Moving to Ireland (Recommendations please)

[RoseJasmin]

Hi everyone!

Our family (with three young kids) is moving to Ireland soon from London, and we’d love some advice. We’re looking for a family-friendly area within a 30-40 minute drive from Dublin Airport, preferably with affordable rent and access to Catholic schools.

If you have any recommendations on good neighborhoods, schools, or general tips for settling in, we’d really appreciate it!

Thanks in advance for your help.

Your budget will dictate a lot. Terenyre, Rathgar, South County Dub are firm favourites for schools and nice neighbourhoods. Dublin suburbs are like little villages of their own. Many people stick to their own postcodes and don't travel around wider Dublin all that much.

Get involved in local activities, it's easy to meet people between kids activities and book clubs etc. Private schools are v popular in Dublin. Many people focus on the school catchment areas of the schools they want.

Terenure, Rathgar, rathmines are all family friendly

Do you need to DRIVE to the airport or is public transport okay? I'd sooner use the bus links and abundant taxis than drive, to be honest, and lots of routes through town are closed to private cars anyway.

Glasnevin and Drumcondra work well for affordability+family friendly+airport access, especially around the Botanics - the cafe there is knee deep in prams these days! Not sure what the best primary school would be around there? Do you have girls or boys - that makes a difference. Private school is very very cheap compared to the UK too, and there are some excellent and easily accessible schools - keep Belvedere, Loreto etc. on your list.

Swords, Malahide etc. are much closer and would be more affordable than Rathmines, Rathgar, South County Dublin etc., (although that's where I would sooner live, myself!) - they're a bit of a trek across the city. If I was moving back I'd go south side, but it's ££££. Are you inclined towards the city, or a village just outside (i.e. Malahide).

Rent is bananas btw. The sooner you can buy, the better.

Access to Catholic schools will not be a problem, wherever you go, but do have a wander around first. 🙂

Anywhere near the M50 can be under forty minutes to the airport, however the M50 can also be a giant car park if there's any kind of traffic incident. Do you have a north or south preference? If you stay north then you will have easier access to the airport and you can go a bit further out. Perhaps somewhere like Skerries, Rush or Lusk. Malahide is nice but pricy. To the west, Lucan is lovely but can get extremely snarled with traffic IME. One of my cousins recently moved to Knocklyon which is close to the M50 and is quiet and pleasant, I'd never been there before I visited her last year. To the east, Clontarf, Sutton and Howth are all reasonably close to Dublin airport, they are all fairly expensive and Sutton and Howth can have traffic issues.

First thing you’ll need to do is register for PPS numbers, you’ll need them for everything. Literally everything!

That’s really helpful to know! Our budget is around €2000 max for a 2 or 3 bed house, but school catchment areas are definitely a priority.

This is great info, thank you! Planning to drive I’m still figuring out the best area—good schools are a big factor. I have 3 boys (9,6 & 1 year old)..

Try www.daft.ie to get an idea of rental prices. There is a huge housing crisis in Ireland right now, rents are insane.

When are moving? Are you looking at properties now? It’s hard enough to find rentals when you live here I can’t imagine how you’ll do this from the uk? Are you staying in an air bnb to start? Sorry for all the questions. 🤣

In terms of schools, you will have to choose what class to enter them into, when are the 9yr old and 6yr olds birthdays?

My eldest will be 9 next month and the 6 year old just turned 6 in Jan

Honestly, €2000 budget for a 2 or 3 bed house is going to be a significant challenge in Dublin or any of the comuter belt. Apartments might be more realistic but still very expensive. Do you have jobs lined up? If so, where are they?

@RoseJasmin Your budget isn't realistic. There are 12 two bedroom houses to rent for 2k in the entire city and county right now, and to be honest, I wouldn't be wild about any of them. Even out in Drogheda there's only 4.

Go up to 2600, and there's a nice little house in Dun Laoghaire, a couple in Stoneybatter, Phibsborough:

https://www.daft.ie/for-rent/house-great-western-square-phibsborough-dublin-7/5992457

You simply can't do it for 2k.

