Where to Live? Galway or Dublin?

Arghus · 12-06-2017 09:43PM

Live in Galway myself, personally I think the comparison is almost pointless. Dublin is a proper big city and Galway is a moderately sized town. The only thing they have in common is that they are both on the island of Ireland.

Rumpy Pumpy · 12-06-2017 09:48PM

Arghus wrote: »

Live in Galway myself, personally I think the comparison is almost pointless. Dublin is a proper big city and Galway is a moderately sized town. The only thing they have in common is that they are both on the island of Ireland.

Galway does have the best book shop in Ireland - Charlie Byrne's.

Loon E. Tick · 12-06-2017 09:55PM

You might want to take a look at the housing situation in Dublin first as that might rule out if you can even move there or not. The demand for rental properties is hugely competitive at the moment. From what I've been hearing people are queuing up and properties are going to the highest bidder so you can't rely on the advertised prices. You need to factor that in to your decision.

Arghus · 12-06-2017 10:03PM

Rumpy Pumpy wrote: »

Galway does have the best book shop in Ireland - Charlie Byrne's.

I love Charlie's. I've probably spent more money there than anywhere else on earth, but I think, in honesty, the best bookshop in Ireland is Hodges Figgis in Dublin

Murrisk · 12-06-2017 10:16PM

BrianBoru00 wrote: »

. . Its not two hours for me - but in any case, Whats your point?

That these things are on the doorsteps of people in Dublin, not two hours away. Obviously.

And again whats so exciting thats on in Dublin tonight ?

Private Lives, the Noel Coward play is on at the Gate. I'm going to it this week. I have no doubt you will inform that that's not exciting but you'd then be wrong.

And that is one of many things that are happening. When I go see Radiohead next week, it'll be a brief journey to get there. Living in Dublin, there is no hassle getting to see gigs, plays, sporting events. Tis wonderful.

Beyondgone · 12-06-2017 10:19PM

After Athlone, chances are anywhere would be an improvement. Have you considered Athy?

wordofwarning · 12-06-2017 10:20PM

anna080 wrote: »

1) Galway has those too.

A few privately run galleries are not comparable to National Gallery, Hugh Lane, IMMA, National Museum etc etc.

anna080 wrote: »

2) Nuig is also excellent

In your opinion, to independent world rankings not so much. Trinity is a top 100 University, NUIG is like 250

anna080 wrote: »

6) you can fly from knock to London

I honestly forgot it existed as Knock carried 734k passengers versus almost 28m in Dublin Airport. They are both Airports though I suppose is your point?

anna080 wrote: »

12) it's clear you've never set foot in Galway- or at least not in a very, very long time.

I was there last year for a weekend in fact and I was not impressed. It is not comparable to Dublin. I thought the locals, were horrible and that the place was extremely boring.

Galway IMO is just another generic secondary city in Ireland that offers nothing unique, but the locals think is amazing. Spend an afternoon in the IMMA, Hugh Lane Gallery or National Gallery in Dublin and tell me Galway galleries are on par with it. Go to a Chinese in Dublin, where you are the only Westerner and tell me it is on par with a greasy one you would find off Eyre Sq. Go the BTs in Dublin and tell if it is as good as the tiny you have in Galway.

Everything in Dublin is bigger and better from our airport to galleries to the shopping.

fargo_coyle · 12-06-2017 10:23PM

as over rated as i believe galway is and as clannish and greedy as ive found galwegians , its slightly unfair to measure it against dublin , not like you can compare limerick favourable either

dublin is more than ten times the size of galway after all

threeball · 12-06-2017 10:29PM

Have lived in both. As a twenty year old Dublin would win out. In to 30s and with a family its Galway handsdown. Pretty much anything a family would want to do in Dublin you can do in Galway with less hassle and way less cost. Pretty much half of the wild atlantic way is within an hours drive either south or north. In Dublin you wouldnt get outside the m50 in an hour.
You'll earn more in Dublin and spend every single penny just affording the additional living cost. Great restaurants, amenities and because its smaller people are generally friendlier. Missus lived in Dublin for 10yrs also having originally moved here from abroad and theres very little she misses about Dublin.

