Moving to Dublin or Galway - any recommendations?

[AMajorChange]

Hello everyone, we're thinking of moving back to Ireland and I wondered if anyone had any advice for us. We've narrowed it down to Dublin or Galway but that's about it!

We're looking for somewhere to rent initially (need at least three beds and garden for dog) and

• not city centre but close access to (we all drive but would love it if we could use reliable public transport),
• taking 20-year-old DS with us so would like there to be lots of opportunities for socialising and sports clubs (baseball) if possible,
• would love to be close to the coast,
• would also like a nice high street with cafes, shops etc.,
• we live in a rural area at the moment so I think living on top of neighbours might be hard for us to get used to again but I'd like neighbours close by.

I'm also open to other recommendations besides Dublin and Galway - trying to be flexible. We're visiting Galway later this year and plan to do the Dublin area shortly afterwards.

TIA

Also, can you recommend good house & job search sites?

Personally I’d pick Galway over Dublin 100%.

For houses use www.myhome.ie or www.daft.ie.

For jobs try www.irishjobs.ie or www.indeed.ie.

Are you working remotely or do you need to find work here too? By far the biggest issue is going to be able to actually find a place to rent, and then a place you can afford. There's something like 95 properties in the entire county of Galway (there would be more available in Dublin) for rent on daft.ie at the minute and huge competition for them, couples with children and fulltime jobs are ending up in homeless accommodation in Ireland because the housing crisis is so bad, having pets will add to the difficulty.
Galway is a small city with a big university so a good vibe for a young adult, and probably better for coastal walks etc, there are commuter towns/villages from which you can travel into the city but traffic is a nightmare as it is in Dublin too but public transport better in Dublin especially if you using the Luas tram system

Personally I would also pick Galway. I haven't been in a few years but it's just a nicer city IMO. But I hear people giving out about the commute times and lack of public transport. Dublin traffic is brutal too but there are darts/ bus/ luas

No where is going to be easy to get rental property right now. Pure disaster

Looks like no baseball in Galway https://baseballireland.ie/club-locator/ maybe he could start his own club? I wouldn't think it is very popular here

There are softball clubs in Galway and Dublin if that's any use

If you are open to alternatives wexford is worth a look. Kilkenny too although I've only been a visitor there.

Cork is better. Dublin is an over-priced dump. Galway is beautiful but it never stops raining.

The housing crisis is severe in Galway, international students with admission to the local universities are arriving and ending up homeless.

https://connachttribune.ie/galway-charities-approach-new-year-with-no-end-in-sight-to-devastating-housing-crisis/

https://www.galwaybeo.ie/news/galway-news/live-large-galway-college-students-8786032