Unlocking Ireland - thread uimhir a seacht!

[LifeInAHamsterWheel]

A shiny new thread for us all to talk pure shite whilst we wait for lockdown to end

@eggandonion

We thought about going to Kinsale yesterday, but it rained so we didn't. I always need a wee when we go places.

Did you see they* put out a list of all the public toilets in Ireland? It's called pee.ie Great idea though.

*That great, nebulous 'they' we like to use in Ireland!

Pee.ie and RIP.ie are the bastions of the internet as far as my parents are concerned. My American and English friends think it is absolutely hilarious that my parents, who only started using the internet in their mid-70s have RIP.ie as their homepage.

I suspect I have never managed to explain the absolute necessity of not missing a death, attending the funerals of someone you may never have met, and the importance of mass cards.

pee.ie
I love it! It's brilliant and very necessary

@Sarahtrue11

Did anyone else leave Ireland last year to work remotely in Europe?

I left Ireland in Level 3 last year, it was around -August/September, when we were allowed to leave the country, and several of my friends left as the same time aswell. I have been in four European countries since then, working remotely. Anyone else on here doing it?

Is there not tax implications to not being a resident?

My job requires me to be on site, so it's not an option for me, but it is interesting. I know of some europeans who went home and are working remotely from home, but not irish that left to work remotely from abroad.

That great, nebulous 'they' we like to use in Ireland! we are a natural home for conspiracy theorists

@JaneJeffer

That great, nebulous 'they' we like to use in Ireland! we are a natural home for conspiracy theorists

So they say

Dd2 has colleagues working in Canada, Italy and Turkey, based in Dublin. I know the tax was complicated, the company discouraged it.
We dropped the dog to the groomer half an hour ago, traffic was horrendous. There is a six week waiting list for an appointment. She wouldn't let me stay and have a trim myself.

"Is there not tax implications to not being a resident?

My job requires me to be on site, so it's not an option for me, but it is interesting. I know of some europeans who went home and are working remotely from home, but not irish that left to work remotely from abroad."

Hi! I didn't have to do anything myself, regarding tax. Our company accountants sorted it all out. We were just informed that we can work from anywhere within Europe. My company is a large international company, with several offices around Europe, so that possibly made it easier.

With a lot more jobs going fully remote, it will be interesting to see if it is easier for everyone to work remotely and travel around Europe. We are lucky to be in the EU, with the right to live everywhere within it.

Something really inspired me last year. It happened just before Covid. I was in Ireland, at a book club, and I was taking to a South African man. He had come to Ireland to claim asylum. He told me how difficult the process is, how he is not allowed to work in Ireland at all for the first few years, he is living in a refugee centre, and how it would take him years to get Irish citizenship.

He said to me "you are so unbelievably lucky, because with your Irish passport, you can live in the UK if you wanted to, (he wasn't allowed to live in the UK either), and you can live anywhere in Europe if you want to". You know, he made me realize all the freedom that I have, that I can live anywhere in Europe. Many people do not have that freedom. He definitely had a good effect on me, not to take things for granted. That is why I wanted to travel and live around Europe for a while.

Loads of people I know travel a lot for work but don't take up residence in different countries every month. A lot would work remotely while travelling for 2 weeks, then take 2 weeks annual leave, so they take maybe a month skiing. Or they used to. Don't know of anyone travelling much recently. Where are you based or do you live out of hostels/hotels with no fixed abode? You can't keep renting a new gaff every 6 weeks and registering in different countries surely?
Travelled a lot in my youth. I'm too damn old now. Travelling in lockdown sounds miserable, though I find flights and moving countries stressful even before COVID! Handy enough when you've a steady job I suppose, so don't have the stress of setting up everything every time you move.

