Good cities for American moving to Ireland?

Cato78

Hi everyone,

I was told this was the best forum for this question by one of the administrators here. My girlfriend is in the process of applying for her Irish citizenship, as her grandparents were all born there. Once that's sorted out, we'll be giving life a try in the ole' Emerald Isle! The issue is, we've never been to Ireland and are trying to get opinions on good places to live.

I've talked to a few Irish folks and read some posts online and the only consensus seems to be " don't move to Dublin " lol. Cork and Galway both come highly recommended and look amazing, but I've read it rains quite a bit more on the west coast. Wicklow seems quite nice, but I've not read as many good reviews for it. Anyway, just kinda wanted to get some opinions on good places to live.

I should mention that we're Americans, born and raised. I'm 32 and she's 29. We don't have any kids and don't plan on having any. I run my own business online and work from home. She's a medical transcriptionist here, which required a 2 year B.S. degree. I dunno what she'll do there, as I know you guys got hit hard economically. We'll have to see how it plays out. We love art, history, festivals, etc. We're not ones for late night clubs or drinking.....though I do want to experience the Irish pub scene a bit. We'd like to live somewhere where everything doesn't shut down at 6. I know that is much more common in Europe, at least in smaller towns. We're also looking for good public transportation. We're going to sell our cars before we move and don't know how long we'll be without one there. Hell, if we can avoid buying one altogether, that'd be fine.

Any and all input is appreciated! :pac:

jdivision

What population is the place you're living in at the moment and do you like that or want to live somewhere busier or quieter?

Cato78

I live in a little suburban city of about 85,000 people. There is absolutely no culture or events here to speak of. It takes me about 40 minutes or so to hit Orlando and maybe 50 to hit Disney World.

I'm not sure if we want more people, we just want more culture. We'd also like to be able to hop on a bus or the rail and hit the town center. There is NO public transportation in Florida.....or most of the US for that matter. If you don't have a car, you're stuck at your house. I suppose I'd like a well populated but not terribly crowded place. I'd like to be able to hit up some nice shops and not have to get my grocery shopping done before 6.

P.S. - I'm a bodybuilder and like to hit the gym about 5 days a week. So I'd like to be close to some well equipped places. I'd imagine that's not a problem in the cities, right?

JuliusCaesar

Don't know why people tell you not Dublin. There are of course areas you'd avoid, but that's easy enough - there's no reason to go there! You can live near to the city centre in Dublin, near the canals, on a quiet road, and still have a lot of nature nearby: parks, the sea - and still walk to the city centre in 20 minutes. There are theatres, cinemas, concerts, gigs, art and architecture of many kinds. There's a thriving social life (see MeetUp.com for activities other than drinking!), and there are many public free talks and lectures. There are a lot of UK, US, NZ and Australia, and European citizens living and working here, as well as immigrants from Eastern Europe, Africa, China etc. so they all bring their interests, culture and activities. There's at least one 24 hour supermarket. Most supermarkets stay open till 9pm, and smaller ones stay open later. Public transport is generally good, with buses, trams, and trains. The countryside is not far - the Wicklow mountains. And all the long-distance transport to the rest of the country starts here! PM me if you like.

Liam Byrne

Cato78 wrote: »

Cork and Galway both come highly recommended and look amazing, but I've read it rains quite a bit more on the west coast. Wicklow seems quite nice, but I've not read as many good reviews for it.

Cork isn't on the west coast, for a start, and it's probably the best city re facilities and amenities while still being small enough to get around easily enough.

Wicklow certainly isn't a city.

Dubs

Dublin isnt bad, just the non-dublin (culchie!) people that think so

Theres plenty of nice places in the suburbs with great transport to get around (DART (Dublin train), Buses, Luas (tram line), infinite taxis), as well as being the centre of transport for Ireland. You can get nearly anywhere on intercity trains in Dublin.

It has great pubs, clubs, restaurants, atmosphere, shopping,scenery, gyms, beaches (when its not raining), gigs, cinemas, stadiums (if your into sport), a random gigantic spike in the middle of it, basically everything you'll need.

The place is also full of history, where ever you go, though lots in the city centre which has public transport in and out from pretty much anywhere. Honestly, its a lovely city, just dont swim in the river! It can be a rough place at times but its not as bad as people make it out to be.

If not Dublin I would also vote Cork, brilliant city as well. Or even Sligo, its a little more remote, but there is loads of art and history and the most amazing scenery, much more visually appealing than any of the major cities in my opinion.

Good luck!

Midnight Sundance

I'd probably agree that Dublin would be your best bet especially if your girlfriend is planning on studying more. Perhaps look at what places offer the most opportunities job wise and then whittle it down. Dublin has some lovely areas and you don't have to be slap bang in the middle of the city centre.

Liam Byrne

Dubs wrote: »

Dublin isnt bad, just the non-dublin (culchie!) people that think so

OP - bear in mind that the Dubs tend to view even people from other cities as "culchies" (people from the country).

Cato78

Very good information on Dublin. Thanks everyone. That makes me reconsider it. I think the main complaints I had read were that it was quite expensive for what it offered. Though I know housing prices have fallen a good bit and surely they will more over the next year.

I like that it's a city but it has it's green areas. That's a big plus for me. I want to be able to enjoy the beauty of Ireland. Proper cities here tend to be pure concrete and if you want any real scenery you have to drive a fair way.

I've never heard the term " culchie " I suspect I'll talk to a lot of people there and at some point during the conversation have to say " what? "

So if I wanted to look at daft.ie for available lettings, are there any areas in Dublin I should definitely avoid? Seems Daft has it set up " West, East, South, etc " But then it also says Dublin 1,2,3,.....and I have no idea what that means.

iguana

Cato78 wrote: »

Seems Daft has it set up " West, East, South, etc " But then it also says Dublin 1,2,3,.....and I have no idea what that means.

