To think that life seems better in rep of ireland?

[PunnyOliveTurtle]

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.

I haven’t even been to all the suburbs in Dublin.
I think you missed a trick there - bound to be enough material for a YouTube channel- tramping (at a fair clip obvs) through every village in Ireland.

It’s ok to not be keen on living in Ireland, different strokes for different folks. Most of us are not bored living here though.

There’s nothing nasty about my post.

I’m not going to re-post my post from yesterday, if you genuinely are curious, you’ll scroll back or advance search me, if you’re not genuinely interested and are asking only cos you think it proves a point, you won’t bother.

You are calling me a liar. That is nasty. Grow up and stop attacking people

And I see the ‘seen everything’ bit of the claim has just disappeared!

You’re making yourself look ridiculous with this dogged insistence that you’ve been everywhere. Fooling nobody only yourself, and maybe not even yourself.

@Mitara I'm in my 50s. I have been in all 32 counties, multiples of times. Ive lived in several counties (as well as overseas).

We regularly travel the length & breadth pf the country to visit family & friends. This summer we've driven from Mizen Head to Malin Head with many stops in between.

I have a degree in history & have visited many of our historical sites due to my interests. I'd go so far as to say I am more familiar with the country than most of my friends & colleagues.

And despite all that I wouldn't dream to claim that ive 'been everywhere & seen everything' as it is simply just not possible!!

Happy to say, yes, I’m calling your claim a lie. Because it is. It’s not nasty or an attack to call out lies.
perhaps you should do some growing up and stop lying?

What are you on about. Where did it dissapear? I didnt edit anything. I stand by what i said

Jesus you are a wrong 'un

I am not lying. Stop abusing me you nasty bully.

It disappeared cos you started off claiming you’d been everywhere and seen everything. Then when that was called out, by pointing out that there are always new things to be seen, your claim changed to just having been everywhere. You stopped saying you’d seen everything.

I’m neither abusing you nor bullying you.

This discussion reminds me of Jay from the inbetweeners.

Ireland? Completed it mate.

That’s exactly it!

Its extremely easy to do.

I have a cousin who is ten years younger than me, he hikes and camps a lot. He stops in villages and towns a long the way. He has just come back from camping in donegal.

I just asked him there how many towns and villages has he been to, and he said that he has been to every town and village in Ireland , except for a couple of places in co.armagh

As I already said, you need to get out more.

Now that I live in England, every single weekend, I go and visit somewhere new .

I get out loads. And still haven’t been everywhere and seen everything in the 32 counties, and doubt that I’ll ever be arrogant enough to make that claim.

Enjoy visiting somewhere new in England every weekend. That should keep you busy.

Maybe that is the difference @Mitara the roots I have put down where I live means I am very happy just being . Happy in my small neck of the woods, walking on the same beaches and standing on the side of same gaa pitches (😭) , going to familiar restaurants and pubs and seeing old faces. I don't feel the need to do literary festivals or see a new part of the country every weekend. I could but I have a young family and a full time job.

There is nothing wrong with either of our lifestyles we are obviously both very happy with them but obviously for someone like you Ireland won't satisfy you. That's not to say there is anything wrong in Ireland.

I am enjoying it a lot thanks.

You obviously have a sad life as you are such a negative person.

I am glad that you are happy with your life too.

Thanks for saying that in a polite way

That's just not true. Our hills and mountainsides should be covered in native deciduous trees. Instead, they are just barren.

And you’re the one accusing me of being nasty, abusing and bullying you?

Hilarious.

Yes. Because you did. Your posts were nasty and disgusting.

See how the poster above you wrote to me? She was able to write a polite, normal post.

I won't reply to you again as i dont want to engage with you anymore

So is it you or your cousin who has been to every town & village in 32 counties?

Actually it really doesn't matter to me. I don't believe you. But who cares.

Also, passing through a town or village doesn't give you any sense of what its actually like there its a fleeting glimpse.

@Martymcfly24 I, too, love to get to know places deeply & to see & experience them across seasons

We live in a rural location & despite spending many many weekends exploring with dogs & dc when young we still have not been everywhere & seen everything in this county....! There's always more to enjoy

A local historian wrote a book about the historical interests of our townsland & we've been enjoying going to the places mentioned in that & its all within a 20 mile radius of our house. There's every thing from famine burial sites; hedge schools, fairy forts, old IRA hideouts etc

I have an Irish friend and she has to pay just to get her daughter seen at the GP, I think it's awful they don't have free healthcare for kids so that alone makes me think it's not necessarily a better place, particularly if you're on a low income which none of your family are.

And now ‘disgusting’ is added to the list.
You’re the gift that keeps on giving.

I won't reply to you again as i dont want to engage with you anymore

Guess I should be thankful for small mercies.

Both me and my cousin have been to 32 counties. He said that there a couple of places that he hasnt seen yet in co. armagh, but that he has seen everywhere else.

My cousin has done far more than that.

He hs climbed every peak in ireland. He has done loads of hiking challenges to raise money for charities. He is great.