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Original poster

Tell me why living in Ireland is shite

125 replies

NonanteNeuf · 05/12/2023 17:30

Myself and DH live in Switzerland, we’ve been here 7 years. We’re at a point right now where we are thinking of moving home.

My contract with work is finishing end of December (fixed duration contract for a project) and I’m finding it hard to find another job. DH could get a job in Dublin no problem.

I fear though that we are romanticising Ireland. Please hit me with the reality!

Go raibh maith agaibh.

OP posts:
Chickenkeev · 09/12/2023 14:05

NonanteNeuf · 09/12/2023 13:58

@TheCadoganArms the reason we’re looking at Dublin is because all of my family are there.

DH is an only, not close to cousins or other relatives so it’s important for us for DD to have a close relationship with her aunts, uncles and cousins.

Have you looked a bit further afield tho? There are a good few places that are accessible enough by train, but COL would be less. Dublin is so expensive 😪

FestiveFrederica · 09/12/2023 14:05

I think if you have family there and if your dd then joins you in Dublin for her postgrad that's a bit different. I do think that if she wants to be closer to family when she finishes uni, it would be nice for you all to be in Dublin. She may then decide she actually wants to live somewhere else though, but at least you'd have your siblings around

MILLYmo0se · 09/12/2023 14:38

Housing will be the huge thing, hard enough if you are buying but could be horrific if renting. Its not just the cost - which is eyewatering in itself- but the fact there are so few rental prpperties and more landlords selling up by the day. We ve just been given 7 months notice and Im in a full blown panic because despite the fact we both have fulltime jobs, excellent references, no pets etc i know how hard its going to be to find a place. And I mean any kind of a place nevermind one thats even practical for work and school . There are lots of employed people couch surfing for months with families split up or on emergency accommodation. Have a look at daft.ie and see what choices you would have for accommodation to get an idea

Chickenkeev · 09/12/2023 14:43

MILLYmo0se · 09/12/2023 14:38

Housing will be the huge thing, hard enough if you are buying but could be horrific if renting. Its not just the cost - which is eyewatering in itself- but the fact there are so few rental prpperties and more landlords selling up by the day. We ve just been given 7 months notice and Im in a full blown panic because despite the fact we both have fulltime jobs, excellent references, no pets etc i know how hard its going to be to find a place. And I mean any kind of a place nevermind one thats even practical for work and school . There are lots of employed people couch surfing for months with families split up or on emergency accommodation. Have a look at daft.ie and see what choices you would have for accommodation to get an idea

I know that feeling. Hopefully in the 7 months you can find somewhere decent. Have you put any feelers out locally? The parish pump stuff can be useful sometimes.

MILLYmo0se · 09/12/2023 14:47

Chickenkeev · 09/12/2023 14:43

I know that feeling. Hopefully in the 7 months you can find somewhere decent. Have you put any feelers out locally? The parish pump stuff can be useful sometimes.

Show quote history

I will be, figured it was best to get xmas over first. I havent told my daughter yet either, i need to come to terms with it myself enough that im calm telling her, shes anxious at the best of times so this will be a disaster. I cant put the word until she knows first.

Chickenkeev · 09/12/2023 14:52

MILLYmo0se · 09/12/2023 14:47

I will be, figured it was best to get xmas over first. I havent told my daughter yet either, i need to come to terms with it myself enough that im calm telling her, shes anxious at the best of times so this will be a disaster. I cant put the word until she knows first.

Show quote history

Fair enough. It's so hard when you have young kids ☹️ but yeah, it's as well to park it for Christmas and revisit in NY. But do try and noodle out any connections through school/work/neighbours. You never know etc.

gotomomo · 09/12/2023 14:55

Don't underestimate the impact of the light, I lived for 5 years in city on the same latitude as Geneva, I then moved home to the U.K. and I've never fully adjusted back, every winter I complain about the dark from beginning of November onwards. I really struggle;but didn't before I lived abroad) I've been back 17 years!

Original poster
NonanteNeuf · 09/12/2023 15:01

@gotomomo yes that is something I thought about. I love spring and autumn for the warm weather and blue skies. Summer is too hot and we spend most of our time with the shutters closed to reduce the heat in the house.

I know that the housing market is crazy. I would be coming to Dublin at least 6 to 8 months before DH if not longer. I guess that’s just about enough time to try to get something.

@MILLYmo0se sorry to hear about your predicament. I’ve been in your shoes and it’s so scary. I hope you find something quickly.

OP posts:
JaneJeffer · 09/12/2023 15:07

Yes @gotomomo the winter darkness is tough. I don't know how it compares to Switzerland. Would it not be much of a muchness?

Original poster
NonanteNeuf · 09/12/2023 16:48

JaneJeffer · 09/12/2023 15:07

Yes @gotomomo the winter darkness is tough. I don't know how it compares to Switzerland. Would it not be much of a muchness?

No it’s slightly better. But slightly.

The big difference is that once the November rainy season passes by we get snow and a lot of days with clear blue skies. But it’s Baltic.

OP posts:
cheezncrackers · 09/12/2023 16:48

JaneJeffer · 09/12/2023 15:07

Yes @gotomomo the winter darkness is tough. I don't know how it compares to Switzerland. Would it not be much of a muchness?

I just googled to see how many hours of daylight you get in December.

Geneva: 8 hours 44 mins
Dublin: 7 hours 39 mins

That extra hour of daylight in winter makes a huge difference.

