Long Commutes: Students and Workers Travel Great Distances
Not one, not two but three different modes of transport are used by some of the commuters who travel long distances daily to work and university.
John leahy is one commuter who responded to an Irish Times callout to readers to share their experiences of long daily journeys.
Living at home in north Tipperary, Leahy started a Master’s degree in planning and sustainable advancement at University College Cork (UCC) in September.
His morning commute to college is almost 150km and takes him more than two hours. Double that for his daily journey as he retraces his steps in the evening.
“The commute itself is at the outer reaches of feasibility, but I think the fact that it did feel like a choice of mine – though in reality it was a choice between returning to study or working to make ends meet in Dublin – makes it a little more bearable.”
To make a 9am lecture, he leaves home at 6.35am. firstly, he drives from his home to the train station in Thurles, which takes him about 25 minutes. He then gets the train to Cork railway station, which takes about 85 minutes. he cycles for about 20 minutes across the city to UCC.
He said he studied his undergraduate degree in Dublin and worked there for two years but found it “unachievable to save”, given the financial demand of renting. Instead, he decided to move back to his family home in Templederry and applied to study at UCC.
“Even with the rather expensive monthly ticket for the train, I reason my expenses on transport are about 25 per cent of what I once spent on rent,” he said.
“I’m grateful that I can frame this as a choice of mine, and that I did have that choice available to me.”
James Howard from Co Longford, travels 115km to get to where he works at Technological University Dublin, taking him more than two hours.
“I’ve been commuting from ardagh in Longford on and off for 21 years with a nice break during covid,” he said.
He does this commute three days a week and works from home for the other two days of his working week.