Dublin vs. London

[eleusis]

Dh is trying to persuade me to pack in my job and move to London. We lived there once before and I hated it. I am a ig city girl and while Dublin is nice it is just too small.

Okay, so has anyone moved from London to Dublin, and what do you like/hate? Has Dublin changed in the last 5 years? They were just getting a B and Q and didn't have broadand when I left.

The thing is he's been offered quite a lot more money. If I got a job too then we'd be much better off. My work is in the oil business so don't know what I'd do in Dublin because there is no oil industry. But I guess I'd find something...

We do have broadband now BTW! Did you have children the last time you lived in Dublin, Eleusis? And how old are your children now? Childcare is expensive but probably not worse than London.

Kids are 4 (DD) and 2 (DS). No, we did not have them last time we lived there.

Don't think I'd have my kids hanging around Christ Church nowadays!! myhome.ie is a great site and it would give you an idea of house prices in all areas and what you would get for your money.
Cost of living in Ireland is ridiculous, I have a friend in London and he just wouldn't come home. He can't believe how little you get for your money over here.

my friends dh used to work for BP and was often in Belfast IIrC. Failing that if you do go to Dublin there woudl appear to be excellent rail links and service northwards along the east coast where property is cheaper

There is no chance of convoncing me to live anywhere other than Dublin. But, of corse, with kids we won't be looking for a two bedroom flat across from Christchurch either.

There would have to be considerate financial gain for me to move to Dublin. It is such a small city and I just don't really do small cities. So anywhere outside of Dublin is definately out of the question. No no no no no no and NO.

It all boils down to the money, I suppose. If we say doubled our income I could probably tolerate it for a year or two.

I think housing costs are similar to London so that's probably a fair swap.

Oh gosh, childcare. Well, I suppose it would just be a case of persuading current nanny to go with us. Or possibly get a new nanny if she didn't want to go. I wonder how one goes about looking at nurseries over there?

cant he just go in the week? or even fly over each day?

there are lots of flights for £1 and he could book up loads in advance

Is nanny an EU national? Then you might be able to persuade her. But for other nationalities, again, you may run into difficulties regarding their permission to work there.

So, first, schedule your Life in the UK test.

After that's done, and you have the slip of paper you just paid £34 for, then you phone up for an appointment at your nearest National Checking Service (well worth the £40 because you will not have to send your passports along with the application).

Download the application and complete it - you'll need two countersigners.

Go to NCS appointment with all your paperwork and your debit card for that painful new fee they put in last April.

After you get your approval letter, wait for 'invitation' to the ceremony, where you'll pay a further fee for another slip of paper with a number on it to apply for your passport.

And you guessed it! Another fee for that!

All told, you're looking at about £1000.

But no bothers working anywhere in the EU for life!

Eleusis!!!!!!!!!! Can you call me please!!! I've left a voicemail for you

Nanny is a dual citizen (Canadian and British) so she's covered for a move to Ireland. But, I don't know if she will want to go. But, that may not be an issue because I don't know if I want to go.

Expat, I agree with all you say, but that £1000 is a show stopper. However, there is possibly another option. DH's dad was Irish. So he could get an Irish passport, and then I assume I would qualify for a work visa, just as I do here in the UK.

I think it's all going to come down to the money. The bottom line is I don't want to live in Dublin. I far prefer London. But, if the money on offer was considerable, then I'd consider it... for a year... maybe 2.

It still works the same way, applying for the visa, etc. regardless.

Yeah, they raised the fees to naturalise in April to around £650 just to apply, then there's all the other fees - Life in the UK test, citizenship ceremony (mine was £128), passport fees, NCS, etc.

BUT, and the biggest BUT, is that you don't want to live there.

Even if the money were good, it seems like you've got some pretty serious reservations and might well be very miserable for a couple of years of your life.

That's the more pressing issue. You and DH would have some hard thinking to do!

Best of luck!

what does your dh do eleusis? is he able to get a well paid job in london or is this particularly excellent?

Eleusis, our children are in a nursery but they are called creches over here usually.
tow friends who have nannies used the Belgrave agency 00353 1 2809341 and found them very good. I believe Executive nannies are also good, 00353 1 8731273.
The National Childrens Nurseries Association would probably have a list of creches.

I was born and raised in Dublin and still have family there. I would return to live there when pigs fly. If you want the friendliness and the craic and the whole living on the harbour thing (but with sunshine to boot) forget Dublin and come to Sydney with what seems like half the rest of the population of Dublin some days

Oooohhh... I would move to Sydney in a heartbeat. What a fabulous idea that is. I would have the same problem with the lack of oil industry. But, Sydney would surely be worth it.

But, the job on offer is in Dublin. :-(

Caltex?