Areas on the southside are even numbers and the northside are odd. Usually, but not always, the lower the number the closer to the city centre. So D1 is the centre of the city on the north of the river and D2 is the centre on the south. Common wisdom is that the southside is nicer, but there are lots of nice areas in the northside and dodgy areas in the southside. It's not mentioned much but for the most part the closer you are to the coast the more desirable the area, especially on the northside of Dublin.

D6 is very popular for renters, especially Ranelagh, it's got a nice village feel with lots of restaurants, but is in walking distance to the city centre. It's also on the tram line and not too far from the coast. €900pm will get you a small furnished 2bed apt, but haggle hard and there is no shortage of places available so don't be panicked.

Property in Dublin is still very expensive to buy, but in rental terms it's not too bad, and rents are falling faster than purchase prices, so there is room to negotiate. At present there are no property/council taxes or water rates, (this is sure to change though) but there are bin charges, though this may be factored into your rent. It's very unusual to have other utilities included in your rent, so factor heating, electricity, tv/phone/broadband costs into your budget. There is also an annual tv license charge. Most rentals are furnished.

Billiejo

Hi
Fully fledged Irish. Lived in UK all working life. Decided to return to Ireland (to live & work & retire there.)
Spent last three years living and working in South Dublin / borders Wicklow. Loved it. Found public transport great albeit some locals may not agree. Lots of bus & train access. Dart line (Metro type) runs from Dublin through Wicklow to Wexford.
Really need a car to get around though. Spent my weekends travelling round Wicklow, Wexford & Waterford. Co Kildare is 20 ish miles away (Curragh Racecourse) etc. and Naas town is half way (fab moterway) where half of Dublin have relocated during the housing boom.
Beautiful country & loved the variety of foods.
Down side. Worked, professional public service & Gov deducted large lump of salary due to economic downturn. Colleagues tell me Gov is still chipping away at this.
One needs insurance especially medical (like states).
Great interesting radio programmes. Irish are great for recognising & discussing cracks in establishments albeit robust structures in all aspects are lacking and sadly dream dashed, I only managed to stay 3 years.
Holiday great place. My USA relatives love it.

Cato78

There seem to be plenty of 1-2 bedroom rentals that come well furnished and look pretty nice for 700 Euro. That's about what we would pay here and here it's rare to get any furnishing with a rental.

So you can haggle on the pricing, huh? That's good to know. Do you guys use square feet or meters over there for housing? And why on earth does Daft.ie not think listing the size of the rental is important??

These posts have made us reconsider Dublin, so thank you all.

silverharp

OP dublin can be a great city if you pick the right spot. Now with rental prices down you have a better selection. Someone mentioned the canals, there are some great spots like Portabello for instance. 15 min walk to the centre, no need to have a car and decent transport links. Other places on the coast are great if you want to have a beach near by for walks, again no car needed. Also realistically Dublin has the best selecion of cultural opportunities.
The trick with Dublin is to sidestep the negetive aspects.

KiLLeR CoUCh

Hi Op,

If you're looking for somewhere nice and with good public transport I would recommend some of the places along the dart line. The dart runs along the coast from Malahide/Howth to Greystones (basically north to south). Not every place it stops at is nice but lots are and even at the very extremes of the line you're not more than 40 minutes from the city centre, and all would have bus links as well.

Cato78

Silly question I'm sure, but are places like Swords and Dun Laoghaire considered part of " Dublin? "

pab_lowe

Hi there, my wife is american and moved over here about 12 years ago and we live near limerick. Its a city with plenty going on, plenty of 'culture' and access to the country side. We also lived in Cork and thats a good spot
On a different topic, check out your work situation. I know you said your business is an online one but my wife was not allowed to work here until we were married (I'm an Irish citizen). I don't know if you might face difficulties

Blisterman

Yeah, they'd generally be considered suburbs, but they're definitely pat of Dublin.

Sleepy

One thing to consider if you're a serious gym nut is that facilities here won't be anything like you're used to at home. Most Irish gyms are more like health centres where people go to use the treadmills, bikes and rowers at a moderate pace before hitting the shower... The fitness forum here has a good thread of gym reviews:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=252

For my money, if you're a serious lifter and not bothered about a lack of a pool etc. you wouldn't go far wrong with Pinnacle though it's been a while since I've lifted there: http://www.gymlockr.ie/pinnacle-gym

mashling

I love Galway. It is true that it rains a lot, but you get used to it and I think it only adds character

Here is a link to a video that was posted over in the Galway boards, I think it gives a nice sense of what Galway is all about.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055811042

iguana

Cato78 wrote: »

So you can haggle on the pricing, huh? That's good to know. Do you guys use square feet or meters over there for housing? And why on earth does Daft.ie not think listing the size of the rental is important??

The thing to know when you are looking for a rental is that you need to keep your eyes open and be prepared to see a lot of dives before finding a good place. It's been a few years since I was looking for a rental in Dublin but I saw a lot of horrible, horrible places that were looking for nearly the same amount as some very nice places. I think a lot of people moving to Dublin are aware that it's fairly expensive and think that the rotten flats are standard for what they are paying, whereas in actual fact they are being taken advantage of.

Also beware of very new apartments. A lot were thrown up during the housing boom and have very poor sound insulation, so if you like a place arrange a second viewing during a time when residents are likely to be home so you can listen for your neighbours. The same is true for some period house conversions. Ime, purpose built apartments that were built 25+ years ago have the best sound insulation and are a better size, though from the outside they look more utilitarian.

