Nervous about possible move to Letterkenny...

ischia

We as a family are thing about moving from the suburbs of Dublin to Letterkenny, Donegal with 2 young kids.

I don't know anybody from Donegal so do not have any objective opinions.

One child will be school going age the other pre-school. What is the school system like up there? In my local area here in Balbriggan the school prefer the children to be 5 years old going to school. Is anyone familiar with the different schools up there and could offer any advice?

I have also heard that people from some towns can be quite unfriendly to the "blow ins" from Dublin. We would be going up there with no friends or relatives to rely on and starting out on our on. Our older child really has a life here of his own in Balbriggan. His own friends, his own groups he attends and of course family live local. We are very nervous about up rooting him.

So the job itself is based mainly around the main city centre in Letterkenny so we would be looking at the surrounding areas for a house to rent. We love how much bigger the houses are than Dublin and the space. As well as value for money. Is there any good areas to look at as well as any areas to avoid?

Also is it cheaper up there to live? Food Shopping etc or with the likes of Tesco is it all the same?

To be honest I would not only like advice on my questions I would also love to hear stories from people that completely left all the their comforts and moved somewhere else. and whether is worked out or not. And what they found difficult.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated...

ivytwine

I don't know much about Donegal itself, but yes it will be cheaper than Dublin, though you probably will have less choice in places to shop etc. Also it's not too far away from NI so if you're missing the city you can always drive into Derry.

I think people in small towns can be a bit unsure of new people at first. My mother is from England and she's a bit out there, tbh, so I think people were quite unsure what to make of her. Still are, probably!

There may be a bit of gossip but in my book just ignore that. Just be open and friendly, but not too open; people can be really into knowing each other's business so if you've just had a row with your husband keep it to yourselves or else the whole town will know within hours!

It will help that your kids will be in the local school; it gives you a chance to get involved in various bodies and things and get to know other parents. Just be open and treat people with respect and you'll soon stop being the local curiosity!

Harps

For accommodation, avoid the Long Lane area (Meadowbank, Hazelbrook etc), they always had a bad reputation in my time living in the place. Gortlee & Ballyraine have a lot of student accom so you might want to avoid them if you want somewhere quiet though they're generally fine to live in as far as I know. I lived in Glencar for 4 years, its a nice enough area with shops, schools and parks all within walking distance

Regarding the 'blow in' thing, Letterkenny is a pretty big town with plenty of people from far more diverse locations than Dublin so you can be fairly sure that wont be a problem

Shopping will probably be a bit cheaper and there's plenty of choice, Tesco, Dunnes, M&S etc and all the usual high street shops and Asda & Sainsburys just across the border. Derry City is just down the road as well so plenty to keep you occupied.

I'm not too up to date with schools but there's 5 or 6 national schools in the town off the top of my head, you'd be better asking on the Donegal forum for advice on that