Relocation from Netherlands to Ireland

Vicky4life

Hello everyone...

I and my family are moving to Ireland and I don't really know which city is best for family.

Please I need your suggestions on which area is best for families.

I'm looking to seeing your responses.

Thanks.

Thistley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058268546/relocation-from-netherlands-to-ireland

Hi! I think it depends on each family really. We moved to rural Ireland when we first arrived here but soon realised we were really city people so now live closer to Dublin. When we were trying to decide which city to move to, we were considering Dublin, Galway and Cork. Dublin won for us due to the airport and the choice of family activites available.

There is 'De Madelief' school in South Dublin where Nederlanders meet and their children can learn Dutch etc.

Also something to consider is the housing crisis in Ireland at the moment so that might impact the decision of where to locate to.

Mrs OBumble

What is your purpose for moving to Ireland?

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119780857#Comment_119780857

Yea it depends on each family, someone advised me to stay in Dublin because there's a lot of job opportunities and going to school will be much easier, but houses are very expensive in Dublin and I'm also thinking that Dublin might be a very busy area. I just want a cool city very close to Dublin.

I've been searching for a nice city for family through goggle, so far, I'm looking at these cities: Naas in Kildare, Lucan, hopefully I will get more cities and will decide on which one to choose from....

Thank you so much for your response, appreciated 🙏

wotzgoingon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119781810#Comment_119781810

They are towns not cities.

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119781814#Comment_119781814

Ok, thank you.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119781682#Comment_119781682

To study and also to work

Mrs OBumble

Work as what? To study what?

Sorry to be blunt (but hey, if you're Dutch, you'll understand) - but without some idea of what you want to achieve, it's very hard to advise.

Fr Tod Umptious

Hi OP

Just on the town/city thing it's worth noting that The Netherlands has a population density of 510/km2, where as Ireland has a density of 71/km2

So we don't have many cities in Ireland.

In reality there are only four cities, Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway.

After that you have what would be considered big towns, Dundalk, Drogheda, Portlaois, Sligo, Ennis etc.

After that it's small towns and villages and single houses in the country.

Dublin is the only city that would have anything considered a "metro area", Naas and Lucan would be considered part of the Dublin metro area but would also be considered towns in their own right.

Tbe question for you is what do you expect from Ireland?

Do you have kids and what are their ages ?

What will you be working at ?

What do you expect from the place you want to live in with regards facilities etc ?

As I said the population density is low, so you will not have all the amenities within easy reach as you might have in a more densely populated country like The Netherlands.

Thistley

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119781810#Comment_119781810

Dublin is very expensive but there are more job and study opportunities here - depending on the sector you are in.

If you have children, schools are a massive consideration. We chose where to locate to in the east coast after visiting the schools. We didn't have the best experience with schools in the west coast so it was our first priority. We chose the locations where Educate Together Secondary Schools were to be built.

I would advise visiting the towns and areas you are considering to get an idea of them. Although moving here has been the best thing we have ever done, it was a massive cultural shift for my Dutch husband, especially as we moved from city to rural west of Ireland. At that time we did not have children so it was ok to choose a house/area online but we would not have chosen it if we had seen it in real life. I think we stayed there 4 months in total.

Good luck!

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119782293#Comment_119782293

This is very encouraging, thank you so much, appreciated.

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119781878#Comment_119781878

Your reply is appreciated. Thank you so much.

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119781834#Comment_119781834

My intention is to study nursing in English language and also to work in the field of nursing and health service.

Caranica

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119782776#Comment_119782776

Do you have a university place?

BagofWeed

Be prepared for how inefficient services here are in comparison to NL. Our public transport is extremely slow and not well designed. Also the people here like it that way and object to attempts to change it. Avoid Cork, worst decision of my life was to move there, it is wealthy and has good job opportunities but everything else is a negative, it's about the same size as Amersfoort but may as well be a hundred years behind it.

Munstersrebel

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119782974#Comment_119782974

Oooh hush! Cork is grand, like! Pretty much everything within walking distance and if you DO want to go out further most places are close by AND a daily (2ce daily) direct flight to the Netherlands. YOu arrive in Cork airport and 30mins later you are on the way home.