Cato78 wrote: »

Silly question I'm sure, but are places like Swords and Dun Laoghaire considered part of " Dublin? "

Dublin is a bit like a very small scale version of London, it was initially surrounded by a variety of villages and town, but as the city grew these towns and villages became incorporated into the urban area. So most of the suburbs have town or village centres like Ranelagh or Blackrock village or Rathmines or Dundrum town.

Some are city suburbs, others are county. I don't know the northside too well but on the southside D2, 4, 6, 6w, 8 and 12 are in the city and any high numbers are in the county. It makes very little difference on a day to day level though.

Pete4779

Cato78 wrote: »

Hi everyone,

I've talked to a few Irish folks and read some posts online and the only consensus seems to be " don't move to Dublin " lol. Cork and Galway both come highly recommended and look amazing, but I've read it rains quite a bit more on the west coast. Wicklow seems quite nice, but I've not read as many good reviews for it. Anyway, just kinda wanted to get some opinions on good places to live.

I'lll give you my honest opinion: Dublin is the only reasonably developed part of the country (and I am from Cork). In my mind, things that determine your experience are facilities, amenities, commuting time to work, etc., .

Galway is a small town of around 20,000 with very high unemployment and no sustained local industry besides tourism; it suffers from ongoing water pollution and literally unclean drinking water, for several years. It also has a tightly congested road network, no public transport to speak of (as in, useful transport - not 3 buses per day). Culturally, around 6-8 weeks of the summer see a lot of tourists and people visiting for festivals, but it's pretty grim in the winter, which lasts the other 10 months of the year; during this time, it's quite dull and uninteresting (unless you are a 18-22 year old student from e.g., rural Ireland). Rain wise, it will rain every day, for as little as 10 mins or 10 hours, but usually every day. There are no proper cycling routes or running facilities; it's the main road or nothing. If you are not pushed about having running or clean water, having services and not bothered by everythign shutting at 6, Galway is perfect. Air transport in and out is also abysmal; you will have to drive/bus to Dublin or else fly to London first.

Cork: Cork is at least a place where there are late night shops and bars. There is a higher proportion of twenty/thirty something people as well, so it's not as grungy or dingy as Galway. However, the city is small and parochial in attitude. There is a slightly better public transport network than Galway, but you will still spend your life in a car. One advantage Cork has is that it does have several excellent dedicated cycling routes both across the city and extending out along the rivers, e.g., to Kinsale.

Dublin: Dublin is the only place where you can, with planning, exist entirely without a private car. That said, you are restricted to certain areas if you want the tram (Green Line is the best, the Red Line goes through a selection of run-down areas with high unemployment residents). Generally speaking, there are plenty of 24 hr shops like Tesco, Dunnes, Spars, etc., .Most retail shops on Grafton Street stay open until 9 most nights of the week. Socially, it has the far and away the highest population and is therefore far less stuck in a single mindset like Galway ("everyone likes Galway" - no they don't. ) or Cork ("Cork is the greatest place on Earth" - no it isn't). There is a large amount of people in your age group, and a huge amount of cafes, bars, restaurants, etc.,. . It's a much more interesting place basically. The major downside is the cost of living, which is way above Cork (e.g., 30-50% more to rent in a good area) and a little more than Galway (however, Galway property is considerably overpriced, and many of the new developments are poorly built). If you drive in Dublin, you can easily spend 2hrs+/day in traffic, so plan to live on a proper bus route (i.e., the 46A) or tram/light rail (Dart).

I should mention that we're Americans, born and raised. I'm 32 and she's 29. We don't have any kids and don't plan on having any. I run my own business online and work from home. She's a medical transcriptionist here, which required a 2 year B.S. degree.

I have no idea what that is. Does it mean she is a medical secretary? If so, you will struggle to get proper employment: the HSE generally goes for clerical-only staff who in most cases do not need any prior training in medical-secretarial work. Best option is to look at the private hospitals who will pay you according to skills.

We'd like to live somewhere where everything doesn't shut down at 6. I know that is much more common in Europe, at least in smaller towns.

Your only option for what you want is Dublin. Under no circumstances move to any place smaller like, e.g., Athlone, anything with Carrick in the name, anywhere in the west actually. Services there are incredibly bad, there is a huge absence of sports facilties and no proper organisations or clubs e.g., languages, movies, music, etc., . There is also a much higher amount of binge drinking and antisocial behaviour in the rural cities like Athlone and Kilkenny and Galway. You can do fine in Dublin with not drinking as there are a lot of other things available.

Now I will await the flames from Galway and fellow Corkmen.

Liam Byrne

pab_lowe wrote: »

Hi there, my wife is american and moved over here about 12 years ago and we live near limerick. Its a city with plenty going on, plenty of 'culture' and access to the country side.

Nice to see a vote in favour of Limerick - all the other posts seemed to ignore it (and before anyone asks, the reason I didn't suggest it is because I don't know what Americans moving to Ireland might want )

Sleepy

As a Galwayman: Yes it rains a lot, it has it's bad parts, public transport is abysmal and traffic is bad.

However: the water's been fixed, shops do stay open past 6 (often later than many parts of Dublin actually - a lack of late night shopping was one of my first pet peeves when moving to Dublin), it has a fantastic pub scene and a good selection of restaurants (unless you're into the type of place where you pay €100 for something pretty but the size of a postage stamp). It has theatre, concerts and art though less than Dublin. City centre's relatively small so if you live centrally virtually everything's within walking distance. It's chief advantage over Dublin would be that it's a friendlier place.

