Where is easier to move to: Skib, Clon or Bantry?

paluiz

My wife and I are planning to move to West Cork next year. We don't have any particular family connections there: my wife's mum came from Waterford and she has lots of cousins from Waterford and Cork, but they all seem to live in London! We've made a shortlist of Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Bantry as places we like that we think we could live in. We'll probably start off by renting somewhere for a while, so first choice isn't final, but it would be good to start by trying whichever seems the most promising for the longer term. Neither of us will be commuting to work so that's not an issue.

I've read a few reports that the locals can be hard to get to know and it can be easier to make friends in places that have other blow-ins, so if anyone has any first hand experience of any of these places - how friendly are they, and are there lots of other incomers there? - I'd be grateful if you could share them with me.

We'll probably rent starting in January but we'll be there before then for a bit of further looking around - in Skib next week in fact - so if there's anything we should maybe check out, glad to hear about that too.

Apologies if this seems like a question that's been asked before. I have searched the forum and there are several threads about moving into the general area, but none that seems to ask quite the same thing as I want to know.

Thanks!

wackokid

My choice would be Clonakilty mainly because it's only 30/40 mins from Cork City, hospitals etc.
Property will be slightly more expensive for that reason but you get what you pay for in this old world.
I think, in fact I know that you will find the people welcoming but there's egg heads everywhere.
You can PM me if you need more info or further help.

downwesht

I live in Skibb!Living here 20 years now.A nice town,clean,friendly people and close to great amenities.Baltimore and Schull on the doorstep,great local fresh food.Rents and properties not too expensive.Pm me if you have further questions!

.red.

Ive never lived in any of them but know all 3 well enough.
My first pick would be Clonakilty, then Skibbereen, then Bantry.
As above Clon is closer to the city which makes things like hospitals and consultants easier to reach if needed. There isnt really anything i can think of that you couldnt buy in Clon and would have to travel to Cork for, its got everything on its doorstep, as would Skibb.
Just my opinion but Clon is also the nicer of the 3 you picked.

Its a good thing too that ye will be making the move in the winter. All 3 would be lovely places to live in the summer but if we got a bad winter you might find yourself not liking it as much as when the weather is warmer, i was gonna say when the sun was shining but who am i kidding lol!

podgemonster

I really don't see the "living in Clonakilty as you are closer to the hospital" being that important unless you are a regular hospital visitor. To enjoy all the benefits of living in a rural community you must also sacrifice the benefits of city living. I guess OP you must ask yourself why are you doing this and what do want from the move and don't let the lure of city conveniences dictate.

Clon is very conveniently located, so much so that many of the residents commute to and from the city everyday. Living somewhere further south will have less people commuting to the city and more people working locally. This may make it easier to get to know people and see the same faces everyday. Skibb (2,000 people) and Bantry (3,000) have a considerable smaller population that Clon (5,000).

It's a big decision but either of those 3 towns are lovely places to live. I'd recommend giving them 2-3 day visit before making a decision January. Sit in the coffee shops with a book and read the interactions between people coming and going. Look up local community/sports info online/Facebook, perhaps there's a historical society, a walking club or drama society you and your wife would be interested in or attend a local event.

paluiz

Thanks for the replies so far, some good food for thought. I grew up in Australia and used to live in a small town that had one general store, nearest pub a 30km round trip down a mountain track that was impassible in heavy rain, with electricity the only mains service, so even Skib is pretty substantial compared to that. I've mostly been in Ireland in autumn/winter time so have a good idea of what the weather holds in store.