nice_guy80 · 12-06-2017 10:30PM

Depends where in Dublin you would live really

some parts of Dublin are really nice and are more like little villages within the city

once you go past Woodquay or Bohermore in Galway, it looks the same as any other large towns in Ireland - large ugly commercial units

threeball · 12-06-2017 10:36PM

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Depends where in Dublin you would live really

some parts of Dublin are really nice and are more like little villages within the city

once you go past Woodquay or Bohermore in Galway, it looks the same as any other large towns in Ireland - large ugly commercial units

You could say the same of Galway. Live in Oranmore, Barna, Moycullen, Spiddal. All on par or better than the best areas in Dublin and property wont cost you over a million.

retro:electro · 12-06-2017 10:44PM

wordofwarning wrote: »

A few privately run galleries are not comparable to National Gallery, Hugh Lane, IMMA, National Museum etc etc.

In your opinion, to independent world rankings not so much. Trinity is a top 100 University, NUIG is like 250

I honestly forgot it existed as Knock carried 734k passengers versus almost 28m in Dublin Airport. They are both Airports though I suppose is your point?

I was there last year for a weekend in fact and I was not impressed. It is not comparable to Dublin. I thought the locals, were horrible and that the place was extremely boring.

Galway IMO is just another generic secondary city in Ireland that offers nothing unique, but the locals think is amazing. Spend an afternoon in the IMMA, Hugh Lane Gallery or National Gallery in Dublin and tell me Galway galleries are on par with it. Go to a Chinese in Dublin, where you are the only Westerner and tell me it is on par with a greasy one you would find off Eyre Sq. Go the BTs in Dublin and tell if it is as good as the tiny you have in Galway.

Everything in Dublin is bigger and better from our airport to galleries to the shopping.

250th in the world is nothing so scoff at.
A Chinese :pac: are the chicken balls in Dublin less greasy than Galway?
Actually some of my favourite restaurants in the world are in Dublin, so you're right on the dining front. But to say Galway people equate fine dining to eating in Supermacs and completely ignore the superb food quality the city beholds is just ignorance.
Maybe you should have wandered outside of Eyre Square? TBH you just sound like a miserable person who cannot find any joy in anything unless it's in Dublin.
And bigger does not always mean better. For some people, that is not the way of life they are after.

fergiesfolly · 12-06-2017 11:02PM

Comparing Galway to Dublin is like comparing Dublin to New York. I'm sure New Yorkers would scoff at the idea of being compared to little old Dublin town.
Dublin is a capital city with all the amenities, infrastructure etc of a capital city.
Galway is a large regional town, with the trappings of same, but with the addition of a fine university, a large industrial hub and a thriving cultural hub.
OP, if your husband can find work here in Galway, it can be a fantastic place to live.
Yes, it rains more here. But you'll get used to it. Keeps the place fresh and clean.
The traffic can be head wrecking, but that can be avoided by a little planning when it comes to workplace, schools, home locations.
Nothing is too far away. City centre is less than 15 minutes from anywhere in the city. You can visit friends in Athlone in less than an hour, Dublin( if you really have to) in two. Or you can be in the wilds of Connemara in 30 mins at most.
The locals are grand and you'll get a good welcome where ever you settle, once you make the effort to join in.
Good luck with where ever you choose.( See you soon)

fargo_coyle · 12-06-2017 11:08PM

threeball , galway is no cheaper than dublin relative to wages and employment options , you could count on one hand the number of major ( employing more than a thousand ) employers in galway if you exclude the uk and german retailers and state institutions , galway is extremely pricey for a house

Daisy78 · 12-06-2017 11:11PM

Murrisk wrote: »

EDIT: Oh and Dublin even has nicer beaches. In the actual city, I don't want to hear about great beaches an hour's drive from Galway city. Pebbly Salthill beach?

Name the other city beaches so, given that you are so well acquainted with the fact that they don't measure up to your high standards. I've lived in Dublin 12 years and your beaches are crap to be honest.

Why do I get the feeling that Dubs get off the train in Galway and pretty much stay in Eyre Square for the entire time they are there. And what is the obsession with Supermacs?! Explain please.

fargo_coyle · 12-06-2017 11:11PM

threeball

so you think oranmore , moycullen , barna , spiddal

are comparable to ballsbridge , dalkey , rathgar , malahide , kiliney , clontarf

to name just a few

?

i want what your smoking !