Cork's not a bad place, it's only problem is the people. Think of the arrogance of your typical Texan, multiply it by five and add an annoying accent

Cato78

Great replies once again. Thanks!

As for the work issue: Irish people living abroad are entitled to citizenship if a parent or grandparent was born in Ireland. All four of her's were, so it's just a matter of getting the paperwork together. I would be applying for " de facto status " As long as we can prove we've been in a " durable " relationship for 2 years, I can live and work in Ireland.

I did think a proper gym would be a problem in smaller areas, but figured in places like Dublin or Cork it would be simple to find a good one. I don't care much about a pool or tons of cardio equipment. I just need the basic barbells, dumbells up to 120lbers and the few basic machines. I'm sure I can find a proper " hard core " gym in Dublin. I'll have to visit a few. Thanks for the link.

We definitely won't have a car there and if we can avoid not having one, we'd prefer that. Maybe in time we'll find we'd want one, but I'd imagine the first year or so will be car free. It definitely sounds like Dublin is the best for that situation.

Interesting reply Pete gave on Galway. You say it has about 20,000, while Wikipedia says in 2006 it was about 72,000 and is Ireland's 3rd largest and fasted growing city. Though I can understand that it might be a bit underdeveloped for what we're looking for. I only have pictures and Youtube videos to go by. Cork ( city at least ) seems pretty well developed and quite lovely.

Cato78

Really? I'm surprised the transportation is that rough. I guess Bus Eireann greatly exaggerates it's services.

haha, it's not only the Texans. Americans in general, at least in terms of the world and their place in it, are VERY arrogant. They don't know much about the outside world, nor do they want to. All they know is " we're the best country in the world " They don't know why that is, or don't care that we usually don't rank in the top 10 in terms of freedom or economics.....but they still know we're #1! The UK and Ireland are viewed more favorably, as we're more alike I suppose, but places like France or Norway might as well be Mars, lol.

Sleepy wrote: »

As a Galwayman: Yes it rains a lot, it has it's bad parts, public transport is abysmal and traffic is bad.

However: the water's been fixed, shops do stay open past 6 (often later than many parts of Dublin actually - a lack of late night shopping was one of my first pet peeves when moving to Dublin), it has a fantastic pub scene and a good selection of restaurants (unless you're into the type of place where you pay €100 for something pretty but the size of a postage stamp). It has theatre, concerts and art though less than Dublin. City centre's relatively small so if you live centrally virtually everything's within walking distance. It's chief advantage over Dublin would be that it's a friendlier place.

Cork's not a bad place, it's only problem is the people. Think of the arrogance of your typical Texan, multiply it by five and add an annoying accent

Tusky

If you want to move to a city, it has to be Dublin. People that arent from there will bash it, but it has more going for it than anywhere in the rest of the country. Unless you want to live in a rural area, you should definitely move to Dublin. You can drive to Wicklow and surrounding countryside in about an hour, and the west coast is only a 3-3.5 hour drive away also. Its got the best theaters, gigs, sporting events, public transport, museums, art and resteraunts, and as I said, the countryside and coast arent far away.

Its far from perfect though. Its expensive, and the traffic can be terrible with public transport also being pretty frustrating (when compared to European cities, not America. Ive no idea what its like over there). Just be careful where in Dublin to move to, if you do decide to move here that is. Some places are much much nicer than others.

I love Galway, but Its not a city in my eyes, its a town. I think I would get pretty bored living there also. Its great to visit, and the surrounding countryside is beautiful, but to live ? Not for me.

Cork is much more of a city than Galway, but I dont see why anyone would move to Cork above Dublin. Again, the surrounding countryside is lovely, but Dublin trumps it for near everything else.

...and you couldnt pay me to live in Limerick.

Liam Byrne

Tusky wrote: »

...and you couldnt pay me to live in Limerick.

LMAO! You sing the praises of Dublin and then slot in a pathetic slur like that!

Still, if someone prefers living in the murder capital of Europe to living here in Limerick, who am I to argue......I'd be too scared to!

iguana

Cato78 wrote: »

I would be applying for " de facto status " As long as we can prove we've been in a " durable " relationship for 2 years, I can live and work in Ireland.

Do you have a back up plan if this doesn't work out for you? Afaik, de facto status is decided on an individual case by case basis, it's not by any means automatic. You could be fine but whoever is dealing with your paperwork would know straight away that your application isn't in the spirit of that which the visa is intended. Your girlfriend isn't an Irish resident and never has been, she is just moving to Ireland because her ancestry means she can and you are using the de facto visa as a means to gain access to the country. I'm not sure your case would be seen as genuine.

Your application could very easily be turned down and then you would have to leave the country once your 90 day stay is over. Have you spoken to anyone at the INIS about what your chances are? Or been in contact with someone else in your position who has been granted the visa? Be very careful of assuming that just because you could be given a visa, that you definitely will.

http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/WP07000003

Cato78

We've spoken to the INIS, the consulate here in the US and have read a lot of posts online of people in similar situations. It seems to be a rather straightforward process. We just need to prove we've been together for 2 years. By the time we get over there, we'll have been together for over 4. From talking to INIS and reading others experiences, I'd say my chances of getting approved are pretty good.

We're also young, have no children, absolutely no debt and will be arriving with about $40,000USD in savings. I earn on average about $75,000USD per year. I won't count my girlfriend's income, because we don't know how long it will take for her to find work over there.