Blind As A Bat

@Vicky4life , as others have said there are only four cities in Ireland so the areas you've mentioned are more like commuter towns. I would really call Lucan more of a suburb of Dublin. One of the main things you'll have to look at is being close to your university/hospital, if you're studying nursing. Again, to quote others, public transport is not great in Ireland. Dublin is divided into north and south of the River Liffey and you'll want to live on the side where you work ideally. Although Ireland is very small, it can take forever to get to places. Often, there is no direct bus between two places in Dublin, so you have to go into the centre of town and get a second bus, sometimes even back in the same direction that you came! Welcome to the surreal world of Ireland.

Caranica

Technically Kilkenny is a city!

OP the location of your nursing course should dictate where you live.

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119782927#Comment_119782927

Not yet but I'm considering Dublin or Limerick.

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119783399#Comment_119783399

Ok, thank you

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119782974#Comment_119782974

Ok, thanks

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119783372#Comment_119783372

Ok, thank you so much

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119783372#Comment_119783372

Ok, thank you so much.

Graces7

youtube have any number of articles by folk who have done exactly what you are planning. google?

My first thought as I have friends in Holland is that it IS going to be a culture shock.. BUT there are some excellent expat forums here that will give more detailled info. I occasionally contribute as I am an expat English person.

Marcusm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119785184#Comment_119785184

Undergraduate nursing programmes are taught at colleges in every corner of the country outside of the large cities (Letterkenny in the north-west, Waterford in the south-east, Tralee in the south-west, Dundalk in the north-east, Castlebar and Sligo in the west and Athlone in the central region). Programmes at the more established universities in Dublin, Cork and Galway would be highly sought after with higher educational requirements for entry.

you mention “family” which might mean that you have children? It might be that you have less attraction to the social side of university life (one of the reason why the big city universities are more prized). Consider the study/work/life balance required. There is little point in targeting a college which requires a substantial commute if your living arrangements preclude big city living - accommodation issues persist throughout the country but are most acute in the large cities.

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119786330#Comment_119786330

Ok, thank you.

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119785674#Comment_119785674

Yea, I'm also using YouTube and Google. Thank you so much.

BagofWeed

Limerick and Waterford aren't too bad, both are dense and don't tend to have the anti progressive attitude that's found in Cork and Galway. Limerick is also flat and Waterford's terrain is similar to Arnhem whereas Cork is fairly hilly and Galway is also flat. Galway and Cork's weather is atrocious, Picture the Afsluitdijk on a wet windy winter day and that's Galway for 11 months of the year. Cork is damp and has heavy wet air for most of the year round and both cities have the worse traffic I've ever experienced in western Europe. Limerick has plans for a suburban rail network and Waterford is easy enough to get around. Waterford's location is good as Waterford county is extremely pretty with dozens of beaches and a nice mountain range all within easy driving distance from the city and there are other towns like Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford nearby and its an hour and a half drive to Dublin. Limerick has a good motorway connection to Galway 40/50 mins and Dublin 90/100 mins. If managed correctly Waterford airport should become successful as the south east has no passenger routes at the moment. Both Limerick and Waterford have good shopping choices too. Limerick's city centre is unusual by Irish standards as its a grid pattern so its easy to navigate so in some ways is like Rotterdam.

Tork

Have you ever been to Ireland? If you can afford to make a trip before you commit to anything, it'd be money well spent. It might be an eye opener for you.

weisses

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119782776#Comment_119782776

I am Dutch ... Nursing student (year4) ...PM me if you want more info

Mrs OBumble

Do you have an EU passport?

Yellow_Fern

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119786886#Comment_119786886

Anti progressive?

BagofWeed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119787798#Comment_119787798

How's that by pass getting on in Galway ? Have ye started on it yet ? Or the Bus Connects in Cork, Or the railway stations for Cork that were announced twenty years ago ? Those flood relief schemes that are to protect Cork, Hmm we'll be wet again this year and the next year and quiet possibly for the next few decades !!

