would we be mad to move back to ireland???

mrsd2005

Hello

New member here - I'm going around in circles in my head. I live in london with my husband and two boys (under three). We both have jobs here (education based in various ways).

We are feeling the need to move house/area as it's very small and very busy area (boys haven't had good health for the past winter and we feel that our location isn't helping them).

We have had a long term plan to move to ireland (i'm irish - dublin and husband was brought up here in london, but is of asian origin).

So we thought in the short term we could move out of london - but then wondered if now would be the right time to move home??? I know the situation re economy etc - but we would be able to buy a home with a much smaller mortage.

We just don't know what to do - husband is a teacher but his qualification wouldn't be fully recognised in ireland - he couldn't retrain (has taken him donkeys years to get this damned qualification). We wondered about moving to the border areas (maybe carlingford?) and he could work over the border where his qualification would be valid...

I worry about racism too...

Anyone have any really bright ideas or different ways of thinking to help me clarify what to do.

Thanks

looksee

Just out of interest, why would you not consider moving to the North, rather than the Republic and working over the border? Or indeed to another part of the UK if living in London is an issue.

If you did come to Ireland (RofI) house prices have indeed dropped, and if you had cash in hand you might get a good deal. Teaching jobs would be pretty well impossible given the different qualifications and the issues with teaching jobs here anyway.

You would find (as you know) a considerable difference between life here and in London, would you miss the London lifestyle? Is there anything, other than your childrens' wellbeing, that is prompting you to move? Your husband will soon be on holiday, will you also be free? In which case why not come over and investigate the country, especially for your husband.

As to racism, well he will be a good deal more noticeable here than in London. We have a much more cosmopolitan population than we used have, which is progress, but he might find that he feels more conspicuous than he does in London. The vast majority of people would not have any issues, but unfortunately you only need a tiny minority of people with racist attitudes to make life difficult.

Delancey

mrsd2005 wrote: »

Hello

New member here - I'm going around in circles in my head. I live in london with my husband and two boys (under three). We both have jobs here (education based in various ways).

We are feeling the need to move house/area as it's very small and very busy area (boys haven't had good health for the past winter and we feel that our location isn't helping them).

We have had a long term plan to move to ireland (i'm irish - dublin and husband was brought up here in london, but is of asian origin).

So we thought in the short term we could move out of london - but then wondered if now would be the right time to move home??? I know the situation re economy etc - but we would be able to buy a home with a much smaller mortage.

On the racism front I really don't consider it to be any more widespread here than England - not that I have experience of it I must add.

We just don't know what to do - husband is a teacher but his qualification wouldn't be fully recognised in ireland - he couldn't retrain (has taken him donkeys years to get this damned qualification). We wondered about moving to the border areas (maybe carlingford?) and he could work over the border where his qualification would be valid...

I worry about racism too...

Anyone have any really bright ideas or different ways of thinking to help me clarify what to do.

Thanks

The problem with both your occupations is that being in the education field they are very much at the mercy of goverment cuts , teaching jobs are few and far between right now and it is expected that there will be fully qualified teachers chasing positions as Classroom Assistants.
I know a fully qualified teacher who left Ireland last year as she found it impossible to get any sort of work.
I don't think we have seen the half of the cuts that will be nescessary.
The job position for almost everyone is grim.

While house prices have plummeted the banks simply are not lending and this is why there is very little movement in the housing market. As newly arrived from London I think you will struggle to get any sort of mortgage.

Obviously your childrens health is of paramount importance , do you think that living in London is the problem here ? Having lived in England I will say that its health service is quite superior to here - shorter waiting times for a start not to mention free GP visits and low medicine costs.

Overall OP in the current very depressed economic climate I really could not advise anyone to come here.

The High King

You may be mad to move, but let us not forget, we get only but one life.

InReality

The border area thing sounds like smart thinking to me. Might be best of both worlds , ireland , but able to use the qualification,

Delancey

InReality wrote: »

The border area thing sounds like smart thinking to me. Might be best of both worlds , ireland , but able to use the qualification,

Just be aware that Northern Ireland is facing fairly severe cuts in public spending too - something that can only have a huge impact on an economy that is dangerously over-dependent on the public sector.

jackiebaron

Moving back to Ireland is very difficult for a lot of people. Especially coming from big cities like London or New York. Also many people move back to be close to their family and old friends that they grew up with but if you're going to be moving to the border or up North I'm guessing you'll still be far away from them. Could be a case of "out of the frying pan..."

mrsd2005

Thanks for these honest replies. We are going to come home for two weeks in the summer and suss things out. I'm at 6s and 7s today.

