Canadian family moving to Ireland 2023 - Best town for young outdoorsy family (2+2 small kids)?

Claw Hammer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118729184#Comment_118729184

Athlone is less than 90 mins to Shannon on the M6 and M!8 so continuous Motorway the whole way. Dublin is also less than 90 mins on the M6/M4/M50 also continuous Motorway. Knock Airport is also less than 90 mins but on National roads. Athlone is quite strong economically with many multinational companies operating there such as Ericsson and Elan. Property prices are lower than in Dublin and its commuter belt so there is more bang for the buck when buying a house. One major issue to think about is that if children are going to Third level in Ireland, the cost of accommodation in the major cities for students is very high.

lalababa

Ennis...Co. Clare. That town is very clean, and very well run...loads of facilities especially for kids. 500k will get you a mansion. Loads of lakes for watersports. Next to de Burren for walks etc. Good trad scene. You are close to Shannon. A 20min drive to fabulous beachs. Not far from limerick. And there are other things that I can't think of.

Hamachi

Popped into this thread out of curiosity. OP, if you’re truly committed to giving Ireland a try, rent a place for 12-18 months, get your kids enrolled in local schools, and ensure that you and your wife dive head-first into local sports clubs etc. You’ll have a really solid framework to make a decision at that point.

One town / city I haven’t seen mentioned is Kilkenny. It’s a small medieval city, dominated by a castle and a cathedral. It has a lively, friendly atmosphere. It’s about a 1.5 hour drive from Dublin airport and less than an hour to the beaches, greenway, and mountains in Waterford.

Last point I’ll make is to be careful of the advice you buy on this thread. I recognize one poster in particular, who has a personal axe to grind about Ireland and Irish people. This person is also remarkably ill-qualified to make recommendations of any nature to a young family. Try it out for yourself. Nothing is superior to first hand experience.

Good luck to you and your family.

Caranica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118736679#Comment_118736679

As an Irish person it's one of my favourite places to go for a weekend. I'd prefer Athlone over Kilkenny and Westport any day.

Do you live there? Otherwise it's quite an accusation to make

jd

People have mentioned Wexford Town, but Enniscorthy is also worth a look. Slightly nearer Dublin, with a train station, and good bus connections.

mikeybhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118738686#Comment_118738686

Enniscourthy is a kip and it has a tendency to get flooded

Mad_maxx

Don't pick anywhere outside the east or Cork City as the climate is terrible in the west and the Midlands is dull and population centres too small

A 500 k budget is sizeable, Bray is a good option or else Cork City

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118722210#Comment_118722210

All small little clanish places ,awful suggestions for someone from as far away as Canada

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118730260#Comment_118730260

Except climate

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118738911#Comment_118738911

Ha ha ha.

The climate changes dramatically once you drive 60km west.

Good one!

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118738686#Comment_118738686

Enniscorthy doesn’t compare to Wexford town to be honest. Actually if I think about it I’d live in new Ross or Gorey before enniscorthy with Wexford town no.1

massdebater

OP, you may have already considered this, but taxes are far higher in Ireland than BC. Income taxes are higher across the board. You will also need to pay an "exit tax" on any shares/property you own in Canada when you move to a new tax jurisdiction, you'll pay CGT as if you have sold them. As well as this, Ireland doesn't have any equivalent to the TFSA or anything like that. CGT is also a blanket 33% in Ireland, as opposed to the generous way it's taxed in Canada.

Where in BC are you moving from? I did more outdoorsy activities in a few summers in BC than I did in 25+ years in Ireland. Aside from the greenways in Ireland, cycling is pretty dangerous on most normal roads as they are narrow, lots of speeding cars not expecting cyclists etc.

You have plenty of good advice here about towns in Ireland, and the weather, so I won't repeat it but my advice would be to come and rent for a year before you decide to uproot your family. EUR500k would buy you a nice house in the Okanagan or most places on Vancouver Island and you'd tick a lot more of your boxes than pretty much anywhere in Ireland. Also be aware that Ireland is very friendly on the surface, but it can be quite insular in towns outside of Dublin, as a foreigner.

Sorry this all sounds overly negative, that's not my intention, but it's good for you to consider all the info before making a big decision like this. Best of luck with whatever you end up doing!

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739388#Comment_118739388

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739388#Comment_118739388

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118730260#Comment_118730260

Who the hell would live in the Midlands if they had the choice to buy in Dublin or Wicklow etc ?

Hamachi

OP, one other thing occurred to me and it’s about building friendships and relationships in Ireland. I work for a tech company in Dublin with a highly diverse workforce. Half my team are non-Irish. One complaint I hear repeatedly is that foreigners find it very difficult to forge meaningful connections with Irish people.

My experience is that most Irish people find their small, core group of friends in school and university. Family ties here are also closer than other Northern European countries. When people get married and have kids, they tend to become even more involved with their own families and in-laws. In many cases, there isn’t a lot of time or appetite to build new friendships, particularly with people who are only passing through Ireland for a couple of years.

Personally, I’ve seen Americans and other English-speaking foreigners struggle with the fact that Irish people don’t and never will invite them to their homes for dinner etc. Irish people tend to reserve their homes for family and very close friends. It’s their inner sanctum. Do not be offended if you aren’t invited; it’s just the social norm here.