Discodog · 12-06-2017 11:19PM

bubblypop wrote: »

Are you saying galway has less rain then surrounding galway areas?
Galway as a whole, has a whole Lotta rain!

Everyone warned me that I would be mad to start a business involving outdoor work. I have never found it to be a problem.

I monitor the weather way more than most. I get wet, on average, once per week. We recently had a period of almost 3 weeks with no rain.

The City also gets way more sunshine than the area around it. Cloud forms over the Burren & over the bogs but less over the city.

fergiesfolly · 12-06-2017 11:20PM

fargo_coyle wrote: »

threeball , galway is no cheaper than dublin relative to wages and employment options , you could count on one hand the number of major ( employing more than a thousand ) employers in galway if you exclude the uk and german retailers and state institutions , galway is extremely pricey for a house

Galway is indeed more expensive to purchase a house in comparison to other Irish towns barring Dublin.
I wonder why that is?
Couldn't be that it's a more attractive place to live than other Irish towns, could it?

retro:electro · 12-06-2017 11:23PM

Daisy78 wrote: »

Name the other city beaches so, given that you are so well acquainted with the fact that they don't measure up to your high standards. I've lived in Dublin 12 years and your beaches are crap to be honest.

Why do I get the feeling that Dubs get off the train in Galway and pretty much stay in Eyre Square for the entire time they are there. And what is the obsession with Supermacs?! Explain please.

They probably fall of the train on a stag and do a pub crawl and hit Supermacs at the end of the night and F off back to Dublin the next day.
I'd say some of them never got the shift as well they seem bitter.

LincolnHawk · 12-06-2017 11:24PM

The job opportunities for a developer in Dublin totally eclipse the options in Galway.
Yes there are IT roles elsewhere but they are far fewer...don't listen to the nonsense being spouted.
Move roles every year and a few hops, you're salary can massively increase. And if it suits you, go contracting for big money. The contract market in Dublin again eclipses Galway

fargo_coyle · 12-06-2017 11:31PM

fergies folly

i would not argue for a second that galway is popular , its hugely popular , hence the absurd prices

i just see far far less tangible reasons to choose galway over dublin on any level

Arghus · 12-06-2017 11:33PM

Discodog wrote: »

Everyone warned me that I would be mad to start a business involving outdoor work. I have never found it to be a problem.

I monitor the weather way more than most. I get wet, on average, once per week. We recently had a period of almost 3 weeks with no rain.

We've also had five days in a row up to and including today when it's been raining!

It was an unusually dry May, but it does rain plenty in Galway City and don't forget the wind! It certainly rains here a lot more than it does in Dublin. Having said all that, when it is sunny, and it can be from time to time, Galway is beautiful...

Down by the Arch and The Claddagh in the sun is pretty good.

threeball · 13-06-2017 12:00AM

fargo_coyle wrote: »

threeball

so you think oranmore , moycullen , barna , spiddal

are comparable to ballsbridge , dalkey , rathgar , malahide , kiliney , clontarf

to name just a few

?

i want what your smoking !

Theres nothing particularly special about any of the above apart from the feeling your not quite in Dublin (Ballsbridge and clontarf aside) and the OP will not get anything for less than 750k in any of them that isnt a sh1thole.
Id live in taylors hill area before any of them. 5 mins to the beach, 15 mins to connemara and 15mins walk from the city.

Stonedpilot · 13-06-2017 02:08AM

BrianBoru00 wrote: »

Why defensive? Because of the ridiculous comments and condescending attitude shown by some "pro Dublin" posters.

I'm not from Galway but studied and lived and worked there for a number of years before relocating to London. At that time I would have been "anti Dublin" for want of a better phrase but (and with the city living experience from London) regret now that I didn't spend some time living in the capital as it is a super city with so much do and see.
With the motorway system Its very easy to get up to Dublin for large sporting events, to see a large scale show or concert or to hit the shops.

Dublin is a primate city and has all the advantages that comes with that. Other towns and cities around the country lose out on account of that - but thats a different argument.

The OP outlined their own thoughts and asked a question to which one poster replied saying "Galway can be drab if your not into drinking" , and claimed Galway people regard Supermacs as fine dining.

It would be the same result from Dublin people if I claimed "Dublin is a cesspit of poverty and crime and the city centre is a no go area. Its way too expensive and your likely to end up homeless".