Will keep you updated!
a

mickman

you say you think that your location isnt helping your boys health? why so, is it the weather? londons weather is better than irish weather

mrsd2005

Well my boys health has been pretty poor and I do think that the environment isn't helping. Not so much the weather, but living in a very crowded city... we live on a main road... everything is crammed (busses, trains etc). There is little fresh air really.

Our house doesn't help either - it's poky and very cold in the winter - I know this isn't a reason to move to ireland but it is a reason to move house, and out of the area... and that's what's making us think of the move to Ireland now -rather than moving out of london, and again in a few years time moving back to ireland.

a

mickman

why not the south of england then i.e. portsmouth etc

ye will struggle to get any education work in ireland

The High King

To be honest, it sounds to me like somebody wants to come home. Yes it does. Yes it does. Come on, come on home. Come home. Whatever anybody says about Ireland at the minute is probably true, but it still a decent place to grow up. Things always work themselves out. You can make this work if that's what you really want. Some people will call me crazy, those people are correct.

WelshExile

we're in a similar position... my boyfriend is Irish, I'm welsh but have lived and worked in London for the past 10 years. He's ready to come home and I'm ready for a change. After much umming and ahhing we've decided to take the plunge and are heading back to Ireland at Christmas. We're both very nervous about the economy, but feel we've got to give it a go at least...as the High King suggests, things have a habit of working themselves out.

not1but4

My sister recently moved back to Ireland from London with her English husband and young child. She had lived in London for 8 years but always wanted to move back to Ireland.

She left her FT job to do this my brother in law was lucky enough that his company have allowed him to work at home so he hasnt left his job even though they are now in Ireland. They both love it as they had a tiny flat in London and now they have a big house.

Carlingford is a lovely place but be aware that you will find yourself either going to Dundalk or Newry to do anything.

But I would try to find a job before moving over.

blaze1

mickman wrote: »

why not the south of england then i.e. portsmouth etc

ye will struggle to get any education work in ireland

Portsmouth? urgh its as built up and congested as london. Try 20 miles down the road to the new forest fresh air, my sister regualy commutes to london takes her about 1hr 20 mins.

heidigirl13

Have been in UK for over ten years now- including uni- origianlly from Moanghan. have a one year old daughter. husband not irish but we have often discussed moving back to Ireland as something I seriously want to look at in next 2yrs or so. Are we mad?
I am a teacher and had considered looking at NI schools for work tho a few posters have said this will be really difficult. Hubby is in insurance. we had considered living in the south- again dundalk/carlingford way so that houses slightly cheaper but easy to commute to NI or Dub if need be for work- also would be only half an hour from family in Monaghan- close- but not too close ;-)
Am I kidding myself?

Delancey

heidigirl13 wrote: »

Have been in UK for over ten years now- including uni- origianlly from Moanghan. have a one year old daughter. husband not irish but we have often discussed moving back to Ireland as something I seriously want to look at in next 2yrs or so. Are we mad?
I am a teacher and had considered looking at NI schools for work tho a few posters have said this will be really difficult. Hubby is in insurance. we had considered living in the south- again dundalk/carlingford way so that houses slightly cheaper but easy to commute to NI or Dub if need be for work- also would be only half an hour from family in Monaghan- close- but not too close ;-)
Am I kidding myself?

I think you would be crazy to move back unless you have secure employment lined up.
The insurance industry is seriously contracting here - Aviva are losing 1000 staff , Quinn are shedding hundreds and signs are more will lose their jobs - Irish Insurance industry looks very bleak in employment terms now.

Teaching posts are very few and far between in the Republic and there are thousands of unemployed teachers - you may get lucky and get a few days 'supply' work but beyond that i would consider it unlikely you would get fixed up.
Norn Iron has traditionally benefitted from the largesse of the exchequer in London and this has created a grossly dysfunctional economy with massive over-reliance on the public sector ( something ALL parties in the North agree on for once ). Given the huge UK deficit NI is seeing less generosity from London and this is already feeding through into job losses in the public sector and Education will not escape.

