Should I stay or should I go?

DublinWriter

I was toying around about putting this in politics, but I guess PI is as good a forum as any for this.

Basically, I'm looking for reasons why I should stay in Ireland. I'm 35, born and raised in Dublin, with no real connections holding me in Ireland.

I've lived worked in several countries around Europe over the past few years and everytime I come back to Ireland I wonder why.

I don't want to turn this into a 'why Ireland sucks' debate, but I guess I am just looking for someone to play Devil's Advocate and give me a few reasons why Ireland is worth living in, because I'll be damned if I can think of any.

Sue*

DublinWriter wrote:

I was toying around about putting this in politics, but I guess PI is as good a forum as any for this.

Basically, I'm looking for reasons why I should stay in Ireland. I'm 35, born and raised in Dublin, with no real connections holding me in Ireland.

I've lived worked in several countries around Europe over the past few years and everytime I come back to Ireland I wonder why.

I don't want to turn this into a 'why Ireland sucks' debate, but I guess I am just looking for someone to play Devil's Advocate and give me a few reasons why Ireland is worth living in, because I'll be damned if I can think of any.

Well firstly, why do you dislike it so much ? Have you any family here

Silverfish

Very few natural disaster weather conditions?

I don't like earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, bush fires, biig spiders, extreme heat and extreme cold. That's why I'm here. But unless you're an artist and pay no tax, then there isn't really any other reasons to stay here.

AthAnRi

DublinWriter wrote:

I was toying around about putting this in politics, but I guess PI is as good a forum as any for this.

Basically, I'm looking for reasons why I should stay in Ireland. I'm 35, born and raised in Dublin, with no real connections holding me in Ireland.

I've lived worked in several countries around Europe over the past few years and everytime I come back to Ireland I wonder why.

I don't want to turn this into a 'why Ireland sucks' debate, but I guess I am just looking for someone to play Devil's Advocate and give me a few reasons why Ireland is worth living in, because I'll be damned if I can think of any.

The only way you will truly appreciate Ireland is by moving away from it. If it is bothering you this much try travelling a bit. Work in England and a few of the usual spots. Try some countries in europe. If you do not end up appreciating Ireland for what it is then you may fall in love with a different country.

DublinWriter

AthAnRi wrote:

The only way you will truly appreciate Ireland is by moving away from it. If it is bothering you this much try travelling a bit. Work in England and a few of the usual spots.

I lived/worked in Surrey for a couple of years and Belgium for about a year and a half. I also worked in Frankfurt.

I'm still not hearing any compelling arguements in favour of Ireland...

[Jackass]

That's because there aren't any.

Or at lest not many...No brainer imo...Get out of here, as fast as you can..I know I am.

Just gotta save some money first.

chump

DublinWriter wrote:

I'm still not hearing any compelling arguements in favour of Ireland...

We're meant to try and make you stay in Ireland?
Why bother, what do you have to offer Ireland?
Another moaner who does nothing about anything...

If you don't like it and you have better options feck off so...

DublinWriter

chump wrote:

We're meant to try and make you stay in Ireland?
Why bother, what do you have to offer Ireland?
Another moaner who does nothing about anything...

If you don't like it and you have better options feck off so...

Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!

How about we stay mature about this debate and not let it degenerate into a personal abuse tennis match?

chump

DublinWriter wrote:

I don't want to turn this into a 'why Ireland sucks' debate, but I guess I am just looking for someone to play Devil's Advocate and give me a few reasons why Ireland is worth living in, because I'll be damned if I can think of any.

Can you spot the glaring discrepency between saying you don't want this to turn into "why Ireland sucks" debate and in the next breath say you'll be damned if you can think of any reasons to make Ireland worth living in...

You haven't asked on open question, there's going to be no persuading you of Irelands merits - and why don't you put in a bit of the leg work and explain WHY & WHAT you don't like about Ireland.

You sound like a moaner to me I'm afraid

Rev Hellfire

Actually chump has a point.
Until we understand your issues with the country how can we sell it to you?

