Where would you live if you were working in Dublin 1-3 days per week?

[maybemovingtoireland]

We might relocate to Ireland after Brexit. My husband has been offered a job in Dublin, the nearest station would be Monkstown. We haven't lived in Ireland before.

He is actually able to work remotely from home as much as he likes- he doesn't have to go into the office regularly- but ideally he would want to be in the office 2-3 days per week as he doesn't like being at home every day. He would want to either cycle or use public transport to get to work. If we lived far away he would be willing to stay overnight in Dublin one night a week to have two days in the office without going backwards and forwards each day, and the other 3 days at home.

Luckily my job is flexible and I would be able to work pretty much anywhere in Ireland.

The things we are looking for in an area are:

• good schools (our eldest will be 5 in sept 2019 so I think we would be applying late to schools and dependent on where there are spaces, so it would seem sensible to choose an area with several good schools rather than just one)
• not car dominated- we dislike driving and would like to not need a car day to day. We also dislike areas with lots of congestion where it's hard to cycle or walk due to the car traffic, we would like somewhere where it is pleasant to walk and cycle day to day. We would also like good public transport links. We would be ok to use a car for weekend trips
• good open spaces nearby (whether parks, beach or countryside)

We currently live in London and are used to city living, but happy to have a change.

In our current area of London a small 3 bed house with small garden is around 2500 euros per month to rent, a nice area with a park and good schools nearby. Although we could pay more if needed, we would probably want to not live somewhere more expensive.

Can anyone recommend any areas? I have been looking at various areas of Dublin which looks like a good fit, but frustrating to be paying similar rental prices to London as we don't need to be in the city.

I'm also not sure how difficult it is to find a school place arriving out of sync. Our current primary school is fantastic so it's daunting to move away being unsure what we will get.

Thanks for any advice.

[beanaseireann]

Ah ok.

[dublinreturner]

@beanaseireann, yes, that's correct. It's why private primary schools tend to cost more than their secondary equivalents.

[beanaseireann]

dublinreturner
Private secondary schools get state subsidies but private primary schools get no state assistance. The school relies on the fees for its running.
DSIL works in one and told me.

[dublinreturner]

On schools, you really to be clear about religion because it's a very different system to London (I've had children in schools in both places). The removal of baptism requirements in Ireland is very recent so it isn't yet fully clear how it will be implemented next September (e.g. schools may still be able to ask for proof of the parents' religion). I understand that you are not religious but the difficulty is that the schools that are run on completely secular lines (Educate Together schools) are thin on the ground and over subscribed. Unfortunately non religious people are the least well served in the Irish system. Because religion is not taken into consideration at all by Educate Together schools it means they cannot reserve places for atheist families who have fewer choices than most.
Protestant schools and Catholic schools are not basically a similar offering just with a different flavour of religion as they are in London. Protestant denomination schools are not numerous and despite being run by a particular denomination they tend to be run on a non-denominational basis (e.g. instruction for confirmation tends take place outside school hours) as they cater for children with a wide mix of religious backgrounds, Protestant, Catholic and non Christian religions as well as quite a few non-religious parents wanting to avoid a heavily Catholic ethos. If either of you was baptised/brought up in a Protestant denomination that's a pretty valuable card in your deck and I would suggest starting by looking at Protestant National (primary) schools. Contact the schools directly and get your name down as a Protestant applicant. Not having a permanent address yet will not be a problem (Protestant applicants living anywhere usually have priority over catchment area applications) and our experience was that they went out of their way to create places for Protestant families because they recognise that your school choices are more limited than a Catholic family's would be. With Catholic schools there is a supply and demand monopoly meaning the schools with the highest demand have been able to fill their places with exclusively Catholic children and as a result the religious instruction in the school can often leave a child from a non religious background feeling very excluded. Less in demand schools (either because they are in less populated areas or because they are not considered as good as the other schools nearby) will have a broader mix in their students and are more likely to be considerate about the inclusion of a non-Catholic child but you'll have to do some local digging about why the school wasn't in enough demand to be full of Catholics!
I'd start with schools and worry about where to live after you have school places. If your husband doesn't mind the commute then anywhere on the East coast within cycle reach of a train/Dart station is possible, especially as I assume he won't be under pressure to be in the office at a particular time. Skerries/Rush/Balbriggan, Drogheda, Wicklow, Arklow etc will all have more affordable housing than living within a cycle of Monkstown.
A lot also depends on what you want your day to look like and how you would feel about living in small-town Ireland rather than in Dublin.
Ireland isn't very well served for completely car free living, especially outside of central Dublin) but car clubs like Go Car might be enough to fill the gaps. Also, it can be a lot easier to build a new social network when there are a lot of other ex-pats (for want of any other term) looking to do the same. Ireland has lots of people living in the same area where they went to school and Uni/College and surrounded by their extended families...people are friendly but they may not have much room in their lives for new friends.
Someone mentioned before, but worth noting, private (secondary) education is state funded in Ireland so fees are generally €5k-€7k, with primary private schools a little bit more expensive.