The back up plan would be to move back here, lol. Actually, we'd probably regroup here and move to China. My original plan was to move to China, as I can earn a lot more money there and the cost of living is SUPER cheap. Unfortunately, her family hated the idea and practically did an intervention on her, lol. To be quite honest with you, we just want to leave the US. I'd prefer anywhere in Europe, Canada or China.

iguana wrote: »

Do you have a back up plan if this doesn't work out for you? Afaik, de facto status is decided on an individual case by case basis, it's not by any means automatic. You could be fine but whoever is dealing with your paperwork would know straight away that your application isn't in the spirit of that which the visa is intended. Your girlfriend isn't an Irish resident and never has been, she is just moving to Ireland because her ancestry means she can and you are using the de facto visa as a means to gain access to the country. I'm not sure your case would be seen as genuine.

Your application could very easily be turned down and then you would have to leave the country once your 90 day stay is over. Have you spoken to anyone at the INIS about what your chances are? Or been in contact with someone else in your position who has been granted the visa? Be very careful of assuming that just because you could be given a visa, that you definitely will.

http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/WP07000003

Pete4779

Cato78 wrote: »

Interesting reply Pete gave on Galway. You say it has about 20,000, while Wikipedia says in 2006 it was about 72,000 and is Ireland's 3rd largest and fasted growing city. Though I can understand that it might be a bit underdeveloped for what we're looking for. I only have pictures and Youtube videos to go by. Cork ( city at least ) seems pretty well developed and quite lovely.

Those descriptions are not really accurate. For example, Cork has a population of of ~ 130k in the city, but it's really around 300-400k in the "metropolitan" (lol) area and you can tell from the size of the city. Galway's with 72k has a "city centre" that is really around the size of Kilkenny, and population excluding the smaller areas around it make the population bigger than it is.

Yes I may appear to have a vendetta against Galway, but having listened to the BS about it, I was there for a year, and it's a small village really - great for new college students first time away from home only - there is no population of professional age people, and as such pubs are dingy old style pubs with stinking carpets, etc., . There are a few restaurants, but it's a weekend destination only and nothing to really write home about; everything it has, you will find x5 in a single place like Ranelagh or elsewhere in Dublin. Compared to places like Clifden, or SLigo, it's probably more interesting.

Limerick, in reality, is a considerably more cosmopolitan and larger city than Galway. The Wiki article on Galway is simply not true. Once you are on the ground, you can tell straight away that Limerick is more developed, more people, better shops, etc., . Galway is "a village with ambition". The only cities are really Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

One thing to consider is air travel. In ireland, you can get anywhere in Europe for €10 and 2hrs if you plan ahead, but only if flying from Dublin. The other airports run far less frequent schedules and places like Shannon will probably just close and connect to Stansted in the next year or two.

Cato78

Thank you all for your help. We've decided that we'll do our initial homestay in Dublin. :cool: We can stay with a nice Irish family ( hopefully not drunks...:D ) and learn a bit about Irish life and explore Dublin: shopping, apartments, etc. Homestays are typically for a month, so that should give us enough time to scout out the city and get a feel for life there. If we end up not liking it, we can always do another month's homestay in Cork City and see how that is.


If anyone wants to know anything about the US, please feel free to ask. I'd be happy to return the favor. Thanks again!

Cato78

A side note here:

I always hear how expensive Ireland is compared to the US and Canada, but people rarely list actual prices. Can someone chime in and give me some round about figures on some basic items? I'll also post the price I pay here in Florida.

Gallon of milk - About 2.20Euro

Loaf of decent whole grain bread - About 1.85Euro

1 pound of chicken breast - About 3Euro ( Varies a good bit depending where you shop and the quantity )

Movie Ticket - About 6.60Euro

Large pepperoni pizza - About 8.50 Euro

Gallon of gas - About 2 Euro for regular unleaded

Gym membership per month - About 22 Euro. This can vary a lot depending on how much they think they can squeeze from you.

A steak dinner at an average steak house ( no alcohol ) - About 9 Euro

silverharp

Cato78 wrote: »

A side note here:

I always hear how expensive Ireland is compared to the US and Canada, but people rarely list actual prices. Can someone chime in and give me some round about figures on some basic items? I'll also post the price I pay here in Florida.

Gallon of milk - About 2.20Euro

Loaf of decent whole grain bread - About 1.85Euro

1 pound of chicken breast - About 3Euro ( Varies a good bit depending where you shop and the quantity )

Movie Ticket - About 6.60Euro

Large pepperoni pizza - About 8.50 Euro

Gallon of gas - About 2 Euro for regular unleaded

Gym membership per month - About 22 Euro. This can vary a lot depending on how much they think they can squeeze from you.

A steak dinner at an average steak house ( no alcohol ) - About 9 Euro

Ireland isnt cheap , alot of things like eating out are double the US, fuel probably X3 . At the same time Private heath insurance for a couple would be under 2K per year and there are no city/residential taxes to speak of.

LegacyUser

what Pete says about Galway is mostly true...went to college there for about four years, fantastic student social scene, but after that most people left..they call it 'the graveyard of ambition', it does rain alot there but it's still undoubtedly a special place, with lots of interesting things to do and see and culturally it's brill...however no one I know ever stays there, most people I know moved to Dublin...I moved back to Cork...what Pete said about Cork is also true..it's better than Galway in terms of being more like a city..but the parochial provincial attitude does prevail...Dublin is good alright, but the only problem is most people that live there tend to get sucked into the vortex that is Dublin, not unlike any capital city and tend to forget that there is more to the country than the Pale...please don't become one of those people op! I live in Killarney now and can't reccomend it highly enough, if you are stuck after Dublin and Cork...

6th

Cato78 wrote: »

hopefully not drunks

Yeah cos comments like that will warm us to you.

