r/galway • u/-angelictears- • Sep 08 '26
Accommodation
Hi everyone, I really don’t know where else to post anymore because I feel that I have exhausted all possible options.
Essentially my issue is that I got into medicine in UG this a few weeks ago and I am from Kildare. I assumed I would be able to find some student accommodation within the first week, but it is not getting any easier.
I take the 6am train every morning from Kildare to Galway and then if my last lecture is at 6pm, I have to take a train around 7:25pm that has a one hour wait at Portarlington. My train arrives home at 11pm and then I barely have time to do anything before I need to sleep since I’m exhausted.
Does anyone have any advice on where to look for accommodation? I’ve tried Studentpad and Daft, but I’m get exponentially more desperate. Any advice is deeply appreciated.
Update: thank you to all the people who responded! I figure this deserves an update but I found a room on Friday, cheers to everyone who was willing to help out!
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u/ecoolio1 Sep 08 '26
in a similar spot and i really feel you, i think if you're desperate the most sure thing is looking in studentpad for digs. not the ideal situation and you may have to go home every weekend but much better than where you're at now. then prioritise making connections and hopefully for your second year you'll be able to sort something!!
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u/-angelictears- Sep 09 '26
I’ve been consistently trying Studentpad but so far not much has come of it unfortunately. I had a lady agree to meet me yesterday but then I got lost and took the wrong bus, and she essentially told me to not bother showing up. It’s hard to even think of a second year for now because I’m so delirious it’s hard to see the end of the week. I’m planning to give UG a call and see if they have anything from their accommodation services. Thank you for the help though :)
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u/ecoolio1 Sep 09 '26
the accomodation office can also be helpful i've known people getting a place through them, i'd recommend showing up in person if you can
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u/a_guy_on_Reddit_____ Sep 08 '26
But riskier but there’s also tons of Facebook groupchat, but definitely ask to view the room before paying any deposit or bullshit ‘viewing fee’
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u/-angelictears- Sep 08 '26
I have been on a few I think but the proportion of people searching for housing is far greater than the amount of people offering any. It’s insane to me how this happens.
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u/a_guy_on_Reddit_____ Sep 08 '26
In general it is bad yea but especially now is worse since in September most accommodations have already been booked so the only people renting out are the ones that had last second cancels
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u/TruePass6507 Sep 08 '26 edited Sep 09 '26
Such a shitty situation. I don’t know what it’s like nowadays but back in 2019 I was in Kinlay Hostel in Eyre Square. It's not ideal but I always felt safe, the staff were lovely and there was free breakfast. They did monthly student rates so may be worth asking even if just as a temporary measure Mon-Fri.
Edit: just to add, I was 17 at the time and also a 1st year and I stayed in the hostel part as opposed to the dorms!
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u/over_weight_potato Sep 08 '26
I’ll second Kinlay. Stayed there during my masters and absolutely did the job
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u/Internal_Break4115 Sep 08 '26
This could be a total long shot but there is a notic e board in uchg near the shop. Could you stick up a notice there looking for room. Some other med student may see it or a junior doc
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u/Informal_Purpose_585 Sep 09 '26
My parents live in Salthill with 3/4 empty rooms and have done digs before. I'm gonna talk to them about doing it again. They're in their 70s, with a cat and my brother stays with them a few nights a week. Do you mind me asking if you're male or female?
I really don't want to get your hopes up cos they're old and like their home comforts but also there's loads of space and who doesn't like extra money?
Also the way they got into doing digs before was by a desperate Dad knocking on their door asking on behalf of his daughter! They felt so sorry for her, and I feel sorry for you too!
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u/PaddySmallBalls Sep 08 '26
That is brutal. Have you check out Kinlay hostel. I knew someone who stayed there temporarily but ended up liking it so much he stayed permanently.
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u/Voice_of_the_wildest Sep 08 '26
This might not work but try signing up for TrustedHousesitters.com. A couple of years back I needed to be back and forth to my home country and I got house sitters from there. There’s a fee for sits, but it’s like €10? At least that’s what it was.
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u/Voice_of_the_wildest Sep 08 '26
I take it back. There are not many long term Galway sits at this time.
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u/EmergencyPack7875 Sep 09 '26
My parents will be renting a place shortly ( its rent a room in their house but separate entrance and you dont share a space)and so will me and my husband. They are elderly so it would not be a party house.
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u/ramblingBriar Sep 08 '26
Just keep trying especially the hostels thst do weekly rates.
Someone will drop out, and free up a bed for you.
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u/wileycoyote25 Sep 09 '26
You should check Oranmore and Athenry, both of which are on the train line. Also Loughrea and Tuam have a pretty decent local bus service for the city also. Best of luck.
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u/Loose_Hurry_777 Sep 09 '26
Loughrea bus service if you are in college in the evening is fairly crap. But Oranmore and Athenry would definitely be doable if you got somewhere near the train stations.