@Therewereroses

Loads of people I know travel a lot for work but don't take up residence in different countries every month. A lot would work remotely while travelling for 2 weeks, then take 2 weeks annual leave, so they take maybe a month skiing. Or they used to. Don't know of anyone travelling much recently. Where are you based or do you live out of hostels/hotels with no fixed abode? You can't keep renting a new gaff every 6 weeks and registering in different countries surely? Travelled a lot in my youth. I'm too damn old now. Travelling in lockdown sounds miserable, though I find flights and moving countries stressful even before COVID! Handy enough when you've a steady job I suppose, so don't have the stress of setting up everything every time you move.

I have no fixed abode. I rent air b and b apartments. Long term.

I have been staying in each country for around three - four months.

It is actually easy to travel during Covid. A lot of countries in Europe were open to tourists.

It was actually far easier to travel during Covid for me, than it was to stay in Ireland during Covid last year.

Ireland was having a far stricter lockdown than many other countries in Europe.

So for example, in Ireland you are not allowed to leave the country at all without proper reason, and anyone coming into Ireland must have a negative test, and all restaurants and coffee shops are closed.

In the last country that I was in, Sweden, when I entered, I was not asked for a negative Covid test, and I was not told to quarantine. And all restaurants and coffee shops are open in Sweden.

In the current country, that I am in, Albania, I was not asked for a negative Covid test to get in, and I was not asked to quarantine, and all restaurants and coffee shops are open here.

I will probably spend one more month in Albania. Then I am thinking of going to North Macedonia,

I love the range and juxtaposition of topics on this thread

I don't think I ever heard a cuckoo in Ireland but it's come back to me now that when I heard one here (Germany) last year it was a positive sign of early summer that coincided with things getting better post-first lockdown... so that's made me a bit hopeful now.

Pee.ie is also great news My mum was only saying the other day about the problem of toilets eggandonion - it was actually when I suggested the grave-tending loophole I also learned from this thread so I will tell her about that too.

Speaking of excitement, I got my Google Maps timeline email for March through the other day - you'll never guess what the highlights were. Lidl, Aldi and Penny (another discount supermarket, believe it or not). Even without a 5km restriction, there hasn't been a hell of a lot to do here either!

Sounds like you're having a really good time Sarah! When I was younger I loved travelling and everything was a new experience so nothing seemed stressful or a chore. Nowadays, getting to Stanstead/Heathrow to fly to Ireland is a step too far for me. I'm a smoker too, so inevitably leave going through security until the last possible moment so I pretty much always have a heart-stopping 30 minutes in the queue where I'm sure I'm going to miss my flight. Do I learn? No, I do not. I do it every single fucking time. My first time flying from Heathrow was quite the shock to the system. The foyer area of the terminal (is that what you call it) is deceivingly relaxed so I had NO FUCKING CLUE of the utter mayhem that would await once I went through to security. Oh my. Where had they all been hiding? By contrast, flying out of Shannon has to have been the most relaxed experience of my life. If I had a choice, I'd use the ferry. I hate the stress of carry-on luggage/little bottles of this/little bottles of that, while you try to squash everything into a miniature little case as it's unconsionable to pay for luggage to be checked in. Using the brilliant logic that I was born with, I will pack only a tiny amount and then buy everything I need when I arrive at my destination. This will cost me three thimes the price of checking in luggage, but I wouldn't please them to do it otherwise lol.

I love the range and juxtaposition of topics on this thread Indeed, a unique talent for wandering off on tangents we have! Standing at a bus stop commenting on the weather, 5 minutes later you're discussing the political affairs of Northern Ireland with a complete stranger. Good times.

You have a better chance of hearing a cuckoo in the Burren or Connemara SecondRow, but their numbers are declining.

Another random fact is the female makes a different sound to the 'cuckoo' sound associated with the bird.

takes off nerd hat

I had a dream that I was in the hotel in Spanish Point, thanks to this thread mentioning co Clare.
I wish I was!

I have booked a couple of Airbnb’s for July and August and am starting to panic that country wide travel won’t be allowed by then! The whole vaccine mess and lack of any road map is really getting to me this week.
Has anyone else any holiday in Ireland plans or are you all waiting to see what happens?

I'm waiting, Mayzee.

