Irish mn'ers, how much can you relate to UK mumsnetters?

[Anotherdayanotherdollar]

I read a lot of different threads on here, and recently I have come across so many issues/practices that I think just don't happen in Ireland. Now, I could be completely off the mark here, obviously there's local/cultural differences everywhere!

I don't know any parents who attend childrens birthday parties with their children (unless family etc),

I'm not aware of any dads who work "compressed hours" to care for their children. Although I know a lot of parents who work opposite shifts I suppose.

Funerals and the culture and practices surrounding death are all very different.

I don't have an abundance of parks/softplay/childrens activities nearby. If I did I'm sure they'd be too expensive to just pop in after school etc. 2 within 40 mins drive of me are €8-10 per hr.

Most children just go to their local school (baptism barrier dependent)

New mums here all seem to be inundated with visitors in hospital after their babies are born. I've never come across a new mum who isn't having visitors for the first week/fortnight etc so that they can bond.

Just a few examples there. So, are these typical observations of Irish people? Or just where I live/work? I know that local amenities are dependent on funding etc but it just seems that despite our close proximity to the UK there are big differences in day to day life.
I hope that all comes across ok. I'm just curious really.

At this point in time no one really knows anything.

There is no agreement about anything, there are position papers and so on, but no agreements ratified yet.

So on the balance of probabilities, having an EU passport will help if you need EHIC abroad.

One thing I wonder though. Does one have to be resident in an EU country to get EHIC, I think it needs a PPSN (NIS) to be valid. Just saying. Post Brexit even with an Irish passport you may not qualify. I don't know, just throwing it out there.

I meant National Insurance number. The equivalent in ROI is PPSN, (Personal Public Service Number) and I am sure the same applies throughout the EU.

UK will be a third country post Brexit remember where the Ni number will count for nothing within the EU, unless the negotiations move swiftly, and there is no sign of that!

You need an address and PPS for an EH11 card. It gets posted to your Irish address.

EHIC card I mean

Cherry,

Seems one must be resident in Ireland to avail of EHIC so.

Good to know for those who may think having an Irish passport but are not resident in Ireland may give that option.

Yes, as far as I'm aware the point of the EHIC is to prove you're ordinarily resident in an EU country so you're entitled to medical care. Mine identifies which Irish health board division (province) my address corresponds to so I presume there is some record sent to them if you use it abroad.

Cherry,

I guess it is reciprocal amongst residents of all EU countries provided they can prove with a PPSN or equivalent that they are residents of the EU.

Still, an EU passport will provide freedom of movement and other benefits just the same.

Good to clear it up for those who might think that post Brexit, if you are not resident in an EU country you will not qualify for EHIC even if you hold an EU passport.

Whew!

But you can't apply for an EHIC of you're not resident in an EU country. Isn't that what I said? It's proof of residency, not citizenship.

Cherry

If you are responding to me, and I'm not sure, but if you are, your tone in your latest post is, well..... a bit off imv.

Anyway, that's the EHIC all cleared up now!

Reading this thread with interest. I'm English, grew up in another European country, spent time in several... but am embarrassed to admit that I never paid much attention to anything Irish until more recently (eg Brexit).

Some things on here are more mumsnet things than English things to me. I live in the home counties, although not in the most "home counties" (MC) area. I've never heard people in real life talk about calling social services, other than once in my teaching career. There's also not much fuss around here about school admissions, but that's probably because kids in my area generally do get a place at a good school. I know friends in other areas of town who have been worried about their kids being sent to secondary schools which have less than 50% pass rate (ie 5 A*-C) at GCSE.

Having grown up in a country where we did a "leaving cert" equivalent, I do prefer that. Of course, at the time, I wished I could drop maths like my English cousins but now I'm pleased that I had a more rounded education.

I'm not keen on English funerals either, but haven't been to any in Ireland and only one in another country so I don't know if it's just English ones I don't like.

@MrStarkIDontFeelSoGood
The minimum standard to pass the LC (by dept of education guidance) is having 5 passes at Ordinary Level.

There's no such thing as failing English, Irish, or Maths and therefore failing he whole LC. That said, college courses usually require you to have passed English and maths, so most people are fairly scuppered if they fail them. Hence the popularity of repeating!

The NUI (so UCD, UCC, NUI Galway, Maynooth) requires passes in English, Irish and four other subjects for general matriculation. Maths is only required for certain degree courses. Most NUI degree courses also require a foreign language.

TCD requires English and either Maths + foreign language or Latin + non-language subject.

The July provision is only for children with autism or severe learning disabilities, other children are not entitled to it. The long holidays can be very hard for children with disabilities because their routine is suddenly stopped and they don't know why, they also miss their friends in school. There is no supplet for children with disabilities and their families during the summer in Ireland

Most things are the same but there are some differences.

On MN there's a lot of talk about Ofsted and school reports and good schools, which you wouldn't hear in Ireland except for the anomaly that is South County Dublin. In Ireland most parents just send their DC to the local school or maybe deliberate between the national school vs. the Gaelscoil vs. the Educate Together school. I suppose that's another difference - no Gaelscoileanna in the UK obviously.

As we all know, the school holidays are longer here and I laugh to myself when I read threads where UK parents are complaining about the six weeks summer holidays and how they'll occupy their DC and/or manage for childcare.

In the UK, income seems to fluctuate a lot in accordance with tax credits. I know we have tax credits here too but my income has hardly changed at all in recent years. I read a lot about posters getting a windfall (or the reverse - facing a drop in income) as a result of changes to tax credits.

Posters making multiple visits to GPs with different family members- I'm working out the cost in my head and wincing at the cost - then I remember that there's no cost because of the NHS. But I was astonished when I read about posters waiting weeks to see a GP in some areas when I can see a GP on the same day or (worst case scenario) the next day.

