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Original poster

To think that life seems better in rep of ireland?

725 replies

PunnyOliveTurtle · 18/07/2025 13:59

ok...hear me out...My DM is Irish and she has not been home in a good few years, I haven't been over since I was 15, I'm early 40's now. So i decided to bring her over to visit her sisters as they are all getting older...late 60s/early 70's.

I had a wonderful time. I caught up with all of my cousins...and here is where I noticed the divide...they all have gorgeous homes and I mean stunning! Some in the country, some in the town, all fab new builds or gutted and updated old houses. A couple in new housing estates which were FAB!!
One of my cousins has just bought a new home...her DH is driving a 2025 car, they are off on hols next week. I asked her if she won the lotto and she laughed saying she wished, savings are now depleted and she was "broke". I know she has no credit cards because she metioned that she didn't have one when we wer talking about booking dinner somewhere and they wanted to take a deposit.

They all have great jobs...a lot of them are teachers...like i was. But they are no where near as stressed as I was. They are on holidays already and have been with a few weeks.Some are nurses but work part time in private hospitals, others work in big pharma companies, banking etc.Their dh's also have great jobs, engineers, managers in tech/pharma, one owns a construction company, one is a farmer.
All and I mean ALL of their DC who are of uni age are in university...no student loans. They have a grant scheme apparently. None of my cousins themselves have student loans...they are in 30's to mid 50's. (Can you tell we had an in depth discussion on uni and fees etc!)
Their DC aged 15+ all have summer jobs...in a local chippy, local cafe, one on a farm etc. My 18 yr old cant get a job at all!!

Everything just seemed so positive there...and im sure its not but I cant put my finger on it...it really got me.
I'm struggling most months...this trip was part on credit card. DD looking to start uni and i dont know how I'm going to help her... I know they say dont compare and I know there must be those struggling in Ireland too but there seemed to be A LOT more money being thrown around.

OP posts:
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10
GreyTS · 18/07/2025 15:09

I’ve lived in a lot of countries as a child and an adult so I feel kind of qualified to answer this. I have raised my 2 children as a single parent in a semi rural town in a desirable part of the country, so comparatively high housing costs. I work part time in a v low paid job and though my electric bill has increased by mad amounts in general I get by fine. My salary is topped up by a working parents payment and the whole set up of life here means that unless parents are struggling with addiction etc, life can (and obviously someone is going to disagree with me) be lived quite well even when you are quite poor. The children’s schooling is is heavily subsidised and their university costs will be covered including a contribution to housing because of their background, otherwise they could never go

HeyItsPickleRick · 18/07/2025 15:12

It’s a richer country, with a better educated population that has profited massively from our poor choice to exit the EU - I think you’re right.

Momstermash94 · 18/07/2025 15:15

OP you are not wrong. I am Irish, all my family are in Ireland still. My partner is English. I have lived in the UK for almost 10 years and we are actually moving back to Ireland in a few weeks. Ireland has its issues and it's not perfect but you get more for your money. My family are so much better off than me and it's so noticeable since I left. We work hard and have very little to show for it, my family work hard and have plenty to show for it. We are sick of living in shoebox size houses with postage stamp sized gardens when I see what we could have in Ireland. We have a baby now and we are moving back to give her a better life and give her the childhood I had with loads of countryside to play and grow up in

Mitara · 18/07/2025 15:15

I have lived in both countries.

Ireland is wealthy NOW. It wasnt always. Not long ago, there was a recession. The wealth bubble could burst again.

People in republic of ireland right now, are definitely wealthier overall than people in the UK. Thats for sure.

However Ireland is small and there is not that much to do. I like living in the UK where there is a lot to do.

We dont have a student loan system in Ireland the same way that you have it in the the UK.

I find that a lot of people like to move from the UK to Ireland for better salaries and the change of scene.

And people like to move from ireland to the UK, so they have more to do.

You can always move to Ireland OP! There is a common agreement between the two countries, you can live there if you want to

TheKeatingFive · 18/07/2025 15:16

It's hard to convey the impact that the housing crisis has on people's lives though. It's massive.

I know people who've had to move in with their parents for 2/3 years, more even, to save for a deposit. These will be couples with small children, moving into their parents smallish homes for that time.

Many more who have given up on any idea of owning.

We will want to trade up to a decent sized family home in Dublin very soon, currently we're in a two and a half bed ex council. I'm talking like three proper bedrooms, a garden, nothing spectacular.