Spanish Point sounds good :)

@Mayzee

I have booked a couple of Airbnb’s for July and August and am starting to panic that country wide travel won’t be allowed by then! The whole vaccine mess and lack of any road map is really getting to me this week. Has anyone else any holiday in Ireland plans or are you all waiting to see what happens?

I have booked the last week of June off work, its the only week of DS summer holidays that I can take off work.

Im going to start researching and see if we can do day trips to farms/wildlife parks etc. If theres an option to book Ill take the chance and book them.

Wont be doing overnights though as DS (almost 2) would be a nightmare to get to sleep somewhere other than his own cot. Following the first lockdown last year, he got so used to sleeping in his own bed that he wouldnt sleep anywhere else after it, not even in the car

If anyone has suggestions of day trips in Munster that could possibly be open in the summer, please let me know

I have DS7 and DS2.

@Thesagacontinues my kids are older and after sharing a hotel room with them last summer I swore never again!!!
Day trips are brilliant at that age and home to your own beds after!
My bookings are free cancellation so I won’t be out of pocket but really want to get somewhere for a few days. And to see a beach:)

Where is the starting point for day trips?

Fingers crossed you get to go Mayzee, a break and change of scenery is really needed after the last year.

We're in South Tipp eggandonion - about an hour from Cork, hour from Limerick, 45 mins from KK, Waterford is within good driving distance too.

I think Fota Wildlife Park near Cork is set to reopen on April 26th Thesagacontinues.

Thesagacontinues
Day trips, you ask?
My Mastermind specialist subject, I say.

Have you been to :
-Ardmore, beach and round tower?

• along the Greenway in Waterford (could join at Clonea, and include a lovely day at the beach as well). When you're done, go to Eunice Power's fish and chips in Dungarvan... you will be ruined for all other fish n chips, ever after. I am literally drooling remembering them from last year.
• Garryvoe beach and a run for Saturday pizzas in Ballymaloe (if they're open).
• Fota Wildlife park- though you've probably done that?
• Castlecomer discovery park? Lovely playground and feed the ducks- great spots for picnics and a nice walk.
• in to Kilkenny, park near the Castle, pack a picnic for the park there, or get nice sandwiches from one of the lovely places at the other end of the High Street. (Blaa Blaa or the Gourmet Store).
• down to Waterford.... again, nice sandwiches from Ardkeen Stores or the GIY place. Out to Dunmore to look at the boats in the harbour, cross the ferry to Wexford, make a few sandcastles on the beach at Duncannon, long drive home with tired and happy children.
• Hook Head in Wexford- bit of a stretch for you to get to, but again, they have a nice sandwich place, which was bombing last summer. Playground outside. It's such a long distance down to the lighthouse, that you go there, to go there IYKWIM.
• You probably know the Clare Glens? If not, that's another spot to have as a destination.
• Bunratty Castle- closed at the moment, but if things lighten up, that's another nice, outdoorsy spot for the children.

I'll stop now

I have 3 favourite counties (other than the 1 I live in) - Clare, Cork and Wicklow.

Clare has lovely beaches for swimming and surfing and rock pooling, great Atlantic weather with wind to blow the cobwebs out but sometimes lovely sunshine too, the Burren, lovely cakes (O'Connor's Bakery for cakes, and their bread is sold in SuperValu's in the county as well), tasty cheeses, ....

Cork has similar beaches (even some decent surfing on a few small ones), but the Atlantic weather is more wet and wild in a way. West Cork has great places to explore and get lost in, and great islands. But there are nice mountains to climb as well. Food is great - whether eating out or buying ingredients - slow food movement is pretty strong and there are some great farmer's markets. Home of Barry's Tea, O'Connaill's chocolate (who also do good coffee!), and lots of great deli's too. City has some fascinating history, as does Kinsale. And it is massive!! Which is great if you are confined to a single county.

Wicklow is more about the climbing in the mountains and the peace up there. Great scenery, looking out over the Irish Sea on a clear day all the way to Wales. Warmer and drier than the west coast, but can get blowy on occasion too. And some lovely little harbours dotted along the coast.