Things on the island of Ireland are bleak.

heidigirl13

not a'glass half full' person then? a- no seriously- realism needed. think things would be any better in 5 years? or are we talking ten or more!:eek:

Delancey

I think the very earliest we can expect a decent and real ( and not just statistical ) improvement is 5 years off - might be less but might be more.

fat__tony

I think some people on here are seriously deluded about moving back and assuming that things will work themselves out.

Move somewhere else but not back to Ireland.

Come to Canada, its perfect for family living and a good quality of life.

yosser hughes

heidigirl13 wrote: »

Am I kidding myself?

Yes.
Do not do it.
Delancey is 100% correct.Nothing more needs to be said.

mickman

i work in IT and job prospects are better now than at any time in the past 10 years so not all is bleak

Johnny Foreigner

I am London-Irish, born in London to Irish parents. I lived in London for 32 years and moved to Ireland 2 years ago. It was the best thing I have ever done. My only regret is that I did not do it sooner, during the Celtic Tiger boom years. I will never go back to London. Yes, the recession is bad here; and there is high unemployment, but the quality of life and work/life balance is better in Ireland. It is only when you have lived in both London and Ireland that you are able to make a comparison. You will always get people who have never lived in London giving you negative advice, when they have never lived in London! Take it from me, I know as I have done it; it will be the best thing you ever do. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to private message me if you have any specific questions. You may also find this forum useful:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=88

Yahew

The question is between London and Ireland. London's house prices haven't fallen during their recession, and prices are set to rise 20%, along with rent, in the next 5 years. Already most people are priced out of markets. This isn't like the Irish boom, which was a bubble, it's structural.Net immigration continues, house building is lagging. Where people go to, the South East, is where there is no new housing. I never see anything getting built in London.

Meanwhile back in Dublin, a pint cost me €3.20 yesterday in the centre. I too would come back, if jobs are ok - and it seems ok in IT - then Ireland would be better at this stage than London. The thing is a boom city is not all it is cracked up to be, and a recession city can be ok if you have a job.

prettygurrly

just a word of warning...caralingford is one of the most saught after places in louth to live and the price of houses reflects this. a house in drogheda is about 140k, in carlingford it's well over 300k.

like other posters said, ireland is not good if you haven't got work. it depends what you're prepared to do...if you can let yourself work outside your comfort zone then you will find a job. there are people hiring in this country, you just have to keep applying and not give up hope. however to sell up your london home and move to ireland with no job would be foolish.

my friend commutes to london from coventry. it takes 1 hour by train and you can work on the train too so if you have marking etc to do then you can do it on your commute. there are some lovely places to live in the suburbs of london, you just have to watch "escape to the country" on BBC to see the range of house choice for very little money, and still less than ireland. The problem with the house market in ireland is that nice houses are still priced quite high because the people who own them don't want to let them go for less than what they feel is fair (like my parents) so we're all stuck in limbo here.

if you saved up enough money you could look into buying a little apartment in Ireland and spend your summer holidays here with your kids no? particularly if you found a cheaper house in the country which counting in the price of commuting you were still able to save. you could rent it to students during the academic year if it was placed near a college and then have it to spend your summers. another friend of mine has a house in carlingford and as her parents are a teacher and retired they just decamp there every summer and christmas to get out of drogheda. it is possible. but i think from knowing what the suburbs of london can be like (my brother lives in shorne in kent and it's like living in kildare) i think you would be mad to leave FT jobs and move to ireland.

Delancey

Johnny Foreigner wrote: »

I am London-Irish, born in London to Irish parents. I lived in London for 32 years and moved to Ireland 2 years ago. It was the best thing I have ever done. My only regret is that I did not do it sooner, during the Celtic Tiger boom years. I will never go back to London. Yes, the recession is bad here; and there is high unemployment, but the quality of life and work/life balance is better in Ireland. It is only when you have lived in both London and Ireland that you are able to make a comparison. You will always get people who have never lived in London giving you negative advice, when they have never lived in London! Take it from me, I know as I have done it; it will be the best thing you ever do. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to private message me if you have any specific questions. You may also find this forum useful:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=88

I would agree that quality of life and work/life balance would be better here than London.
But unless you have a decent job your quality of life will be nil , unemployment here is rising again.