Martha Gilheaney, 41, has traded her brisk six-minute stroll to her Dublin city-centre job for a grueling six-hour round-trip train journey from her Leitrim home — a sacrifice driven by the stark reality that owning property in the capital remains out of reach amid Ireland’s ongoing housing crunch.
She first left Leitrim at 19 to pursue higher education and spent the next two decades rooted in Dublin.
“There was no chance,” she says, laughing at the memory.
“Not on a lecturer’s salary. Not in 2024. Not ever.”
In early 2024, after years of saving and endless property portal scrolling, Martha made a decision that would redefine her life: she bought a 100-year-old derelict cottage on 5.2 acres near Ballinamore, Co Leitrim — just 10 minutes from where she grew up.
She moved in with her mother while renovations began. And she kept her job in Dublin.
A Day in the Life of a Super Commuter: The 6-Hour Reality
Thanks to hybrid working policies introduced post-Covid, Martha only needs to be in the office three days a week during teaching semesters. The other two? She works remotely from a folding desk in her mother’s living room.
But those three days are brutal.
| Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 6:45am | Leaves home (coffee in hand) | Ballinamore, Leitrim |
| 7:15am | Arrives Dromod Station | Dromod, Leitrim |
| 7:30am | Train departs | Dromod → Dublin Heuston |
| 10:27am | Train arrives Heuston | Dublin |
| 10:45am | Luas to office | Westmoreland St |
| 11:00am – 5:00pm | Lectures, meetings, marking | CCT College |
| 5:05pm | Misses train (too early) | Heuston |
| 5:05pm – 7:30pm | Waits 2.5 hours | Heuston Station |
| 7:30pm | Train departs Dublin | Heuston → Dromod |
| 10:27pm | Arrives Dromod | Dromod |
| 10:45pm | Drive home | Ballinamore |
| 10:55pm | Home. Finally. | Leitrim |
Total travel time: 6 hours. Total weekly commute: 18 hours.
TikTok Fame and Online Backlash
Martha began documenting her journey on TikTok under the handle @LeitrimLecturer. What started as a personal diary quickly went viral.
Her videos — showing misty Leitrim mornings, packed train carriages, and the renovation of her crumbling cottage — have garnered over 500,000 views.
But not all feedback is kind.
“You’re absolutely mad.”
“This is not sustainable.”
“You’re wasting your life on trains.”
“Burnout is coming. Hard.”
Martha admits the comments “got into my head” at first.
“I’m naturally optimistic,” she says. “But when hundreds of people tell you you’re making a mistake, you start to wonder.”
Then she pauses. “But there’s no other option for me. My job doesn’t exist in Leitrim. And I can’t live where my job is. So this has to work.”
The Bigger Picture: Ireland’s 2025 Housing Crisis in Numbers
Martha is not an outlier. She is part of a growing wave of urban exodus driven by Ireland’s worst housing crisis in a generation.
- Average Dublin rent (2025): €2,200/month for a one-bed
- Average Leitrim house price: €185,000
- Dublin house price: €525,000+
- National homelessness: 14,300+ (Sept 2025)
- Planning permissions down 18% vs 2024
A 2024 study by the International Centre for Local and Regional Development surveyed workers in seven small towns across Ireland and Northern Ireland. The findings were stark:
- 45% commute 30km or more to work
- 52% travel 45+ minutes each way — double the national census average
- 30% cited housing costs as primary reason for relocating
- 68% said family proximity was a pull factor
Why Leitrim? The Pull of Home
For Martha, the decision wasn’t just financial. It was emotional.
“I left Leitrim at 19 to go to college,” she says. “I spent 22 years in Dublin. I loved it. But I never felt settled.”
Now, she wakes to birdsong, not traffic. She has space to garden, to dream of goats and apple trees. Her mother is down the hall. Her siblings are a 20-minute drive away.
“When I get home, I breathe a sigh of relief. The city feels chaotic now. The contrast is amazing.”
The Train Time Problem: A 2.5-Hour Wait in Heuston
The biggest frustration? Irish Rail’s schedule.
Martha finishes work at 5:00pm. The next train leaves Heuston at 7:30pm. The previous one? 5:05pm — too early for anyone with a standard workday.
That means 2.5 hours of waiting — three times a week.
“If there was a 5:30pm or 6:00pm train, it would change everything,” she says.
Dromod Station — a small, unstaffed platform with just six trains a day — is a relic of a pre-commuter era.
Is This Sustainable? The Long-Term Question
Martha is candid: she doesn’t know.
“I love my house. I love my job. I just hate the bit in between.”
She’s exploring options:
- Fully remote roles (rare in lecturing)
- Relocating her job (CCT has no Leitrim campus)
- Starting a side hustle (TikTok monetization? Online courses?)
For now, she’s making it work. With noise-cancelling headphones, a laptop, and a packed lunch.
The Future of Work and Housing in Ireland
Martha’s story is a microcosm of a macro shift.
Since 2020, hybrid work has untethered thousands from city centers. But infrastructure hasn’t kept pace.
Irish Rail has promised more services on the Sligo line by 2026. Local councils are debating co-working hubs in rural towns. Developers are eyeing Leitrim for affordable housing estates.
But for now, the super commuter is here to stay.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Martha’s commute?
6 hours round trip, 3 days a week. Total: 18 hours weekly.
Why didn’t she buy in Dublin?
€1,100 rent for a one-bed. Average house price: €525,000+. Impossible on her salary.
What train does she take?
7:30am Dromod → Heuston. Returns on 7:30pm. Wants a 5:30pm service.
How much was her Leitrim cottage?
Price undisclosed. Described as a derelict 100-year-old cottage on 5.2 acres.
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