To seriously recommend Ireland

[Ionablue]

Before I start I completely get that it can be expensive, the weather is bad and many Irish residents are emigrating for accommodation & opportunities. But....
A very very large proportion of the Irish people seem put on earth specifically to restore visitors faith in human nature. Genuine and warm, great sense of humour
Many women in particular supposedly find Ireland blissfully relaxing, not just because it is a laidback culture but because the general male culture seems to revolve less around making women feel uncomfortable than in other countries.

Some of the countryside and heritage is literally heavenly. Co. Waterford, especially its western extremities eg Dungarvan. Ardmore, Lismore, is an undiscovered gem.

Yes its not cheap but the food can be exceptional.

Most ordinary people seem exceptionally well disposed to foreign visitors and many have relatives abroad.

In rural Ireland you can drive for miles without seeing a car.

The music is brilliant and the people seem enormously invested in live music.

Well, that's my tuppence.

But the rain
the endless rain
means I won’t return unless I have to for work

'A very very large proportion of the Irish people seem put on earth specifically to restore visitors faith in human nature'

I'm Irish and stuff like this makes me cringe. Ireland is like most places - most people are fine, some are great, some are awful. Very few people are twinkly eyed storytellers or any other sort of stereotype. Ireland has a LOT to recommend it for a visit, but the sentimental twee stereotypes are just that. Irish people themselves need to take a lot of the blame for keeping them going by the way! 😁

'Many women in particular supposedly find Ireland blissfully relaxing'

It's a lot safer for women than many parts of the world, but it's a patriarchy and misogyny is as rife as it is in the UK

And yes, the weather can be relentlessly awful

'A very very large proportion of the Irish people seem put on earth specifically to restore visitors faith in human nature'

that description alone would put me off ever visiting

Have you ever actually lived there, OP?! It's a country like any other. And one strongly based on historical religion, and its abuses.

And as for this:

Many women in particular supposedly find Ireland blissfully relaxing, not just because it is a laidback culture but because the general male culture seems to revolve less around making women feel uncomfortable than in other countries.

I've got some laundries to tell you about.

It was very nice when we visited

Did you pop along to the riots about immigrants? For the craic?

GRMA/Thank you ... ☘️

Also very clean

This thread is like someone visiting the Cotswolds or Cornwall, and going "Isn't England lovely! The natives are so friendly! Lovely landscape, no litter, no ditr, and all the women seem blissfully happy!" 😆

I love it but you’ve got some serious green white and gold tinted glasses on.

I worked and lived with two Irish women back in the 90s and the pair of them were total bitches who didn’t do their jobs properly cos they were super lazy. It’s a no from me.

I've been twice. It poured with rain every single day both times! I can't face that again!

Two people don’t make a nation! I can’t wait to go back in a few years, my DH who is South African loved it too. Unfortunately for work reasons we had to leave and move here. Our children are in uni and doing very well in the UK and I am grateful for that but I am so looking forward to moving back to Cork eventually.

I do love Ireland other than the weather. Taking my dad over soon and hoping I survive…. I might kill him or he might drive me to jump off the Cliffs of Moher. Not sure women have a particularly lovely existence although it’s definitely better than it was.

Ireland is very different to the UK in a good way. There is a very different feel about it. Weather can be bad anywhere, but it's usually ok along the East Coast, except during storm season like now.

I just like it. A lot. I am Irish born - of course!

I'm Irish and I do think that it has a lot going for it. But also, many problems. Much like anywhere. Whether you like it or not is probably down to personality, and whether the culture resonates with you or not.

You are 💯right OP. This is the best post I have seen in a long time on Mumsnet. We are just pure clean class. I do think a lot of Irish people will go out of their way to help people particularly in rural areas. (Not so much in the big cities though)

It's perfectly nice but I suspect your rave review can be attributed to a large degree to the fact that you were on holiday. We went over a few years ago to (mostly) Kerry and while there's a lot to like, my abiding memory is of lovely countryside spoiled by bloody horrible bungalows everywhere. We'll save the ferry trip and stick to the Scottish highlands tbh.

As an Irish person obviously Irish people are the best!

I lived in Ireland 1979-1990. Did high school and university there as well as early working years. It was a great time of development both financially (Celtic Tiger) and culturally (U2 etc).
I’m now a Mitteleuropean but I’ve been back sporadically since then and have appreciated its move into being a fully European country, away from the overshadowing influence of the UK. Well done to them for using EU funding in the right places. Living standards have improved and the Catholic chokehold has loosened.

However, 3 years ago I said my goodbyes to Dublin. It’s now dirty, expensive (I couldn’t live to the same standard on my salary there) and there seems to be a rising drugs scene in the places I used to haunt on a Friday night. It felt a bit like an outpost of civilization- next stop Atlantic Ocean!

I can’t speak for the rest of the country. Our oldest DC is considering moving to Galway (desirable qualifications but with Brexit the UK isn’t an option). I’d be delighted for them to return to “my” roots but I have a few qualms about salary vs standard of living. Galway is a great “bubble” but not much outside.

Yes, the Irish are wonderful. You can make friends in a week but there’s still pretty clear social stratification. The private school Rugby boys and the farmers’ daughters still marry each other…

Because the Scottish were cleared out of the Highlands and sent to NI/US. A handful of wealthy landowners own it all now.

My mums family is Irish and I have spent many a rainy summer there but I’m in no hurry to go back. I find the friendliness quite fake. Watch the Irish Traitors and you will see what they are really like underneath it all!

Scratch below the surface and you find just the same issues as any other country

What's wrong with rain? Walking in rain is lovely... I am Irish tho so....

We’re from London but my husband’s grandparents on his mother’s side were from Ardmore. He took me there for the first time over 20 years ago and I fell in love with the place. We drove around quite a lot; Youghal, Cobh, Douglas, Dungarvan. Bloody loved it. Been back a few times. Love Cork City. Yes it’s wet but you have to expect that. Hoping to go back soon

'I find the friendliness quite fake'

It is fake! Or maybe superficial is a better description. All very well if you're on holiday and just having brief interactions with hospitality staff and shop staff and whatever, but doesn't represent real life