JuliusCaesar

Cato78 wrote: »

A side note here:

I always hear how expensive Ireland is compared to the US and Canada, but people rarely list actual prices. Can someone chime in and give me some round about figures on some basic items? I'll also post the price I pay here in Florida.

Gallon of milk - About 2.20Euro

Loaf of decent whole grain bread - About 1.85Euro

1 pound of chicken breast - About 3Euro ( Varies a good bit depending where you shop and the quantity )

Movie Ticket - About 6.60Euro

Large pepperoni pizza - About 8.50 Euro

Gallon of gas - About 2 Euro for regular unleaded

Gym membership per month - About 22 Euro. This can vary a lot depending on how much they think they can squeeze from you.

A steak dinner at an average steak house ( no alcohol ) - About 9 Euro

Tries to remember imperial measurements.....a gallon is 8 pints which is about 4 litres? A litre of milk is about €2

Petrol is sold and priced by the litre. And I've stopped looking...just get my €20 worth.

For food, you'd get away with ordering a quarter pound at the deli counter but packets will have their weight in Kilos/grammes. I think about 250grammes is a quarter pound?

Area of house/ flats - estate agents annoyingly tend to give either square feet or square metres. Have your calculator handy!

Cheap dinner out - probably around 25. Never without wine/beer!!

Join the rest of the world - go metric!

antoinolachtnai

an american gallon is smaller than the british gallon. (about 4l instead of 5l). 2l of milk in the supermarket is eur 1.49. Petrol fluctuates between 1.15 and 1.35 a litre. movie ticket - 8-11 euros I'd say. steak dinner - 14 euros up, I'd say, and a smaller piece of meat than in the US.

But check these things out for yourself on the websites.

a.

The_Conductor

A few things (I did up a list for the adoption forum a while back)

1. We set up INIS in late 2004 to deal with asylum seekers- it subsequently morphed into a general catch all, to deal with all matters immigration and citizenship related. It is currently being reorganised to take the provisions of the yet to be enacted 2008 Immigration, Residence and Protection bill into account.

2. SI 310 of 2008 which enacts freedom of movement for holders of Irish Visas in the EEA (the EU, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland)- relates solely to EU citizens and/or their qualifying family members. A holder of an Irish residency permit and/or a qualifying family member, is not entitled to freedom of movement in Europe and must apply to the individual countries for visas or waivers on a case by case basis.

3. An Irish residence stamp in your passport, is a permission to remain in the country, it is not a permission to work for gain in Ireland or any other EU country. A holder of an Irish residence stamp is entitled to petition to have qualifying family members live in Ireland with them (at the discretion of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform).

4. An employment permit is an entirely different visa, it requires an Irish domiciled company (which can be an Irish branch of a foreign multinational) to sponsor an applicant, and they must prove that the party on whose behalf they are sponsoring possesses a skill deemed to be in short supply, and unable to be filled by an EEA applicant.

5. Someone who is self employed can apply for a renewable 1 year Business visa, which entitles them to work in a self employed capacity in Ireland. This is a Type 1 Visa.

6. For a non-EEA citizen to remain in Ireland with another non-EEA citizen, they must prove a durable relationship of at least 4 years duration, and the primary applicant must hold an employment permit.

7. The spouse of a Type 1 visa holder may reside in Ireland, but may not work here, until such time as he/she has gained residency rights applicable to them, after which time a dependent work permit may be applied for.

8. Once you have been resident and working in Ireland for 5 years, you may apply for permanent residence (if you have not been working continuously- the period is 8 years).

9. You may apply for Irish citizenship through naturalisation in your own right, after working here for 5 consecutive years. If you are married (this includes a legally binding civil partnership recognised by the Irish state) to an Irish citizen, you may apply for Irish citizenship- if:

a. You've been married 3 years
b. You must have been resident in Ireland for at least 1 year prior to your application
c. You must have been normally resident in Ireland for 2 of the 4 previous years
d. You must complete the citizenship programme and make a declaration of loyalty to the Irish State. (there are other rules too)
e. The Irish state allow and recognise dual citizenship- aka you could hold both Irish and US citizenship simultaneously- however the US authorities *do not*. You should make sure you use your US passport exclusively when travelling in US territories, and ensure you do not advise that you hold a second passport.

10. If your partner is claiming Irish citizenship by descent, and the line of descent is at a minimal grandparents- she must register her birth at either of the Irish consular or embassy offices in the US in the register of foreign births. If citizenship by descent is being sought, and the line of descent is great-grandparents (or further back), a persons parents must previously have sought Irish citizenship by registering their births as foreign Irish births in an Irish embassy or consular office.

For a non EEA partner of an Irish citizen- establishing and documenting residency is paramount, and you need to ensure that your manner of documenting residency is satisfactory to the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Rules governing the married partner of an Irish citizen are different (but do not entitle the non Irish partner to Irish citizenship, unless the aforementioned residency rules are also met).

We did a massive crackdown on our Immigration and Residency laws in 1999, and there are further reforms in the 2008 bill,

presentation of bill here

copy of bill here

S.

