Moving to Dublin - any advice?

[whattodo235]

Hello all, I posted in living overseas already so apologies for double thread! My husband has been offered a good job near Dublin airport so we’re considering moving from London to Ireland in the next few months. We will have 2 kids in nursery and one 5 year old at primary school (going into year 1 in the UK system). Do you have any advice on areas, schools, making friends, whether it’s a good idea overall etc?! Thanks so much!

tbh it does depend where you live - usually the best primary school is the closest one as they don't differ hugely, although if you aren't Catholic you might be more comfortable with the Educate Together than Star of the Sea. Sandymount is obviously closer to the city so a bit handier than Howth for cultural / shopping stuff. But Howth/Sutton are so so beautiful with such gorgeous beaches - as are the beaches at Donabate, Skerries etc. Sandymount has the strand but it can get stinky and a bit more like big mudflats than a beach beach.

One other thing - the Sandymount area is really good for sports clubs such as hockey, cricket, rugby, athletics, soccer and even sailing

My only advice is don't. It is gone crazy now and not safe unless you have loads of money to live in a really nice area.

You really could say that about a million other places on this planet! Your comment is quite rude considering the OP has to move because her husband has got a job in Dublin.

Dublin has loads of nice places to live and go to school and make friends. It also has dodgy areas but based on what the OP has posted so far, it's unlikely that she or her family are planning on moving to any of these areas.

Also, please don't forget that one of THE nicest areas in Dublin had a notorious criminal living in it (Ranelagh and The General).

Skerries is heaven

Lived there

Was a teacher there

Just so lovely

Sorry, late to the party, but we loved Shellybanks, only left to move cross country. Really liked it. Very inclusive.

I second the observation about John Scottus. Give it a swerve.

Totally untrue! Like anywhere there are some dodgy areas but much of Dublin is very safe.

@whattodo235 - whenever you do decide the area that you're moving to, once you're here, I'd reach out to some of the local GP's to see if they are taking on any new patients:
https://www.gov.ie/en/service/search-for-a-registered-doctor/

Same with dentists.

You will find other stuff out as you find your feet in the area that you're moving to.

Best of luck with your upcoming move!

I find it so, so expensive when we visit family- and we spent 10 years in London including “fancy” SW areas and now live in Herts.

Hidden extras like health and school supplies cost can really bump up COL too.

Food and drink is very expensive (supermarkets and eating out).

We considered the move to be close to family but combined income of around £200k plus couldn’t get us anywhere like the standard of living we have here. Our experience is confined to Dublin though.

As others have said- Skerries and Malahide are lovely (but bitterly cold and wet in winter).

Thanks so much all for your good advice! We’ve been here a week near Sandymount and looking for a longer term rental. The city is lovely but expensive!!
does anyone have good suggestions for crèches/daycare - preferably all day? Or know anything about gilford Montessori, or any of the others near Sandymount? Thanks so much!

Yay glad its going well :) We spent 3 weeks over Christmas in Dublin with my family and made us decide for sure we want to move back now!! Been on the fence the last 2 years since our daughter was born!! But we are going to make it happen now!! bit overwhelmed with the whole logistics of it all but so excited :)

Congratulations on your move & welcome.

Unfortunately, I don't have any suggestions for creches/daycare on the south side of the city as I live on the northside and have since before my kids were born so I only know places over here.

Montessori schools have to follow the Montessori method which (having been a graduate of the teaching methodology) I think is great. Kids share the equipment and return it to the shelves before taking something new out and they have to wait until another child has finished with equipment so they don't grab or snatch is out of their hands. They also learn a lot more but patience, sharing and waiting your turn is HUGE at that age.

Where are you finding expensive? Is there a particular shop that you're finding pricey or just things in general? Don't forget about getting yourself a Leap Card that you can use on the Dart, LUAS and Bus. If you need to hop on and off public transport and your journey only takes 90 mins, it should only cost you €2. You can also top up your Leap Card on your iPhone now.

Best of luck with it all.

Hello! Me again - we are here and doing ok although my eldest (5) is really missing home I think and struggling to fit in at school :( which is just the worst. We are considering a move from Sandymount to Howth, mainly as the housing prices are better, but also as it might be easier to move him now after only a few weeks rather than a year or so in. Any experience of living in Howth with a young family? Or of Howth primary/Sutton park/st fintans (we have places I think)?? He’s currently at Shellybanks. Thanks all!!!

Is shellybanks not working out? I'm sorry to hear that. Howth equally as posh as sandymount. i'm no expert, so ignore as you see fit, but a few weeks is a v short timeframe for your child to settle. It's presumably been a huge change for them. I wouldnt rush into anything atm.

Overall I agree with the PP that it's early days, but you could start with your research on alternatives to make sure you find a good match elsewhere.

If you feel a change is in order, I'd ask each school you're considering if they could give you a tour to get a feel for the place. It's worth looking at the website for each school too.

Sutton and Howth are solidly MC areas and schools are good.

Shellybanks is good I think and everyone’s been very welcoming but I think it will take a long time for him to feel really part of everything (of course) - so I guess our thinking is, if we like Howth more as a place, and house prices are a bit more feasible, maybe best to go now rather than in a year? But honestly I’ve no idea!

I really wouldn't bother moving to Ireland, if you can help it. Boring and expensive. The UK is much better (Irish person living in the UK).

Lol, Dublin's not like London. London is 4 times bigger than the whole of Ireland. Dublin is a backwater, and barely a city.

Oh, hadn't seen you've already moved OP. Good luck, I hope it works out

I live in Howth and would be happy for you to DM me.

I'd say give it a decent chance, we only had two years there but it was great and full of different nationalities. And they very much celebrated that which i loved (am bog standard irish). Idk about Howth schools but it's fairly up there with Sandymount etc in terms of transport so a good place to be. Best of luck to you anyway, we're dealing with secondary applications now and totally mithered 😬

Is your DS in any afterschool activities with his classmates? It might help him settle in and make friends.
DHs nephews are in Shellybanks they do Gaelic football and drama. There are loads of sports clubs and non sporting activities in the area.
Did your DS do any activities before you moved?

Howth will be better for your husband's work as well, not trying to cross the city every day. I'd make the move northside now.

100% this.

If you can get in to Sutton Park, you'd be on to a winner. There really isn't much difference at the primary school age between private schools and public schools in Ireland as they have to stick to the curriculum.
https://www.npc.ie/
https://www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/parents-associations-and-councils/#
https://www.schooldays.ie/

The above links should be able to help you out.

Hope you are doing well and managing with the adjustment ok.

Settling in will be tricky for most children that age, but I'm sure the primary schools in Howth will be as welcoming. If you prefer Howth/Sutton and think it more likely you'd be able to buy a house there, I'd make the move now.

I'd keep in mind how far it is from the city centre compared to Sandymount and driving time to the airport may not be much better (looking at google maps, Sandymount to airport is a few minutes quicker than Howth to airport at this time, but obviously it's quieter in the middle of the day).