Construction Workers Commuting from Uk to Ireland Weekly

madmac187

Hi all, just back about 3 months from Australia and thinking of moving to UK. I have a couple of interviews and wondering what is the commute like for people is it hard on relationships and do many people do it. Any and all help is appreciated.

FTA69

When I was working in pubs I met a carpenter, a lad from Derry who commuted over every week and went home at the weekends. He was thoroughly miserable. He worked flat out every day but never really knew anyone in work, he was simply given plans and told to work away. In the evenings he'd either go and sit home in his room or else come to the pub and read the papers. That's an awful way to live if I ever heard it to be honest. It can be a lonely experience and I wouldn't bother doing it if I could get away with it.

Playboy

madmac187 wrote: »

Hi all, just back about 3 months from Australia and thinking of moving to UK. I have a couple of interviews and wondering what is the commute like for people is it hard on relationships and do many people do it. Any and all help is appreciated.

Agree with FTA69, just go the whole hog and move over if you can. Settle in and make friends and make a life for yourself here if you can. If there is a reason forcing you to go home very weekend then I'd advise to try and do my best to find work at home.

Scarinae

My brother did this for about six weeks, as his wife got a job back in Dublin and it took him a while to sort out a job for himself - he essentially moved back to Dublin with her, but continued working in London. He said it was tiring, but manageable because it was only a short term thing. Also, his job was office-based which in itself would be less tiring than construction.

madmac187

True, i wondered how hard it would be, thanks for the help people ��

seachto7

Could anyone put me in touch with someone who has been / is commuting weekly?

Fratton Fred

I commuted from Dublin to London for nearly three years. The money was very very good in London, but the commute really took its toll.

I'd catch a 6:40am flight Monday, which got me in to the office at 9, then I'd leave early in a friday and get a 5:30ish flight home.

You lose a friday night because you are tired when you get home, then all day Sunday all you can think about is getting up at 4am the next morning.

It's hard, especially on the family, but not as hard as being unemployed.

Vag

Fratton Fred wrote: »

I commuted from Dublin to London for nearly three years.

Just out of curiosity....why didn't you just move?

afatbollix

My uncle owns a company in London and commutes over every week.

As above he gets the 6:30 flight every Monday to Stansted and then has his car in the airport car park and drives to work. He does 10 hour days Monday to Thursday and gets a late Thursday flight.

He has it to a tee tho, Airport parking no checked in baggage walks straight to the plane last minute get on and sleep and off the other side and home. Some peoples commute would be longer than the flight to Dublin!

Its also not cheap as your flying peak times.

Fratton Fred

Vag wrote: »

Just out of curiosity....why didn't you just move?

It was only ever a temporary thing. It just ended up being longer than we expected. It would have meant my wife giving up a job she loves and then there's moving schools etc.

Vag

Fratton Fred wrote: »

It was only ever a temporary thing. It just ended up being longer than we expected. It would have meant my wife giving up a job she loves and then there's moving schools etc.

Aha, I get ya.

Lapin

FTA69 wrote: »

When I was working in pubs I met a carpenter, a lad from Derry who commuted over every week and went home at the weekends. He was thoroughly miserable. He worked flat out every day but never really knew anyone in work, he was simply given plans and told to work away. In the evenings he'd either go and sit home in his room or else come to the pub and read the papers. That's an awful way to live if I ever heard it to be honest. It can be a lonely experience and I wouldn't bother doing it if I could get away with it.

But at least he goes back home every other weekend and probably has a great time there. An awful lot of fellas just like him who haven't been home in years.

lbj666

You wouldn't be alone. Plenty people have it as tough driving to and from their home home and their place of work staying within the Island of Ireland, especially in the construction industry where site staff and labourers have had to drag themselves all over the place. I worked on site up in the Northwest for 9 months but my home home was Kerry. Used do down Friday back Sunday sometimes i'd be so wrecked from long site hours i'd leave the drive down til saturday morning. I know another lad used do the journey back from tipp on monday 5am to be onsite for 9 , could never do it. The only thing that got me through it was knowing there was an end to it.
Getting the road from Dublin to the west coast can still be tough enough on a friday evening.

The tedium of Airports, Flying and the london commute can be just as hard as 4-6 hrs on the road and tougher on the pocket. Its doable but not sustainable in the long run

madmac187

Getting back every second weekend at the minute, working all the time no want or otherwise to go near anyone 7-7 wears you down.

Badger2009

Bit different but I was there for just over 4 years.

I went home once a month and my wife came over once a month. Meant we saw each other every second weekend.

Not ideal but worked out well as when we were together it was better quality time than if I had been going home every weekend wrecked.

Other thing to bear in mind is to make money in construction a lot of the time you might need to do Saturdays and sometimes sundays. I did 2 every month and made a big difference as it paid for flights home etc.