In a nutshell, Ireland is a ‘peach’ society. People are cordial and pleasant. They will be nice to you on the surface. If you ever have a problem or a huge crisis, Irish people will also have your back and give you a dig out. However, it takes years to really find good friends here. We don’t do the revolving door of superficial friendships that seems so prevalent in other societies. Most people have close families and long standing friends. You’ll find that many people simply aren’t interested in growing their social circles.

I’m being blunt with you so that you manage your expectations. I’ve seen first-hand the disillusionment of some foreigners who have a false, almost idealistic view of Irish friendliness. Certainly, there won’t be any obstacles put in your way when moving into a community, but be aware that a close group of friends are unlikely to fall into your lap. A South African colleague of mine described it perfectly. He sees the Irish as ‘the friendliest people, with whom it’s impossible to make friends’. It’s not a million miles from the truth.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739496#Comment_118739496

This is excellent advice across the board

Also , Avoid towns with populations below thirty thousand and forget about Kilkenny and Ennis, too small and while not as clannish as small towns ,a person from abroad with decent skills and who is pursuing a relatively affluent lifestyle can do far better than either town

The cliqueyness of rural Ireland is a sight to behold, they let people from a few counties over know about it three times per week, never mind someone from Canada

Villages are only friendly for people who are born and bred ,they are for people who have no interest in anyone who's grandparents they can't name ,anyone remotely open minded to outsider friends leaves for bigger places

xeresod

Would you not rent for a couple of years, then you can try out different areas.

Have you researched into the financial side of things, especially taxes?

You'll be remotely working for your Canadian employer so you'll pay tax in Canada but you're also liable here on the amount you remit to an Irish account - there is a double taxation treaty so you'll get credit for your Canadian taxes but the tax rate here is higher (40% versus 30% plus USC and PRSI) so you'll still have extra to pay. There's far more to it than that so you really need to get advice from an accountant familiar with both jurisdictions.

Plus if you're looking for a mortgage, you'll find that very difficult (but not impossible) in your situation and you'll need at least a 20% deposit, I've seen others in similar circumstances needing 30% so again get professional advice and find a broker rather than trying to apply yourself!

Good luck and hope you find your ideal place!

EDit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739529#Comment_118739529

Rather broad statement, no? I live in Athlone and have relatives in both Tallaght (Dublin) and Baltinglass (Wicklow)… you’d have to pay me to move to either of those places

fits

OP I’d take a lot of these posts with a pinch of salt. They wouldn’t tie in with my own experiences in a lot of cases. Schools are pretty good everywhere. Most towns mentioned are really nice. You’re just going to have to come try it out.

suilegorma

A couple of people have mentioned Westport & Greystones. I honestly think both towns tend to be very sprawled & most housing is away from the lovely centre. Westport in particular is very traffic clogged for a town that has a fab Greenway. Also having lived on the west coast for many years I would never move back there, especially if you enjoy outdoor life...it's fine to say just wear proper clothing but with small kids in tow outdoor life is definitely easier with less rain! I would also wonder why you would like to live close to the airport unless you anticipate flying very regularly? Maybe that would open up other areas. If you enjoy socialising then I'd also try for a slightly larger town that has a better offering....some places struggle to offer even a decent coffee shop. Bray or some of the Wicklow or Wexford towns would be my advice. Close to wonderful countryside but with enough diversions for a family. Also bear in mind a lot of smaller towns have limited activties for kids, so check out what's available where your interests lie eg scouts, sailing, tennis etc. If you really want to make friends I would join the local GAA club, there is one is almost every community and most are very welcoming. Also check out train/bus timetables, having access doesn't necessarily mean useful services eg Wicklow town has very limited services, Greystones is not as frequent as the Bray service. Same on the Northside. For schools, most of them are religious (Catholic/Protestant) but some areas have better access to non or multi denomination than others if that's important, if your kids are young I'd absolutely consider a Gaelscoil too... absolutely no requirement for parents to have any Irish language & they often offer a third language. Best of luck in your search, Ireland is a fab place to live & raise kids, even the built up areas are very sparsely populated with lots of spaces & access to coasts & mountains, crime is low & Europe is on your doorstep .

Fr Tod Umptious

Hi OP

Best advice is ignore everything here expect for posts telling you and the family to come over and rent for a year or two to get a real sense of the place to help make up your own mind.

People are too opinionated around here and will extrapolate their own personal experience or gripes to claim that they are applicable to the whole country or population.

Best of luck either way.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739529#Comment_118739529

About a quarter of a million people?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118717155#Comment_118717155

Its very rough compared to Tullamore

Hamachi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739736#Comment_118739736

100%. This is the right path forward if you’re serious about giving it a go here.

Caranica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739755#Comment_118739755

Tullamore hasn't been particularly safe for women

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739531#Comment_118739531

This times a thousand

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739632#Comment_118739632

That's fine but Athlone is hardly an extremely desirable place?

Why anyone would wish to relocate from BC Canada to Athlone is beyond me?

Same with Tallaght ,wouldn't move from BC to there either

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739746#Comment_118739746

Being born there and moving to there from abroad are two entirely different things, don't be obtuse

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739736#Comment_118739736

The OP can't realistically rent in multiple places like trying on a pair of shoes ,they need opinions from people, I've lived abroad and in several places in Ireland where I wasn't born

Ush1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739632#Comment_118739632

Speaking of broad statement, Tallaght is roughly 4 times the population of Athlone. Must be something good about it.

Demonique

Wanting to live in an area where a large percentage of the population is university educated is extremely elitist