Ireland is comparable to most European countries, all have taxes, and in all cases all think they're too high. Most have health care systems which are ridded with red tape and under funding, the irish health services is not the worsdt of them although it may not also be the best of them.

Maybe rather than asking us why you should remain, a better question you should ask yourself is why you keep returning and weigh this against your grips.

DublinWriter

chump wrote:

Can you spot the glaring discrepency between saying you don't want this to turn into "why Ireland sucks" debate and in the next breath say you'll be damned if you can think of any reasons to make Ireland worth living in...

I said that because I wanted people to come with positive reasons for living in Ireland, rather than having the same old Rip-Off Ireland/The Government Sucks thread.

chump wrote:

You haven't asked on open question, there's going to be no persuading you of Irelands merits - and why don't you put in a bit of the leg work and explain WHY & WHAT you don't like about Ireland.

Well, I'm open to suggestions. Are you going to give me any good points and contribute to this thread or just whinge about my OP?

As I said, I wanted people to give me positive reasons for living here. Have we established that yet? I'm not going into the negatives about living here

chump wrote:

You sound like a moaner to me I'm afraid

Ditto I'm afraid. Either you contribute to the discussion or move along to the next stall.

As I said, I'm looking for positive reasons to stay in Ireland. Answers on a postcard please.

BuffyBot

You're (I'm assuming) a mature adult. I think you can figure this out for yourself.

nedoo

Mate, they all have points. We dont know you, your likes, dislikes, career, financial situation, anything.
Irelands great, its home, its full of Irish, we have great drink, good selection of women, great oppertunities, alright weather, no killer animals, lots of new nationalities joining, good food, easy access to the world, life is good.

Pick another country and I can make a list for you too!

Gordon

Indeed, I think this can only be deemed a Personal Issue if you actually start talking us through your issues with or without Ireland. A simple - what's so good about Ireland thread should therefore not belong on PI.

dazberry

I would be of a similar age to you DublinWriter, and would be of the same sentiment, and am here most likely (still) here out of inertia than anything else.

Ultimately I can't speak for you, but IMO there are other issues that would keep someone here or not, beyond how people are turning into little nazis or how self-serving the government is etc.

In my case I think the biggest problem is (dare I say) mid(ish)-life pointlessness! I've a well paying but sh1t job, no property, single - and a "wodge" in the bank that I've nothing to do with. I literally could quit work tomorrow and travel around for a few years if I wanted to. So in essence there isn't much keeping me here. But moving away isn't really going to give me any direction either - its just postponing the pointlessness. Ultimately its up to me to make a plan and choose a direction. But as always if you feel you life is going nowhere - any where is going to look bleak.

My 2 cent

D.

The Troll

Reasons to stay other than friends and family there aren't many!

DublinWriter

nedoo wrote:

no killer animals

Actually, that would be a selling point!

DublinWriter

Gordon wrote:

what's so good about Ireland thread should therefore not belong on PI.

Hence me stating initially that I was going to put this in the politics forum.

However, this is a Personnal Issue for me - I cannot be objective when I talk about Ireland because I've invested so much of my life here and am now questioning if I should continue to do so.

As I mentioned earlier, I could mention the reasons I don't like Ireland, but the thread would just descend into a whinge-fest.

For example if I stated that I was a smoker and found that the Smoking Ban smacked of Nazism, you could be sure that the thread would go wildly off-beam. Now, I may or may not agree with that statement, so don't even start!

I feel like I'm in one of those 'wood-from-the-trees' situations. I just can't see the positives of this country anymore and feel like I need a bit of reminding if possible.

Amazotheamazing

The thing with living anywhere is you have to be able to enjoy yourself. What makes you happy? What makes you content? etc. If you were a big fan of camping in the desert or snowboarding then clearly Ireland wouldn't be for you.