Op I've noticed a lot of references to soft play on MN too - much more so than here.

They're the main differences I've noticed. And the funerals of course.

Only anecdotally obviously but I am a health professional and have lived in both countries.

Younger English people definitely saw GP more and has a variety of medications and diagnoses for anxiety, back pain, depression. Looks yes of the appointment reasons seemed very trivial.

Think the cost of the GP in Ireland makes people think twice about presenting with problems. Not sure if that is good or bad.

Would be interested to see stats regarding medications for depression etc in both countries.

Well Ireland has one of the highest suicide rates in the world so probably a bad thing that people are discouraged going to dr for mental health problems in Ireland because of cost or other reasons

I should be clearer - young male suicide rates

Growing up with an Irish mother, going home a lot I think it rubbed off on me. Living in Wales, the Welsh seem to have a lot in common with the Irish.

Schools, send them to the local one you like, plenty of choice around.

Childrens parties a mixture, some outsourced, mine usually at home, plenty of food and drink for grown ups as well as children. Funerals, well we do have to wait for a free slot, worse in winter. No invitations, sometimes dozens of cars lined up in the road outside church. Afterwards back to house, club, hotel for a good feed to share stories of the departed.

Visiting dropping in, friends and family welcome, put the kettle on and sit down for a good natter. They`ll tell you if they have to go out. When baby is born you are usually thrown out of hospital within a day, family pop in to make themselves useful or run errands for the new Mum. When sons were abroad travelling in Europe during a world cup, the Portuguese set up road blocks from Spain asking people if they were English, our lot said no Welsh, they laughed and waved them through.

I could apply for an Irish passport apparently, had not thought to do so.

I’m Irish and get asked a lot abroad if I’m english. People change their attitude entirely when they hear you’re Irish, especially in France. My favourite was when in France, the waitress told the kitchen to bring out the good paté because we weren’t English. She didn’t realise I spoke French! So you could use your passport to get better pâté

It`s the same if you say you are Welsh when abroad. You get a smile and good service. They really do not like the English overseas.

Beer mats!

When I first moved to the UK there was a severe lack of beer mats. I was constantly dripping condensation from my pint on my lap when I was taking a sip. Seems to be more around now, or maybe it's just because we drink locally now rather than in London. Used to drive me mad though.

Service at the bar doesn't seem as good. Bar staff often don't ask for another order while finishing up with a previous customer. Also don't seem as aware of who was queuing first. I once told them to serve someone before me as he was there first, then the barman never came back. Was raging

Might be just London though. I'm less familiar with the rest of the UK.

Re my mums funeral which took place in NI, she died on a Tuesday lunchtime and her body was taken for post mortem for certain reasons we had her death announced on local radio stations at 5pm with "funeral arrangements later", the phone lit up as people kept asking the same question over and over, did they think she was murdered or suspicious circumstances as that could be the only possible reason for a post mortem obviously, we had the body released to us on Wednesday evening to take to house for wake to funeral on Friday morning with burial afterwards

in the graveyard i didnt notice my then 4 year niece at my hip and turned around, hit her with my handbag and knocked her into the grave. The ripple of laughter and gasps was palpable, she was OK but I felt awful at the time

We also forgot to register the death in the midst of everything so did it the following week. Im guessing it would be massive problem if it was England but it wasnt.

Im born in Ireland and now live in NI, I went to school thru the irish school system and while I cant compare it with living in England or elsewhere, I wouldnt want to have grown up anywhere else.

I have never applied for a passport as never needed one but i might, it will be an irish passport as i have no other options but thats grand as claiming my own nationality has saved me once in the past when i was under threat, i was pushed to freedom based on it. Which gave time for myself and the other 2 irish people to get help and all was safe and sound and the threat was reduced by police and i was really glad to see them. The others involved who werent of irish nationality were held for longer under threat but all of us got out safely with "only" shock.

I also recall being in a car accident when i was 8 and the car overturned on icy road when my mum was picking my brother up from work one night, some neighbours were soon on the scene and took me to their house while paramedics / fire brigade and gardai all worked to free them and make everything safe. When they came to check on me at neighbours house, they found me sitting wrapping in a blanket cos of the shock having a hot whiskey, with plenty of whiskey lol. They arranged for me to stay with neighbours overnight and for access to home to get pyjamas etc- it would only happen in Ireland,

Especially in America you get asked if you're English. I lived in the UK for 14 years and although I don't have a strong Dublin accent, I have a bit of a Ross O'Carroll-Kelly accent, so maybe I'm fooling myself, but in the states they don't hear the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly drawl because Laurel/Yanny style perhaps, it's the part of my accent that I don't like but the part that they don't hear so nobody could figure out where I was from. When I said Ireland it was met with disbelief.

@slanetaylor the French are ridiculous in their preference for the IRish actually. I needed a pen and digging in my bag, the French man saw my Irish passport and was suddenly very warm.. I thought, you didn't like me, 20 seconds ago, because you thought I was English!? In contrast the Spanish don't care if you're English or Irish which I find a bit healthier. I don't want anybody deciding whether to be cold or warm based on my passport!

I have never experienced the dislike of the French towards the English and we holiday there a lot . I have four daughters with English accents and my h is English too.

Smurfy, I am appalled by the driving in Ireland . I hope the laws have tightened up but I remember young people driving their parents' cars with only a provisional license and , in some cases, not having had any lessons at all.
Fatal accidents are way too common there too .

@Ophelialovescats Are you similarly appalled by driving in France, which has a road fatality rate much higher than Ireland's? Or do you just reserve your appall for Ireland?