Do you have to be near Dublin?

Thanks for the reality check! I had hoped to stick to 2K, but it sounds like that’s going to be tough. I’ll take a look at places in the 2,600 range..

Thanks for this! I don’t have a strong north vs. south preference yet, but easy access to the airport is definitely a plus as my husband work place is nearer to the airport..

You won't be going to Dublin on that budget. Look at east Meath, Meath proper etc, though you'll still struggle.

No worries at all, I appreciate the questions! We’re planning to move by end of July or beginning of Aug and have just started looking at properties, but I know it’s going to be tricky from the UK. We’re considering to move on the rented property by then as my husband plans to move to Dublin by May and rely on Airbnb..

If you follow the M1 northwards you will still have good access to the airport and the rental prices will go down. I don't really know that part of Ireland but there are definitely good bits and bad bits. If you're not fixed on being in Dublin you could go as far north as Drogheda and still be within 40 mins of the airport (outside of rush hour).

Dublin is insanely expensive. I live here with 3 DC. Our household income would be very high in UK terms but it is difficult to afford one family holiday abroad a year - honestly this is because of the huge hidden costs of living here. For example, the average rent for the type of house you require is closer to 3,500; private health insurance is a must; groceries, hairdressers; weekly groceries are all 50% plus more expensive than the UK (I know as my in laws all live in Northern Ireland and I cry when I shop up there!!!).

This is just to guide you that you need to negotiate a much bigger salary than you think, in order to maintain the same lifestyle.

Come back here and give us an idea of where you are looking - personally I would not live in Lucan or anywhere west of the city; Malahide is great but it is very far out; Howth is lovely but very expensive; Clontarf is easier to get to everywhere from but it is high cost; Glasnevin is nice, particularly around the Botanic Gardens;

I live on the South Side - it is beautiful, villages along the cost but close to the city like Sandymount and Blackrock; you can get to the airport quickly through the tunnel (most people don’t know that it only costs €3 South to North until 4 pm!). Or hipster areas like Dublin 8; Rathmines or Ranelagh. These are all costly but Dublin 8 is the cheapest

Do you have any friends or family here? Is there an emotional reason why you are coming here or is it just the job? Ireland has changed a lot in the past decade and we are currently overcrowded and underserved in every public service, as well as in private utilities like housing, I personally want not be moving here at the moment unless I was inheriting a house.

We have been looking for a rental property in the west for 12 months for around €2000 with no luck. Both working fulltime with landlord and employer references and I ve had 5 viewing s in that time. Every ad on daft will get thousands of views withing hours of going up, the housing market is v v difficult right now

Could your dh’s employer help you with housing? Are you moving because of work or are you moving because you want to?

I live in Louth, Drogheda is fine, Balbriggan is just about ok, Swords would be very handy for the airport. Rush, Lusk and Donabate all seem desirable these days. Malahide is a nightmare to get too and from.
As PP said the rental market is mad, but Catholic schools are thr majority.
Schools wise not all areas have catchment, and there is plenty of single sex primaries around too. And your DC will have to learn Irish, so consider putting them with their age group, which maybe a school year or so behind the UK. Kids start school later here.

I am surprised a pp says no problem for school places.. I think that will depend on school.
I would stay Northside personally and ideally on the Dart line too, and that way you'll be slightly cheaper plus close to airport. I would have a preference for Malahide and Portmarnock and again, handy to the airport. Swords closer again and will be better budget wise and I'd say easier in terms of getting into schools - but no Dart line, Metro North still to come!! If you're paying fees, you'll have no problem getting in I'd say. Less privates on Northside.
If you'd like any insight on schools in this area, send me a PM when they're back up and running!
We left there for more budget friendly and less traffic clogged region but I missed it for a long time. Lots to be said for Dublin! Best of luck.

Are you kidding? OP doesn't have anything like the budget for Malahide or Portmarnock, or Swords. She'd be lucky to afford Balbriggan!