The thing with lving in Ireland is it's easy, there's no language barrier with most other countries, we're close enough to America and Europe that we can travel to any city within reason in a few hours. We have a stable weather pattern, etc.
However it's also dull, there's very no cutting edge scene compared to London or New York, no beautiful architecture compared to anywhere really, no massive cultural events (ie large papier-mache heads somehow make Galway capital of culture, Cork has been particulary uninspiring as European Capital of Cultural), very few decent home grown bands, etc. In fact the only thing of note we have is an overpriced drinking culture, which is only fun for so long, and areas of great natural beauty, which may or may not interest you.

simu

Well, would you you miss Irish culture and traditions and the Irish way of looking at the world? (Then again, you are from Dublin :P ). Or if you are thinking of having kids, would you like them to grow up as Irish people or not? (Technically, they might be Irish anyway if they had an Irish passport but I think people have to spend some time here too if they are to become clued in to the Irish way of doing things). Do you feel some attachment to the land where you grew up, or not?

There are no right or wrong answers to these things - it's completely subjective but your answers might be worth considering. Also, there no harm in going abroad for a while - it's not an irreversible act.

Nu-shooz

If as you say, you can't see the wood for the trees at the moment - why not take some time out away from Ireland to see how you feel then ? You've got nothing to lose by taking say 3-6 months out to live/explore another country, as someone else said - the decision isn't irreversible.

You'll never truly know what you want if you don't explore the alternatives that are potentially open to you. I left Ireland a few months ago after much soul searching about the same thing - whether to stay or go. In the end, I just bit the bullet and haven't regretted my decision since.

Good luck with it and be brave, better to have given it a shot than spend the rest of your days wondering "what if ?".

lazydaisy

Friends and family are good reasons to stay. But I know what you mean. I was happy in Dublin for many years but returned to NYC because I couldnt deal with it anymore. If I say more I'll open myself up to being excoriated on this thread. You can PM me if you want. The conversation is good in Dublin - that could be a reason to stay?

IrishMike

The people are the only reason to stay in any country
After a while architecture, good services etc no longer become the reason a
person stays in a place
I lived in the US for 6 months, yanks are pardon my french full of **** in my
limited contact with them, but when i was there i got used to it
It was just when i got home that i realised the joy of sarcasm and not having
to explain every 2nd sentence
But then again the grass is ALWAYS greener.
Im back home now and im not completely content either, not unhappy though
My advice if you can afford it go backpacking in south america or asia (though
doesnt seem as appealing now with all the natural disasters over there)
You only live once, no point in being unhappy
PS heading to the us for the summer again irish people are never 100% content

AthAnRi

DublinWriter wrote:

I lived/worked in Surrey for a couple of years and Belgium for about a year and a half. I also worked in Frankfurt.

I'm still not hearing any compelling arguements in favour of Ireland...

Well I have been to Surrey and that is quiet nice but it is very expensive area to Live. I haven't been to either Belgium or Frankfurt so I can't comment on any of them. What was the reason that you left these places to come back to Ireland?

I'm living in Manchester at the moment and I'm enjoying it but there are things about England that convince me that I will live in Galway, Ireland in the future are

Sparce Population: I never feel crowded. I always feel a weight lifting off my shoulder when I touch the tar mac in carnmore airport.

The People: Despite a lot of complaining we do people are generally in Good Humour and you can feel safe in sharing a joke or two with complete strangers. I find the the people living in England are miserable. England is a land of extremes. If you have moeny it's great if not it sucks. There is a major divide in English society. People are so distant from each other it's not funny. 90% of Irish people come for very similar backgrounds and for that reason it is a lot easier for us to get along. Nobody is super rich or super poor most people are the same.

GAA: After been to many soccer matches I am convinced that GAA are the best sports in the world, not only as a soprt but also as an Ocassion. Fans of both teams mingling enjoying the banter pulling the piss. I love it.

Pubs and Pub grub: Irish pubs are the best in the world. The atmosphere and the beer is terrific and leaves the tackiness of English pubs sitting. Also the pub grub is of a very high standard in most popular Pubs in Ireland.