JaneJeffer · 09/12/2023 16:58

We get about 10 minutes more light in the west Grin

Original poster
NonanteNeuf · 09/12/2023 17:36

JaneJeffer · 09/12/2023 16:58

We get about 10 minutes more light in the west Grin

Plus the incredible sunsets obviously 😁

OP posts:
theDudesmummy · 09/12/2023 17:56

I would say probably the only thing I struggle with here in the west is the incredible lateness of the sunrise in winter! But I do love the long summer evenings!

stayathomer · 09/12/2023 18:00

I’m Irish from Dublin but living in the midlands, Dublin is only good if you have the money to live there. The tough areas are very very tough (dh works in one and it’s every Irish cliche you’ve ever seen, fights, broken windows, people getting in your face, young lads robbing shops and setting off bangers etc)

Healthcare awful, just waited two years for a very routine test

other than that though, honestly amazing, love it!

romdowa · 09/12/2023 18:08

I moved back to my home town in West cork about 2 years ago from the UK and its the best thing I ever did. I love being home and my British dh loves it here too.

KnutonHardz · 09/12/2023 18:13

@NonanteNeuf based on the salaries you quote, it would be no problem to live comfortably in Dublin. Also, not having childcare costs is a huge plus. Regardless, the traffic and relatively poor public transport can be a big issue for many people, at least it would be for me.

Thing might have changed a lot since you lived in Ireland too. I'm currently in NI, based on a farm, but fairly close to a large town. I'm used to the sectarian nature of this place (it is what it is, and not likely to change) but the eye opener for me has been the level of crime and drugs/gangs (which are part of the sectarian groups).

I liked the "live and let live" approach in Switzerland, low crime, (relatively) trouble free mixing of people from different backgrounds. What did drive us crazy were the rules :)

JaneJeffer · 09/12/2023 18:33

theDudesmummy · 09/12/2023 17:56

I would say probably the only thing I struggle with here in the west is the incredible lateness of the sunrise in winter! But I do love the long summer evenings!

Oh I love that. I'll be watching Glastonbury or Wimbledon and it's gone dark but it'll still be bright here for ages afterwards.

I have to say that when I lived in London the sunsets could be gorgeous too, reflecting off the buildings, a different kind of beauty.

Mooshamoo · 09/12/2023 19:57

I think that Irish women can be very unfriendly. I go to meetup groups in Dublin. The only friends I've ever made have been non Irish people . They will chat away. The Irish women are always unfriendly. It's what a lot of people have mentioned. Irish women tend to only want to stick to the same five school friends they've known for twenty years. They don't want new friends. Or even to talk to new people. t's kind of a strange mentality

pinkhousesarebest · 09/12/2023 21:26

Don’t know if it’s any consolation to you all, but we are in SE France ( close to the Swiss border) and the weather is bloody awful and has been since September. I’m from NI originally and there is no difference .
Interesting thread. We have been here for 25 years. Both dc’s now in NUIG ( totally loving it), and I do wistfully sometimes about a little cottage in Donegal.

ticketstickets · 09/12/2023 21:49

I think you will like the weather if you don't ike hot summers.

Honestly I walk a lot and its very rare that the weather is really miserable and cold.

The renting thing is huge, currently renting and its a nightmare, if you are in a postion to buy its much better.

mollyfolk · 09/12/2023 22:13

NonanteNeuf · 09/12/2023 10:48

Thank you all for your contributions to the thread.

I both recognise and don’t recognise the points. Small town mentality is not something I experienced and I’ve lived in two different tiny one shop/pub towns in Cork and Clare.

Housing here in Geneva is bonkers. You can easily spend 3k on a 1 bed apartment but with a comparably high salary it’s often a moot point. DH would be get about 170k salary in Dublin and I would be able to get 75-80k. I know that doesn’t solve the problem of actually getting to see rental properties.

We were in Dublin recently and the city centre was a nightmare once the sun went down. We had DH’s parents with us and I was fairly mortified.

I think, from reading all of your posts, that the weather may be something to consider. We have a very outdoorsy culture in Switzerland no matter what the weather.

DD would stay to do her final year in Uni. She’s happy to live in student housing or share with her uni friends. She’s studying Swiss law which is different from Irish system but she wants to work in diplomacy so would do a masters in international law which she could do from Dublin. She’s got 2 EU passports so there wouldn't be an issue for her getting a Swiss work permit should she want to come back to Geneva.

When making these decisions it always feels like we need an adult to tell us what to do 😂

The small town mentality is definitely specific to certain areas. Often small towns in cork and Connemara have loads of newcomers. I have family in Northern Ireland and my DH is Scottish and we moved from a small town to Dublin after initially living in England: So we have no natural friends or family here. there has been no problem making friends and settling in. The city center feels awful at the moment but doesn’t impact us. Overall it is good - my kids are leading good lives , cycling to school, doing activities. We bought a house. We live in an area on the up and we have a diverse group of friends. The local GAA club is very inclusive and my DH has recently become a mentor. I have a book club, I do a Zumba class and the school community is diverse and welcoming. Outdoorsy life is possible but it feels harder than the UK but it is possible. Lots of hardy people sea swimming and hiking - I only dabble. With your salary you can live a good life in Dublin.

MarieDeGournay · 10/12/2023 10:49

Judging from your username , NonanteNeuf, whipped ice cream with a chocolate flake stuck in it is surely one of the major attractions of living in Ireland.😋À bon entendeur, salut !

ChanelNo19EDT · 10/12/2023 10:56

They say Ireland's expensive and it is I know but if you have a house in the UK to sell, you'll be ok, surely. My house is worth about 300k which would buy a parking space in zone 8 and where I live, I can get 3 buses or a dart in to town. so it does depend where you're selling. I used to live in London and I came home for personal reasons which I hadn't foreseen really but I've no regrets. I think it was London that I romanticised. I felt like I was missing out not living in London. It's still there though. I've been back. Life is the same, work, shopping, chores, some socialising.

ChanelNo19EDT · 10/12/2023 10:59

Apologies! I thought you were coming back from the UK even though you clearly said in your post.