It will cost us north of a million euro for that in the areas we're looking at, which aren't particularly upmarket. We'll almost certainly have to sell our current house and rent in the meantime to be in with a chance of securing anything. Any house we buy will need work and cost of building is extortionate also.

My friend has just been through all this and it took her two years end to end. The process is so slow and cumbersome. We're very lucky to be able to even contemplate a move, but I'm looking at the whole process with such dread.

TheKeatingFive · 18/07/2025 15:18

The other thing to be said about Ireland's wealth is that it's very dependent on US foreign direct investment. It doesn't feels terrifically secure just right at the minute.

Mitara · 18/07/2025 15:18

HeyItsPickleRick · 18/07/2025 15:12

It’s a richer country, with a better educated population that has profited massively from our poor choice to exit the EU - I think you’re right.

Its profited in one way and suffered in another way from Brexit.

Now all the immigrants that cant get into England anymore, are going to Ireland

TheKeatingFive · 18/07/2025 15:20

Martymcfly24 · 18/07/2025 15:07

65 in Cork but you usually will get in either the same day or definitely the next day.

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Yeah that's the trade off.

My GP is expensive, but excellent and I can get an appointment whenever I like.

Mitara · 18/07/2025 15:21

I am living in England now.

Getting to see a doctor for free , is definitely a lot nicer than paying 75 euro per visit to see a Doctor in Ireland.

Yet everyone complains about the NHS in the UK. They don't know how good they have it...

Aworldofwonder · 18/07/2025 15:21

DancingNotDrowning · 18/07/2025 14:51

I have good friends there and the lifestyle is definitely better if you can get over the fact that dublin is a tiny capital city with not a whole lot going on.

that said the private schools in Dub are stuffed full of the kids of Brit/irish couples who spent their early professional careers in London and have returned home for what they perceive to be a much better way of life.

Get a grip FFS. The private schools are not full of the kids of Brits - speaking from experience.

Yes teaching is way better here.
Yes we are wealthier now.
Yes we have a housing crisis.
Yes racism is becoming a problem but we will hopefully never reach the dizzying heights of racism in the 80s in the UK.

Why is this surprising? You lot voted for Brexit.

Hollyhobbi · 18/07/2025 15:22

TheKeatingFive · 18/07/2025 15:16

It's hard to convey the impact that the housing crisis has on people's lives though. It's massive.

I know people who've had to move in with their parents for 2/3 years, more even, to save for a deposit. These will be couples with small children, moving into their parents smallish homes for that time.

Many more who have given up on any idea of owning.

We will want to trade up to a decent sized family home in Dublin very soon, currently we're in a two and a half bed ex council. I'm talking like three proper bedrooms, a garden, nothing spectacular.

It will cost us north of a million euro for that in the areas we're looking at, which aren't particularly upmarket. We'll almost certainly have to sell our current house and rent in the meantime to be in with a chance of securing anything. Any house we buy will need work and cost of building is extortionate also.

My friend has just been through all this and it took her two years end to end. The process is so slow and cumbersome. We're very lucky to be able to even contemplate a move, but I'm looking at the whole process with such dread.

But you must be looking in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown then, the most expensive council area in Ireland!

romdowa · 18/07/2025 15:22

I'm irish and myself and my English dh moved to Ireland 4 years ago and he loves it. We live in a seaside town and he agrees with whatever has said here. Better quality of life, cleaner , safer and people are friendlier. When we moved first there was a huge difference in the cost of living , the UK was far cheaper but now thats not the case any more. Dh would never go back to England to live

Mitara · 18/07/2025 15:22

Aworldofwonder · 18/07/2025 15:21

Get a grip FFS. The private schools are not full of the kids of Brits - speaking from experience.

Yes teaching is way better here.
Yes we are wealthier now.
Yes we have a housing crisis.
Yes racism is becoming a problem but we will hopefully never reach the dizzying heights of racism in the 80s in the UK.

Why is this surprising? You lot voted for Brexit.

Show quote history

Only half of the people in the U.K. voted for Brexit actually. Many people did not want it

Martymcfly24 · 18/07/2025 15:23

@Mitara
However Ireland is small and there is not that much to do. I like living in the UK where there is a lot to do.