The_Conductor

Gallon of milk - 2 litre containers- roughly 1/2 gallon, Euro 1.99

Loaf of decent whole grain bread - About 1.85Euro (about the same as in the US- but you'd need to find a good baker, many of ours have closed in the past few years, most of the bread sold here is pre-fabricated gunk)

1 pound of chicken breast - depends on quality and shop- but probably ~EUR6-7 General rule of thumb- a medium sized breast would probably be 2-2.50 each

Movie Ticket - About 10 (don't even think about the price of drinks/popcorn etc- they are extortionate here)

Large pepperoni pizza - Got one last night from Pizzahut for 22 Euro delivered

Gallon of gas - About 5 Euro for regular unleaded (US gallon). Diesel is about 60c a gallon cheaper. You also need to consider annual car tax (for a 2 litre engine- it can be around EUR700- unless it meets strict emissions standards, and is less than 5 years of age)

Gym membership per month - About 100 Euro. This can vary a lot depending on whether the particular gym is in financial trouble or not....... We also normally have to pay an annual membership, on top of the monthly stipend

A steak dinner at an average steak house ( no alcohol ) - 18-20 Euro, alcohol would be (a lot) extra

AvaKinder

Just a note on movie tickets. Yes they are considerably more expensive then you're used to but if you're living in Dublin u can get a card for one of the cinemas in town(Cineworld) for 20 euro a month which allows you to see an unlimited number of films with some small restrictions.

Again, I would stress that you both avoid certain areas and look at multiple (upwards of 5) different places in each area you decide might be suitable. Areas like Howth, Sutton, Raheny, Clontarf, Beaumont are nice, have good transport links and are near enough to late night grocery shopping. You can find very nice, affordable accommodation if you have the time to look.

However there are also tons of free things to do in the city, walking tours, museums, festivals, etc. Occasionally there are free drive in movies held in Phoenix Park.

Zzippy

Pete4779 wrote: »

I'lll give you my honest opinion: Dublin is the only reasonably developed part of the country (and I am from Cork). In my mind, things that determine your experience are facilities, amenities, commuting time to work, etc., .

Galway is a small town of around 20,000 with very high unemployment and no sustained local industry besides tourism; it suffers from ongoing water pollution and literally unclean drinking water, for several years. It also has a tightly congested road network, no public transport to speak of (as in, useful transport - not 3 buses per day). Culturally, around 6-8 weeks of the summer see a lot of tourists and people visiting for festivals, but it's pretty grim in the winter, which lasts the other 10 months of the year; during this time, it's quite dull and uninteresting (unless you are a 18-22 year old student from e.g., rural Ireland). Rain wise, it will rain every day, for as little as 10 mins or 10 hours, but usually every day. There are no proper cycling routes or running facilities; it's the main road or nothing. If you are not pushed about having running or clean water, having services and not bothered by everythign shutting at 6, Galway is perfect. Air transport in and out is also abysmal; you will have to drive/bus to Dublin or else fly to London first.

Where to start? You're so far out its funny - I hope that was the intention. :rolleyes:

Tusky

Liam Byrne wrote: »

LMAO! You sing the praises of Dublin and then slot in a pathetic slur like that!

Still, if someone prefers living in the murder capital of Europe to living here in Limerick, who am I to argue......I'd be too scared to!

Why is a pathetic slur ? Ive been to Limerick city many times and I really wouldnt want to live there. Didnt mean to cause offence.

Ive lived in Dublin all my life and Ive never been attacked or felt unsafe. The recent spate of murders are all gang related, a problem of which Limerick is not a stranger.

Zzippy wrote: »

Where to start? You're so far out its funny - I hope that was the intention. :rolleyes:

I agree with pretty much everything he said.

Cato78

6th wrote: »

Yeah cos comments like that will warm us to you.

Oh come now, I thought surely the Irish would take well to my sarcasm.

Sorry about the units, the metric system isn't taught or used here at all. We DO know liters, but that's simply because our soda comes in 2 liter bottles and American drinks A LOT of soda, lol.


Those prices help, thanks. The only ones that really hit me were the 100 Euro a month gym membership. Good Lord! Does that come with unlimited massages as well???? The pizza too, 22 Euro for ONE pepperoni pizza? :eek:

The_Conductor

Cato78 wrote: »

Oh come now, I thought surely the Irish would take well to my sarcasm.

Sorry about the units, the metric system isn't taught or used here at all. We DO know liters, but that's simply because our soda comes in 2 liter bottles and American drinks A LOT of soda, lol.


Those prices help, thanks. The only ones that really hit me were the 100 Euro a month gym membership. Good Lord! Does that come with unlimited massages as well???? The pizza too, 22 Euro for ONE pepperoni pizza? :eek:

The Pizza was a large one in all fairness, but I was surprised at the price myself (my wife is pregnant and decided late at night she fancied pizza so I obliged).

You will find less expensive gyms than EUR100 a month- the better gyms tend to have good pools though- and its horrendously expensive to run swimming pools in Ireland.

Another price of possible interest to you- my local butcher has T-Bone steak for EUR17.50 a kilo (about 2.2 pounds).

You will get a shock when you see the selection of candy for sale here- compared to in the States, the selection is bizzare. Its about 70c for a regular sized bar of chocolate.

S.

joeybloggs

I'm not byist at all.

Only 50 minutes from Dublin city is Greystones , Co. Wicklow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb9OvofxTzM

When can we be expecting you?:D

Liam Byrne

Tusky wrote: »

Why is a pathetic slur ? Ive been to Limerick city many times and I really wouldnt want to live there. Didnt mean to cause offence.

Well if you haven't lived somewhere, you can't know.

And saying that you wouldn't like to live there is fair enough - I wouldn't live in Dublin; but adding in "if you paid me" and giving no reasons does make it at least partially a snide remark or slur.

Tusky wrote: »

Ive lived in Dublin all my life and Ive never been attacked or felt unsafe. The recent spate of murders are all gang related, a problem of with which Limerick is not a stranger.

Well good for you, but I feel a lot safer around Limerick than I would around Dublin. And I couldn't live somewhere that it takes hours to get around.

I've also lived there for a while, and definitely couldn't see me living there long-term or making a life there.

So I wouldn't live in Dublin "if you paid me", but I've given reasons, rather than dropping it in as a throwaway remark.