Just remembered the fiasco about the Salthill cycle lane ! A ha Backwards kip to be fair, no one could possibly deny that after the carry on over the bike lane.

My old village in province Utrecht has better and more reliable transport than most Irish cities and even has far better nitelife too.

wotzgoingon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119787824#Comment_119787824

I live nearish to Galway and do be there fairly often and the traffic is cat. That outer ring road has been in talk for years and it is badly needed and then I thought it was approved, turns out last week or the week before(I forget) I heard it was cancelled. Madness.

Mrs OBumble

Build more and more roads is hardly progressive!

Kurooi

If you are pursuing nursing, you have a unique opportunity to get away from Dublin. There are hospitals and universities in major cities like Galway. You don't need to compete for accomodation against Google engineers. Rent in Dublin is very high. you will pay 2k+ a month for a house. Everywhere else, still expensive but a bit less.

BagofWeed

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119788341#Comment_119788341

Yes and even bike lanes are too much for some of ye. Lol ! Not even a niteclub in Galway anymore. I like Galway but I damn sure wouldn't live there.

Vicky4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119788377#Comment_119788377

Noted...thank you so much

Yellow_Fern

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119788377#Comment_119788377

Id argue housing is possibly is in worse a shortage in Galway. Galway is actually a more globalised city than Dublin.

dragonkin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119788377#Comment_119788377

Yeah I can't think of a worse place to live if you are a student. It was a great city 20 years ago when I was in college but the nightlife seems terrible now and it's incredibly expensive. You'd have a far better quality of life as a student in Limerick, Galway or Cork imo.

Ush1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119791156#Comment_119791156

lol whut?

Kurooi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119791156#Comment_119791156

I can't speak for city planning housing requirements or the experience of house hunting comparison between the two. Few could. I can only say that someone from Netherlands might not be aware of the disparity of cost of living between Dublin and other cities. In particular rent.

https://lovin.ie/news/a-county-by-county-breakdown-of-average-rent-and-rent-increases-across-ireland

bullpost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119791622#Comment_119791622

The west of ireland is lovely to visit but oh that rain.

I'd stick to east coast.

ozmo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119795719#Comment_119795719

On a positive note - the weather anywhere here is no where near as cold as it can get in Netherlands - I was there and it got so cold my motorcycle wheels froze and I had thaw it out with hot water - canals froze over and I saw a tiny little water fall into a lake froze like it was stuck in time. Minus 15 I think it got to.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119795719#Comment_119795719

The east of Ireland is interesting to visit but oh, the cold. I'd stick to the warm wet west or the sunny south east.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119786886#Comment_119786886

Galway city has the progressive thing coming out it's ears , it's a Meca for trendy liberals

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119791156#Comment_119791156

" Galway is a more globalised city than Dublin "

Not sure if serious ?

wotzgoingon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119795719#Comment_119795719

I live in the west. And everyday without fail I have a shower outside with rain water. I strip off and no need to worry about indecent exposure and shower in the rain. Best way to start the day.

Tefral

I think most people on this Thread without saying it are questioning why the hell you'd want to move here from where you are and also to work in our health service? Youd be crazy..

Anyway id pick Limerick, UL has a nursing school and its well served in terms of access to airports etc.

Its also got a massive hospital that is about 3 times too small for the area it serves and they are always looking for nurses :)

combat14

Waterford City and County very nice affordable and well worth checking out

dave 27

I would recommend Limerick also OP. It has nice architecture such as the georgian core which is relatively unusual outside Dublin. It has a big city feel without being that big (120k roughly).

Shopping is very good, pubs and restaurant scene is excellent in the City and the music scene is also very good.

Limerick would be somewhere that wouldnt be the most obvious choice in Ireland when looking at cities as it isnt particularly touristy etc, its more like what Utrecht is to the Netherlands perhaps?

As someone mentioned there is a great University and 3rd level institutions in the city and the city is currently experiencing huge investment and jobs growth.

Property is probably one of the cheapest out of the 5 Cities in Ireland which would be a bonus also.

sammye333

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119782776#Comment_119782776

I would reach out to nursing colleges and see which well accept you. Then its trying to find reasonable accommodation (good luck with that)