Community Spirit: This for me is the best. I love going into a pub and knowing most of the people in it. this isn't for everyone but I love it.

Maybe your problem isn't Ireland it may be the fact you live in Dublin. Don't get me wrong I know a lot of Dubs and I quite like dublin but it is the only county in Ireland that seems to lack all the qualities I have just described.

Oh yea the smoking ban as well, I love it. Best rule ever. I went on to the Man Utd sunderland match at weekend on a bus and people were alowed to smoke on it. The next day despite the fact I wasn't drinking I felt like absolute sh1t.

chump

AthAnRi all those qualities are in Dublin too, if you search

Not necessarily if you've just moved and living in the "city"... but dublin is a city of suburbs... all with their locals and GAA...

Good points tho... I think it might be more "life" the OP is fed up with moreso than Ireland ...

SHAKESPEARE_SIS

There's a lot of reasons why this is a good country to live in:

the mountains,
the islands,
the lakes
.. all within a stones throw wherever u are

the music,
the pubs,
the chester beatty library

2/3 degrees of seperation
its very different from Ireland of 20 years ago!
we'll never win the eurovision again

Having said all that if you do chose to go, you need to give some thought to your destination. Surrey, Belguim (i've only stayed in Antwerp) and Frankfurt are among the least inspiring places i've ever been!

DublinWriter

AthAnRi wrote:

Maybe your problem isn't Ireland it may be the fact you live in Dublin. Don't get me wrong I know a lot of Dubs and I quite like dublin but it is the only county in Ireland that seems to lack all the qualities I have just described.

Very true. I'm a Dub, born and bred and in the last few years I've really started to hate the place. The friendliness has gone and it's turned into what London used to be like in the late 80's with everyone tetchy and rushing around like crazy. (London is still like that, but I get the impression that they're starting to catch on to themselves a little more in the past few years).

Places like Cork I love and have all the qualities you describe. However, in terms of career and oppertunities *everything* in Ireland is squished into a tiny little corner of the country called Dublin. At least with other countries you have the option of working in other major cities rather than the capital.

AthAnRi

DublinWriter wrote:

Very true. I'm a Dub, born and bred and in the last few years I've really started to hate the place. The friendliness has gone and it's turned into what London used to be like in the late 80's with everyone tetchy and rushing around like crazy. (London is still like that, but I get the impression that they're starting to catch on to themselves a little more in the past few years).

Places like Cork I love and have all the qualities you describe. However, in terms of career and oppertunities *everything* in Ireland is squished into a tiny little corner of the country called Dublin. At least with other countries you have the option of working in other major cities rather than the capital.

Agreed but there are oppurtunities in these counties too it's just a matter of time and patience. The money may not be as high but neither is the cost of living.

DublinWriter

SHAKESPEARE_SIS wrote:

Having said all that if you do chose to go, you need to give some thought to your destination. Surrey, Belguim (i've only stayed in Antwerp) and Frankfurt are among the least inspiring places i've ever been!

Frankfurt I hated with a passion.

Antwerp isn't a very nice place, lot's of Turkish gang-problems and right-wing Belgians. Bruges and Ghent are perhaps some two of the nicest cities in Europe. Brussels I loved. It isn't immediately 'pretty' like Paris, but once you work and live there it's a real 'DIY' city - it has so much on offer in terms of muesums, galleries, restaruants, clubs, bar, etc. It doesn't offer up it's secrets immediately to the tourist.

Surrey I liked because it was quiet and pretty. I know the majority of Brits can be characterised as miserable and insular, but that's always a plus when you're Irish and basically have enough life-training to be a stand-up comedian to people over there.

DublinWriter

chump wrote:

Good points tho... I think it might be more "life" the OP is fed up with moreso than Ireland ...

I think you have a point there too. I remember being buttonholed by a drunken Scottish collegue a few years ago who accused me of being too young to be world-weary.

One last gripe re Dublin - where else in the world do you see security guards on doors in shops and chemists? Where else in the world would they be needed? Even NYC isn't that bad.