Cato78

Well, a man can't deny his pregnant wife her late night cravings. A large pepperoni here would be about 9 Euro and then maybe 2-3 Euro as a tip to the driver.

I'd be looking for a gym geared toward bodybuilders and strength athletes. I'm not too interested in a pool, child watching, aerobics, etc. I just need a lot of heavy iron and some basic machines. :cool:

The steak price is helpful. I eat a lot of meat: chicken breast, lean steak, lean hamburger, etc. I usually buy the family size packs at larger supermarkets to get a bargain. I know food in general is more expensive in Europe, but every American I've spoken to says that the quality is generally better and food is fresher. Still, I'll probably avoid doing the Euro to Dollar conversions in my head.....as to avoid sadness.

smccarrick wrote: »

The Pizza was a large one in all fairness, but I was surprised at the price myself (my wife is pregnant and decided late at night she fancied pizza so I obliged).

You will find less expensive gyms than EUR100 a month- the better gyms tend to have good pools though- and its horrendously expensive to run swimming pools in Ireland.

Another price of possible interest to you- my local butcher has T-Bone steak for EUR17.50 a kilo (about 2.2 pounds).

You will get a shock when you see the selection of candy for sale here- compared to in the States, the selection is bizzare. Its about 70c for a regular sized bar of chocolate.

S.

Cato78

Can we stay with you for 3-4 weeks while we look around and find an apartment? If so, we'll be at your door in about 10 months. That's the average time is takes for them approve the citizenship request.

Could one live in Greystones and get around without a car?

joeybloggs wrote: »

I'm not byist at all.

Only 50 minutes from Dublin city is Greystones , Co. Wicklow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb9OvofxTzM

When can we be expecting you?:D

Pete4779

Cato78 wrote: »

Could one live in Greystones and get around without a car?

You definitely could, as there is a Dart train running straight into Connolly station that connects to the Luas tram as well. it does take mostly ~50mins to get in though, so it would be a bit of a pain commuting.

Anywhere on the "N11 corridor" is probably the most developed part of the country, from city centre down through south dublin, into wicklow, etc., . Your experience of Ireland will be improved if you move a little closer and are within 25mins or so of the city centre, as it will make casual trips into the centre for pubs, etc., possible. The same goes for living generally within the M50 ring - if outside, you get less transport by bus, rail, etc., and spend more time in general just getting around.

Paying more to rent in a convenient place will pay off considerably by way of quality of life and being able to walk/go into the city whenever you like and not have to bother with taxis and so on.

TurkeyBurger

Pete4779 wrote: »

Your experience of Ireland will be improved if you move a little closer and are within 25mins or so of the city centre, as it will make casual trips into the centre for pubs, etc., possible. The same goes for living generally within the M50 ring - if outside, you get less transport by bus, rail, etc., and spend more time in general just getting around.

Paying more to rent in a convenient place will pay off considerably by way of quality of life and being able to walk/go into the city whenever you like and not have to bother with taxis and so on.

I'd agree with this if you decide on Dublin. I'm from Dublin and have lived close to the City Centre and outside of it and being within 20-25 minutes of the city makes a huge difference.

You mentioned that you wouldn't be big drinkers so you'll most likely avoid the problem of staying for the extra one-for-the-road, missing your last bus or train and having to fork out €20 for a taxi but even having access to the city for cinemas (there are cinemas in a lot of suburbs but not all), theaters, etc. makes a huge difference. If you're handing over €20 a week in taxi fares to get home from the city, factor in that into your rent.

€700 for somewhere a bit further out but you're paying €100 a month in transport, compared to €800 for a bit closer but within walking distance etc.

If I was to pick a few, I'd be leaning toward:

Southside
Ranelagh - Great little 'village' - fairly self sufficient for pubs, restaurants, etc. and within 15-20 minutes walk of town. Has tram access, green line.

Donnybrook - fairly similar to Ranelagh, about the same distance from town.

Rathgar - Bit quieter and smaller than the top two but only 25 minute walk to town. Good bus service, about €12 in a taxi from St. Stephen's Green.

Rathmines/Portobello - Wouldn't be sold on either. Lots of student accommodation but apart from having access to town, don't really have a huge amount going for them. Rent will probably be cheaper though quality may vary a lot.

Northside
Clontarf - Nice area, beside the sea. A bit further to walk to, although you're walking through some not so nice spots. Wouldn't have the same number of restaurants, pubs as Ranelagh or Donnybrook but a good spot.

Fairview/Phibsboro - Would be a bit more like Rathmines I'd say. Lot of student accommodation and quality will vary but you could get a good deal on rent.

Then just to go against everything I said, I'd have a serious look at Howth. About 30 minutes on train from City Centre, maybe 40 minutes on bus, not within walking distance, about €20-€25 in a taxi, as many seafood shops as you'll ever need, fantastic hills and cliffs overlooking the sea, great pubs and restaurants.

sexdwarf

Cato78 wrote: »

Can we stay with you for 3-4 weeks while we look around and find an apartment? If so, we'll be at your door in about 10 months. That's the average time is takes for them approve the citizenship request. Could one live in Greystones and get around without a car?

OP I'd second the Greystones suggestion, or areas on the Dublin/Wicklow border (Dalkey, Killiney, Glengeary, Blackrock). I've rented flats/rooms in a few of these spots and found them no more expensive than other parts of the city. You can get the Dart train into the city centre in 40 - 45 minutes, there are regular buses and you're then on the doorstep of Co. Wicklow, which is really a gorgeous county and you get the best of both worlds, easy access to Dublin and the more rural beauty of Wicklow.