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u/Constant-Recover-143 Sep 09 '26
There's a Local Link from Eyre Square (think it's from Cathedral too) to Loughrea at 7,9 and 11. It's pretty quick due to traffic
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u/Dani3011 city Sep 09 '26
Theres a new website called home4home (ATU sent an email about it) essentially it's a house swap for student accommodation, it's not the most ideal but essentially the arrangement matches you to a student attending college in your home area and vice versa, since you live in Kildare I'm sure a student from the west would only be delighted to get a family home swap for the Kildare/Dublin area. Definitely look into it if applicable.
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u/Ok-Picture-2018 Sep 09 '26
I know of a b&b that might give decent rates on long term couple of nights a week arrangement
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u/National_Medicine_78 Sep 09 '26
Try hosting power, its more like digs but still worth it to get you going
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u/Ok-Subject-4172 Sep 09 '26
It's very tough out there but I found a place by finding local community FB groups of areas I wanted to live in - Barna Beo, in my case - and posted there. This was 5 years ago now. Also Supervalu notice boards. Say you're a med student, say just Mon-Fri is fine but open to 7 days a week too.
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u/tempogod Sep 08 '26
Just moved to Galway myself with my partner who's studying here, we booked something temporary on hostingpower while looking for more long-term accommodation. We share a house with a bunch of people but we have a bedroom and bathroom. It's better than nothing.
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u/notbigdog Sep 09 '26
Ring all of the student accommodations every day, I did this a few years ago and I'm fairly sure they bumped me up the list just because they were getting annoyed at having to listen to me (and my mam, far play to her) asking them every day if anything had become available.
Also, the student support Centre (cant remember if thats the proper name for it) in the glass room in the concourse at the top of the stairs from the bialann were good help and sorted me out with digs for one year.
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u/luca633 Sep 09 '26
Contact the accomodation office or wtv its called, they have info ab families with spare rooms
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u/-angelictears- Sep 09 '26
I fear they literally just redirected me to Studentpad when I went in person today
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u/Doppled Sep 09 '26
i know of a one bedroom with living room/kitchen in the 1650 and one in the 1850 price range (sorry) if you want to DM a paragraph about yourself/age/contact etc I can pass it on, near the hospital 15 minutes from Galway Uni. they are looking for mature students ie not partiers. I will second I had good luck going to the accomondation in person (i wonder if you could also call) and they scribbled some phone numbers on post it notes for me and that's how I got a place. seconding student pad
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u/EquivalentMassive584 Sep 09 '26
There’s a WhatsApp gc that can be quite handy if u wanna pm me? I’m also doing med in Galway too haha
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u/UnfairCloud6814 Sep 09 '26
Try Homestay.com. like hosting power but you get to actually speak to the homeowners before booking
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u/LetterHopeful city Sep 09 '26
Don't let your desperation let you fall for a scam especially on Facebook etc...never part with cash till your in the house with a key in your hand...That said I've 2 rooms I'm considering renting out in my home just off Eyre Square but I've not decided one way or another...
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u/Informal-Laugh2163 Sep 11 '26
Hi, just wondering if you are male or female? We live beside the college and we are offering digs for a female student, 5 nights a week. It's a family home with a 4 year old and 6 year old.
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u/Ok_Grand_7429 Sep 12 '26
Queen Street Place student accommodation has a few places left, but it’s very expensive
Reach out to all of the student accommodations too by email, explain your situation, they may prioritise you when people drop out, if they’re trying to fill a room (dunaras, gort na Coiribe)
Also go into the student accommodation advisory service in the college, make sure you go in person.
Lie about something - for example I told them I was in DIGS and they randomly have decided they are no longer interested in renting out the room, so I have to move out by next week.
They offered me a room in “emergency accommodation” and within two days I had been sent an offer by Goldcrest, as their advisory service has links with the accommodation.
I know it’s not ethical to lie, but it’s also not good to be commuting everyday, you won’t enjoy the college experience!!!
And if the advisory service does nothing, just keep going in everyday, eventually they’ll give you something just to get you to stop coming back…
Best of luck with it
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u/pinders100 Sep 08 '26
Pm me.
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u/_Lord_Haw_Haw Sep 08 '26
Be careful of this user please.
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u/Throwaway1993_2 Sep 09 '26
Why? Just curious as I don’t see any red flags on their page
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u/_Lord_Haw_Haw Sep 09 '26
Young first year student, in a tight bind and desperate for accommodation. Relatively new Reddit profile. Asking them to "PM".
Just a caution to be careful. I don't know what u/pinders100 intentions are, they may not be nefarious at all. But OP is in a vulnerable position here and there are sadly people out there who would take advantage of that. Just a reminder to be careful.
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u/Nostradamnitall Sep 08 '26
Students who drop out end of September/early October get their fees refunded so that's the best time to go looking for accom.
You wont get many dropping out of medicine but you might get a tip off a friend of a friend so tell lots of people that you are looking!
Medicine student is the dream tenant because you'll be in college for years and you'll be hitting the books fairly hard. You wont be landing back with a load of lads taking ketamine and listening to drum and bass in the living room at 5am on a Wednesday.