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.

That should say I see your Ireland and I raise you New Zealand

You might want to take Cornwall out of that. It’s pretty shite and some of the locals are pricks.

Having spent every wretched summer in Ireland from 0-16, I will quite happily never set foot in the place ever again.

It’s a shame, but I’ve been entirely put off.

When I went to Dublin someone nicked my coat.

if you are judging an entire population of people based on two bitchy women you worked with that says more about you than anything else

I live here in the far south west and it is truly wonderful. 😊

Oh yes. As an Irish person I loved New Zealand so much. It's just stunning. OP you may be slightly biased because you went to the best part of the country, the sunny South East!

Also two women the pp met... 30ish years ago.

🫠

I've met some absolutely delightful Irish people. And some deeply unpleasant, very racist Irish people. Just like any other nationality! Ireland is gorgeous and I do love it there but I wouldn't move on the romantic premise of everyone there being a saint...

New Zealand on the other hand....😂genuinely yet to meet an unpleasant New Zealander but I'm sure they do exist!

I've never been and really fancied doing a road trip for a while but someone (irish) told me that there are very few dog friendly pubs/cafes/ hotels in Ireland unlike England where there are loads and i was going to take my dog so this has put me off although no idea if it's even true!

I think this is interesting and not to burst your bubble op, but some parts of Ireland are now ranked the most dangerous place to be a woman in Europe due to the high rates of homicide against women.

I agree it's a beautiful and wonderful part of the world but let's not pretend it's all sunshine and rainbows. Women in particular have been through a lengthy traumatic history of horrors and injustices.

On a seperate note I don't think this is the case, many towns and cities are very dog friendly, particularly in the south like Galway.

As an Irish woman I definitely don’t find it blissfully relaxing here in Ireland. Give me a glass of wine sitting by the seaside in Italy or Spain any day.. I have to say though I would imagine a lot of people in the uk don’t have Ireland on their “bucket list” for the same reason a lot of people in Ireland don’t have the uk on theirs.. same shite weather , similar scenery in a lot of places , similar culture. I like visiting the uk but It just doesn’t seem that exotic to me I guess.

It depends whether you’re living in Ireland or visiting Ireland .I’ve done both and they’re completely different.
I lived on the west coast for a few years in the 2000’s and met some lovely people though I would disagree with people who say we have the same culture- we really don’t. However I also met some very racist people who snubbed me as an English unmarried mother.

Where is it in Ireland that is rated the most dangerous place to be a woman in Europe?

Not being smart just genuinely surprised at that statistic.

Agree, visited Belfast for the first time this year, and was blown away by the architecture and the warmth of the people

@Martymcfly24 The countries have much in common. Green, rainfall, great fresh food, uber friendly people who go out of their way to help tourists, large empty spaces and big skies, aptitude for rugby. While Ireland has Guinness, NZ has wine. And I would say the scenery is more spectacular.

I wasn't. I was just pointing out that it isn't all lovely and Oirish like the OP has seen on holiday in the countryside.

I used to live in Dun Laoghaire. It's a pretty normal, mixed place, no different from a large town in the UK. Has its ups and downs. The women there are not "blissfully relaxed", in general 😆

Absolutely .

And they both have loads of sheep!

Think Ireland could learn from NZ in the way they have capitalized their land scape for outdoor activities (rafting, kayaking, zorbing etc) . It's just fab .

Would you care to elaborate?

'I never miss it. I go home regularly enough to see family, but treat it like a holiday and visit the nice bits. Ultimately I feel very suffocated when I go home'

I feel the same @Icelap . I was born and brought up there, left when I was 20. Been in the UK for 26 years and it's definitely home to me. There are things I enjoy about visiting Ireland but I have no desire to live there and always happy to get back home

Dun laoighaire is literally the poshest place you could possibly live in Ireland. I wouldn’t call it “normal” or “mixed”

That's okay. We don't want you.

And still the women are not "blissfully relaxed".