[oh4forkssake]

As someone who in recent years has lived in both Dublin and London the idea that Dublin is the more expensive city is laughable

I have, and I don't think it's laughable at all. The only thing I pay more for in London is diesel. And it's not much more. My mortgage, utilities, groceries, childcare, transport costs, eating out, extra curricular classes for children - all cheaper.

[mikado1]

Many Dublin schools are only getting applications going now for Sept - Jan/Feb closing but you need an address usually... However you 'have' to get a school place in the end so you'll get something. Give Dalkey Educate Together a shout and they will put you right on their and local policy, it does vary from school to school. As almost all pp have said, it's v expensive in Dublin.

[DublinBlowin]

As someone who in recent years has lived in both Dublin and London the idea that Dublin is the more expensive city is laughable

[HappyHugs]

Ironically the catholic schools in the North do not require proof of religion. I don’t think they’re allowed to discriminate

[kenandbarbie]

There is no set date for applying to schools either. They all have their own policy which you have to look up on their own website. And there is flexibility in ages. They can start at 4 or 5.

Along the coast there are lots of cycle tracks so there is a choice of DART or cycling to work.

[kenandbarbie]

I would look along the DART not just south side also try Clontarf, Sutton, Howth, Malahide. Skerries is lovely too but a bit further out. I live in Dublin and I love it! It is expensive, have you looked at Daft.ie for rentals?

Do you prefer countryside or city living?

90% of schools are faith here. There generally isn't any requirement for attendance though, only baptism. This is supposed to have been removed but I think if the school is full they can still take a proportion of children of that faith first? In the catholic schools they do learn a lot of religion, so if you aren't into that you'd be better off with an educate together or a church of Ireland school. The baptism barrier still applies in minority religion schools, which includes church of Ireland.

[dramalamma]

I wouldn't live in Dublin if your dh only has to be there a few days a week - it's nice but more expensive than London!
I'd second going north - we're near Armagh/newry area and there are quite a few parents at Ds school who commute to Dublin. I'd say schools are more comparable to London in the north than the south (ie they're the same system so easier to transfer back to England too eventually) - the republic is very very religion based - well the north is a too but it's easier to avoid we've found.
Carlingford is lovely - really seasidey but not sure what it's like for schools. I think if it were me I'd go for something totally different from London and buy a big house in the countryside close to the N/S border. I'm from London and have lived in Cork and the north and I know I'd rather be up here than down there (even with the looming shadow of brexit!)
Belfast is always an option too - I've always wanted to love in Belfast and only an hour and a quarter to dub

[StripySocksAndDocs]

Monkstown is very nice. By the sea, and near parks. Have a look on daft.ie. For around 2,500 a month you’d get a two bed house.

Venture further out of Dublin to Kildare and the same rent means a 5 bed house. Less sea though!

[DublinBlowin]

If your DH is working in monkstown I'd live there. It's lovely with good amenities. You could probably find somewhere nice for your budget.

