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Original poster

Question About Southern Ireland..........

444 replies

Frankendooby · 23/10/2007 21:21

Haloo.Just wanted some opinions fro people who have moved to Ireland to live and of course fom people who are Irish and have lived,do still live here.Opinions on the Politics,Laws,Education,Work etc.
I moved here from the UK and although i used to visit lots to see family I find living here extremely difficult in many ways.Just wondered how others have found it.Thanks in advance

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 23/10/2007 21:25

where in the UK did you move from, franken, if you don't mind my asking?

i hope you find some peace.

i'm an immigrant to the UK myself, but tbh, i've always been one to vote with my feet and if i found a place still more con than pro after a couple of years i'd move on.

expatinscotland · 23/10/2007 21:26

ps, do people call it 'Southern Ireland'?

i'm just curious, again, i'm not from the UK originally and am in Scotland, where i've always heard it referred to as The Republic or Eire or just Ireland.

Carmenere · 23/10/2007 21:27

Ireland is very different to the UK and this can be surprising if you are not prepared for it.

What aspects do you find particularly difficult?

Original poster
Frankendooby · 23/10/2007 21:29

Hi Expat.We lived all over the UK.We moved here some years ago then returneD to UK for work and then came back!I always thought this would be where i want to live and raise my children but i am not so sure now.Of course there are fab bits but agree with you re voting with our feet if there are more cons..got to weigh it up.

OP posts:
TheCurseOfTheMhummy · 23/10/2007 21:30

Mostly it's referred to as Sothern Ireland imo by people outside the erm South of Ireland. Doh!

It's a feckin mad country, I suppose it helps if you were born here as anywhere to appreciate the peculialarities [sp?]

I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Hth

Clementine1 · 23/10/2007 21:30

What part of Ireland do you live in? To me southern Ireland is Cork\Kerry!

fireflyfairy2 · 23/10/2007 21:33

Well we always say we're going down South, even if we're just for Donegal/Letterkenny

But I guess that's 'cos we're in the North.

We do say going West if we're for Galway though

expatinscotland · 23/10/2007 21:35

yeah, see, when you said, 'Southern Ireland' i thought you meant cork or cashel or summat like that.

so, you are English and moved to the actual geological south part of the island, or do you mean the Republic as a whole?

i'm confused.

Clementine1 · 23/10/2007 21:37

I had to laugh today they have changed the constituencies again and now Limerick West is going to be just Limerick whereas Kerry North will be renamed Kerry North/West Limerick.

Original poster
Frankendooby · 23/10/2007 21:38

ooo Expat don't know re the Southern Ireland bit.I don't think its Eire much anymore...eek.
I find the fact that you have to be related to someone to get a decent job very difficult,and the fact that the Catholic church owns most of the schools still.And that if you live in a rural area and aren't part of the GAA[kids]you are seen as odd.And the fact that recently a woman was jailed for not being able to pay back a loan she had taken out from the credit union [single mum,loan to pay for her babies funeral]while Bertie Aherne is getting away with lies,lies and more lies.I find the fact that people have to pay 45 euro to see the doctor outrageous.I find the fact that there is no free healthcare for children difficult.
I also am appalled at what joining the EU has done to this beautiful land.Vast tracts of dreadful,empty housing estates for starters.I also think that racism is prevelant.I used to love it here...and no i don't want it to be the twee Ireland that people envisage but lots has changed and not all for the good.
I love the countryside[when people haven't dumped their rubbish in the hedges and woods]
I like where we live too.

OP posts:
Original poster
Frankendooby · 23/10/2007 21:40

We live in Co.Waterford

OP posts:
Clementine1 · 23/10/2007 21:46

Corruption happens in every society, people go to jail for not paying back loans in every society regardless of reason, don't agree with you about the GAA - its a wonderful organisation that keeps a lot of people off the streets and is very welcoming to anyone who wishes to play - its very much an inherent part of Irish life - sorry I feel very strongly that your post paints a very bleak picture of Ireland and you have only posted very negative things about it - there are loads of positives - Employment is at its hightest in years if you lived here in the eighties then you would have seen Ireland at its worst but we have pulled ourselves out of the mire and turned this country around and tbh Bertie has had a lot to do with that.

elliephant · 23/10/2007 21:47

leaving aside the various names this peculiar little island has , what problems are you having and how can we help. I think Ireland( my option)has changed a lot in the last ten years or so , and mostly for the better imo. Is it a case your expectations or memories don't match the reality or have you had bad experiences? where are you living?

TheCurseOfTheMhummy · 23/10/2007 21:48
expatinscotland · 23/10/2007 21:49

maybe it's time to make a list of pros and cons.

no harm in getting one started and updating it every now and again and seeing how it changes.

we do that ourselves.

amytheearwaxbanisher · 23/10/2007 21:50

totally agree clem

fireflyfairy2 · 23/10/2007 21:50

GAA is a great thing.

If it wasn't for the volunteers who go along to train the youths then there would be a load of bored teenagers on our streets. With the likes of hurling & camogie they can get out there, run off the excess energy they have & also take out their aggression

tbh anyone reading your post wouldn't want to visit co.waterford.

I find it hard to believe that you have to be related to someone in order to get a job.

where did you live before you moved to waterford? Disneyland?

Carmenere · 23/10/2007 21:53

Your problems wouldn't be problems for me if I was living there but that doesn't mean they are not problems for you. Expat is right, weigh up the pros and cons and decide if you want to stay there.

expatinscotland · 23/10/2007 21:53

'where did you live before you moved to waterford? Disneyland?'

London?

TheCurseOfTheMhummy · 23/10/2007 21:54

Now now Fireflyfairy2, play nice! Though tbh I was tempted to start singing somewhere over the rainbow. Come on Frankendooby come and talk this through.

expatinscotland · 23/10/2007 21:55

life's too short to be miserable in a place, tbh.

my opinion, of course, and people come up with a thousands of excuses why they can't move on, but excuses are just decisions under another guise.

where there's a will, there is a way. i'm living proof of that. may take a while, but Rome wasn't built in a day.

Clementine1 · 23/10/2007 21:56

I am pmsl - sorry that message about the constituencies was a reply to another thread on another board altogther. It makes no sense and has no relevance to this thread at all.

bran · 23/10/2007 22:00

I'm interested in this thread, as someone who was raised in Ireland. I didn't really feel 'at home' until I moved to London, but now we're possibly moving back to Dublin in the next 2 or 3 years and I'm a little nervous about it. I used to hate the complete lack of privacy, even in a city like Dublin people were just so nosey and gossipy.

On the other hand, the education system is good and you can get out of the cities. You can drive for hours from London and still not be in the countryside (or at least what I consider to be the countryside).

stleger · 23/10/2007 22:01

Say 'Free State', that goes down really well...

TheCurseOfTheMhummy · 23/10/2007 22:02

Clementine, now you have me very worried because your post made perfect sense to me!