents are offering terrific opportunities for start-ups, such as a new home bakery that is opening up in the town. Units are going now for around €2 a sq ft, a third of what was being charged previously.”
Towns such as Trim, and his own home town of Kells, are great places to raise kids, according to auctioneer Michael Gavigan of TJ Gavigan. “You can live in a suburb of Dublin and not be part of a community,” he points out.
“Last year, for example, in Kells, we broke the world record for the number of leprechauns dancing a céilí. Everyone was invited to participate , everyone did and it was just the best fun ever.
“If you think about it, you can buy a home here in Kells for €140,000 and get all that community spirit for free.”