[Flywheel]

Coming from London I think Dublin is likely to be your best fit. Even oversubscribed schools will have places opening up as families move. There are lots of very good schools all over south Dublin so you would be unlucky not to find suitable places, but you will need to do your research. Some more places to add to your list - the suburbs on the green luas line. Dundrum, Sandyford, stepaside. Lots of young families and good schools. Good transport if you're close to the luas and not a bad cycle to Monkstown if your dh doesn't mind hills. Close to th Dublin mountains too so lots of lovely walks.

[StripySocksAndDocs]

Ballsbridge, just mentioned is very nice. But i think the OP mentioned not disliking congestion!

[StripySocksAndDocs]

Carlingford is lovely. Though it'd be a fair commute time wise 2/3 times a week's (well I think it would be!). Wexford would be a fair commute too. Though people do it.

I do think the more rural you go the more you'll need a car. So look along the train line in Wicklow. Rents will be less eyebrow raising than South Dublin.

Check out things like medical expenses too. They cost at source, unlike the NHS.

Plus be prepared for the fact with free education you still buy all books, workbooks and various fees to the school (including a voluntary contribution). Primary school day will be shorted than you expect, and the summer holiday far longer.

I do find education is better. Far less assessment based (no SATs)

How expensive life is for you will depend on your combined income.

[carnationmilkcraving]

Malahide and howth are amazing but too far from monkstown.
I've lived in Malahide and went to school in Sutton but they are a long drive in traffic to Monkstown.
How about Ballsbridge, mount Merrion, dalkey

[HappyHugs]

Location attached. And I should have mentioned that it’s a stunningly beautiful coastal village

[HappyHugs]

So I’m going to throw a little curve ball into the mix. Look at Carlingford in county Louth, literally a few miles from Newry (N.Ireland) but not an unreasonable train ride to Dublin.

There is a possibility your kids could attend school on either side of the border but since it’s a small village I think you’d have no trouble accessing a local school.

[RedFin]

I'd really recommend spending a few days in each town you think you'd like to live in. I've been to Wexford and didn't want to stay the night but would have spent a week in kilkenny! I'm sure others are the opposite. I'd recommend kilkenny, galway, Sligo. Dublin is extremely expensive, rents are out of control. I'm relation to schools, your children's ages will have an effect on if there are places available. For example, the infant classes will probably be full, but I'm the older classes other children might have moved away, leaving spaces that need to be filled. Sometimes it's just a matter or how many children were born in a year. I've experienced classes in the same school of 35 in one age group and 22 in another.
Best wishes for your adventure!

[Brokenfurnitureandroses]

Would you consider Wexford (town or county)? Train directly up to Dun Laoghaire and house prices may be a little cheaper. Schools may be easier to join. There is beautiful countryside and lovely beaches in Wexford also. There is also a private bus link that runs to Dublin frequently. I’m not overly familiar with Wexford lately but I used to work in Dun Laoghaire with some travel to Wexford at times.

[almondfinger]

Cork much smaller then Dublin and public transport pretty useless outside the 5/6 main routes. Rent not much better then Dublin and actually very difficult to even find somewhere to rent.

Excellent schools though. When we were moving home I had places for my dd in 3 schools. We had no address as we hadn't found somewhere to live until a week before we left London. I had just called the various schools asking if there were places and filled in the application for each one and then picked the one that suited closest to our address.

Many of the parents at dd's school regularly travel to Dublin for work. It's 2.5/3 hours by train.

While having a car in London we walked everywhere or used public transport. I drive now, all the time.

We do have great parks, countryside, greenways, cycle paths. Fantastic beaches.

[BaaBaaBaaMoo]

Look outside of Dublin. I have friends with similar working conditions who commute from Waterford.
No need to baptise anymore. That barrier has been removed.
Have a look at Kilkenny or Galway. But more of a commute for your husband but fab cities.

[actiongirl1978]

Obviously I meant to type Dalkey!

[Lightsdown]

We lived in Dublin for a couple of years. Was very happy to leave. It is a very expensive city and felt that life there didn't live up to what it should for all the outlay. My overiding feeling was that Dublin was a capital city in name only - for me it was missing lots. I know that is only my opinion and others will think differently.