I don't think I could agree with you there. Yes there is not as much big theatre and concerts but this has improved so much and for the sake of a Ryanair flight to a London it's a small pay off.

Aworldofwonder · 18/07/2025 15:23

Yabberwok · 18/07/2025 14:30

The infrastructure was paid for, like a lot of poorer European countries by EU money. That's come to an end.

Op look at Ireland's recent history, the Celtic tiger years, the number of unfinished houses, the continuing disspora which stretches back to the potato famine.

There is also the very real potential that if a hard right government comes into the UK it will do what chould have been done when Brexit was negotiated and use Ireland as a bargaining chip and potentially levie tariffs on goods coming through the UK which would decimate the Irish economy.

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Excuse my ignorance but how is the UK going to use Ireland as a bargaining chip?

Mitara · 18/07/2025 15:26

Martymcfly24 · 18/07/2025 15:23

@Mitara
However Ireland is small and there is not that much to do. I like living in the UK where there is a lot to do.

I don't think I could agree with you there. Yes there is not as much big theatre and concerts but this has improved so much and for the sake of a Ryanair flight to a London it's a small pay off.

Yeah its just my personal opinion.

I lived in Ireland for a long time and i just feel like ive seen everything there is to see. It is a small place.

I wanted a change, and I like seeing the different cities in the Uk.

The same as many UK people want a change, and they go to ireland.

I don't its good for us mentally to only live on one island, forever and ever.

Aworldofwonder · 18/07/2025 15:26

Mitara · 18/07/2025 15:22

Only half of the people in the U.K. voted for Brexit actually. Many people did not want it

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Yeah sorry you are right. I feel really really sorry for my friends there and everyone else there who was against it.

TheKeatingFive · 18/07/2025 15:26

Hollyhobbi · 18/07/2025 15:22

But you must be looking in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown then, the most expensive council area in Ireland!

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No we're not

KrisAkabusi · 18/07/2025 15:26

Now all the immigrants that cant get into England anymore, are going to Ireland

This isn't true.

NoSoupForU · 18/07/2025 15:27

indoorplantqueen · 18/07/2025 14:04

It’s a much wealthier country than the UK now. You can tell just from the infrastructure- smooth roads, no potholes, lovely homes, and it’s clean. Teachers for example earn a lot more. The prices of food and eating out is no more expensive than the UK.

The infrastructure is in better condition because the population density is much lower than the UK with a rate of about a third of the UK. If you compare with England it's lower still at about a sixth of our population density.

Mitara · 18/07/2025 15:29

KrisAkabusi · 18/07/2025 15:26

Now all the immigrants that cant get into England anymore, are going to Ireland

This isn't true.

It is.

I went to groups when i was in ireland. I spoke to people from lots of different countries.

Many of them said to me that because it was too difficult for them to get into the UK after Brexit, they decided to move to Ireland instead.

Brexit is making people in much larger numbers, move to the republic of ireland. Of course it is.

ShamrockShenanigans · 18/07/2025 15:29

Most of my family live in Cork.

It's a nice place but they have to pay for their medical care, rents are ridiculously high, they have no chance of getting a corporation (council) property and they don't stop moaning about the rain 😁

"I know she has no credit cards because she metioned that she didn't have one when we wer talking about booking dinner somewhere and they wanted to take a deposit."

However, all their debit cards work over here, so they don't get to pull a fast one 😉

Mitara · 18/07/2025 15:30

People who complain about the NHS all the time in the UK, (i hear it a lot) would get a shock at paying for healthcare in other countries

Hollyhobbi · 18/07/2025 15:31

KrisAkabusi · 18/07/2025 15:26

Now all the immigrants that cant get into England anymore, are going to Ireland

This isn't true.

It most definitely is true. I see it on the LUAS going to work every morning!

Martymcfly24 · 18/07/2025 15:31

Mitara · 18/07/2025 15:26

Yeah its just my personal opinion.

I lived in Ireland for a long time and i just feel like ive seen everything there is to see. It is a small place.

I wanted a change, and I like seeing the different cities in the Uk.

The same as many UK people want a change, and they go to ireland.

I don't its good for us mentally to only live on one island, forever and ever.

Edited
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Fair enough.

I'm 44 and there are so many places I haven't visited here.

It can be as easy to get from cork to Manchester as Devon to Manchester so all those cities are on the doorstep

Nothing wrong with staying your whole life in a wonderful place you call home imo.