Moving to the Republic of Ireland - west

[Scoobywho24]

Has anyone from England moved to the west of Ireland and how have they found it?

I have familial connections and know it well but my partner does not and is worried about a few things. Firstly our children starting a new school there and making such a huge change to their lives. Wondering about anti- Britishness specifically in the west. Been there, got the abuse and the T-shirt. But I’m wondering how common it really is. Obviously I want to move our family to have a better community life so it’s worrying.

thanks!

No I didn't say that every irish person hates English people.

Though looking back I can see that I should have worded one of my sentences more correctly.

I wrote that 'irish people talk about their hatred of English people all the time".

I didn't mean that every irish person hates English people.

I meant that wherever you go in Ireland, there are lways one or two or three irish people that talk about how much they don't like English people.

It's in so many places in Ireland.

I went to a comedy show in Dublin. The irish comedian talked about how much he didn't like English people.

I went to a book Club in Dublin. There was an English football match on. One of the men in the bookclub said "of course we all want England to lose, everyone hates the English , we all have that in common hahaha".

It's said in so many places in ireland

Of course it's the truth, you have an opinion on Ireland based only on your experience, but that doesn't make it fact

I'm sure that some English people get on fine in Ireland.

But I am also allowed to share my view on what I experienced in ireland

I experienced a lot of anti - English behaviour in Ireland, and I want you to be aware OP that it goes on in Ireland.
You've asked what it's like. And I want you to be aware.

The defensiveness, nastiness and dismissal on this thread, also shows you what the problem is like in Ireland

If someone told me that they had experienced racism or abuse anywhere, I wouldn't dismiss them and be nasty to them

An Indian person in Dublin once told me that they experienced a lot of racism and abuse in Ireland.

I never said to them "well I've never seen that happen in Dublin, so what happened to you isn't important"

How nasty would it be of me to say that

You are the the one making sweeping generalisations not me.
"English people are not liked in Ireland." and the like.
I talked about where I live and what it's like here.
Luckily most people here don't have the experiences you seem to have.
To the OP and others, one loud voice does not make a majority.
You'll probably love it here. You won't be exposed to any racial abuse (based on my family and friends experiences, it doesn't happen to English people here, maybe 30 years ago when Northern tension were higher, but not now). I am in the very south).
Prices might be slightly higher for some things, lower for others. Overall, it's a slower pace, now that's a generalisation!

OP, I will say this again. No one has denied that a minority of people will express anti-English sentiments in Ireland, and several people have said they are sorry you experienced it. However, you are making gross generalisations throughout. I experienced more unpleasantness because of being Irish in England over almost 30 years than I can bear to think about, far less discuss, including active prejudice in one workplace. But I recognise that this was/is a tiny minority of English people, though it did, in the end, contribute to my decision to leave the country, as it did seem to ramp up around Brexit, certainly where I was living.

Do you see the difference between what I am saying and what you are saying?

You are saying

English people are not liked in Ireland

Irish people talk about their hatred of English people all the time

It's a very miserable life

This is demonstrably untrue.

@Pearlgemspark pops up every now and again when there's a thread about Ireland to let us know how much she hates the country, thankfully her opinions are not the reality of many many English people I know who have moved here and made successful lives for themselves, some living here for over 30 years and will never return to England

Hi all OP here 😅 Aka a ‘plastic paddy’. I have a family and a community I know very well there hence me missing it so much. If it was just me I would be there now trying it out. I asked this a while ago now and we’ve since decided to stay put and maybe buy a little cottage one day. I don’t care what people think of me especially if it’s nonsensical. My elders fought for Irish independence and they hate me because I have an accent? Surely the English drove the country into poverty meaning people had to immigrate to make money and now their kids have accents 😂 bar stool soldiers comes to mind. I am lucky to know many wise and amazing Irish people who would never discriminate for such petty reasons, hence me wanting to move there! ☺️ but I’m not sure my kids and partner would feel the same. Not sure I’d handle my children being picked on for an accent

Yep. I know what you mean re the anti English prejudice/ banter. I don’t think people even notice they’re doing it it’s so automatic.

Im sorry you’ve experienced that as a child. It must have been really difficult.

The vast majority of people of all generations in some counties in the west will have lived in the UK or in the US at some point in their lives or will have close relatives who are currently in one or other of those places, or have returned from one of those places.

They will have met nice and not so nice people abroad. Most will have enough sense to take people on an individual basis.

An uncle of mine who was English (and ex forces to boot) was taken to the bosom of the locals when he married my aunt and settled in. Within a few months he knew everyone and had been let in on the local secret supplier of poitin. He was a charming, friendly fellow, the definition of the word "gentleman", and was greatly missed by everyone when his time came.

@mathanxiety thank you.

I’ve come to think of it like this: I grew up on a rough estate in a rubbish town in England where some people can be racist etc. If you were to plonk a foreign person there and they were made to feel bad, they would want to leave and their impression of the whole place would be just that. When in reality you get all walks of people anywhere you go, you just have to be lucky in who you land with.

Thats true - there are friendly and not so friendly whatever country!
I think it’s harder for a child to cope with the “not so friendly” but I’m sure you’ll be fine !

There are so many people from all over the world now in my child’s class in Ireland - that a child from England seems basically local. They all seem to get on well,

There was a guy from England in work - nobody cared he was from England - just a nice guy that got on well with everyone

I know 3 English men who moved there and love it but I think if you are Irish descent it’s a bit different - the men are largely oblivious to the stuff said about being English whereas we have grown up with it and can recognise it (humming certain songs under their breath, etc).

I think you made a wise decision, OP. I lived there and regret the move massively - it really messed me up and I realised I was English and how great this country is.

@Staringatthemoon ahh did you? What did you find affected you the most?

im so excited to go over there this summer and lap up time with family. But I think now I’m happy to come home at the end of it.