I never said Galwegians consider Supermacs fine dining those are your words!. What is Galways obsession with Supermacs?. Lived with one guy from Galway before and he rattled on about Supermacs non stop too.

Galway "city" is mad over rated. Other small cities in Ireland like Waterford/Limerick bit more to them and cheaper.

Murrisk · 13-06-2017 04:35AM

Daisy78 wrote: »

Name the other city beaches so, given that you are so well acquainted with the fact that they don't measure up to your high standards. I've lived in Dublin 12 years and your beaches are crap to be honest.

Killiney beach, Skerries beach, Portmarnock beach, these are all lovely. Sandymount and Dollymount, great views of Howth, the chimney stacks and the ferries coming and going. And a gorgeous one that I don't know the name of in South County Dublin that is down some very dramatic steps that cross over the Dublin to Bray rail line. Very cool, it is. In addition, there is beautiful Howth and the sea drive out along Killiney and Dalkey. Both these areas are stunningly beautiful. And Ireland's Eye is a wonderful, wild island to visit.

If those beaches are crap, then what on earth is the much inferior Salthill?

anna080 wrote: »

They probably fall of the train on a stag and do a pub crawl and hit Supermacs at the end of the night and F off back to Dublin the next day.
I'd say some of them never got the shift as well they seem bitter.

This is... bizarre. No need to resort to personal insults. I'm not a big drinker. So... yeah.

Daisy78 · 13-06-2017 07:22AM

Murrisk wrote: »

Killiney beach, Skerries beach, Portmarnock beach, these are all lovely. Sandymount and Dollymount, great views of Howth, the chimney stacks and the ferries coming and going. And a gorgeous one that I don't know the name of in South County Dublin that is down some very dramatic steps that cross over the Dublin to Bray rail line. Very cool, it is. In addition, there is beautiful Howth and the sea drive out along Killiney and Dalkey. Both these areas are stunningly beautiful. And Ireland's Eye is a wonderful, wild island
.

I meant Galway city beaches. But you knew that. Apart from Salthill, what other beaches do you know of?

LincolnHawk · 13-06-2017 07:50AM

This thread is descending into idiocy.
Galway is a lovely spot, Dublin has its charms etc... But the OP's husband wants to move for his career as a software dev. If that's the main driver then there is no comparison, Dublin is the place to be

elefant · 13-06-2017 07:51AM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

I'm from Galway originally, but moved to Dublin as a 17 year old to study. I spent 7 years in Dublin before moving to the UK for my MBA. I now live and work in Frankfurt, Germany, at the cutting edge of the European financial industry.

There really is no comparison between Galway and Dublin. Galway is a sleepy, parochial backwater, while Dublin has many of the trappings of a modern capital city. I don't have the figures close to hand, but Dublin must be at least 25 times bigger than Galway?

Don't get me wrong; I enjoy visiting Galway, and will be home on a number of occasions this summer as we strive for the ultimate success in both hurling and football. There's a small, if charming, arts festival, a number of moderately decent restaurants, and a racing festival which seems to appeal to those who enjoy getting drunk in a field whilst wearing a Topman suit.

What's most annoying about Galway is the attitude of some of the people who live there - mostly blowins from desolate hell-holes in Mayo, Donegal, Roscommon and Clare. If you were to listen to them (which I don't), then you'd think they lived in some cultural hotspot of international significance. A melting pot of Irishness, art and music that is the envy of everyone else in Ireland. Most of the art there of an evening is some toothless drunk playing the tin whistle, and a couple of crusties with dogs on strings beating away on pots and pans.

Dublin is the cultural, economic and political focal point of Ireland.

Brilliant stuff.

BrianBoru00 · 13-06-2017 09:34AM

Stonedpilot wrote: »

I never said Galwegians consider Supermacs fine dining those are your words!.

I didn't say you said that and they weren't my words either. Why don't you read the thread before posting inaccurate comments

topper75 · 13-06-2017 10:28AM

Aongus Von Bismarck wrote: »

No longer would I be embarrassed to bring my colleagues from Germany to Dublin and have to bring them out for dinner.

These Kollegen from Deutschland - you need them to like you don't you? See that is your weak point. Learn to be more resilient in this respect; see the Brits for instance.

Dublin (spent 2 years there) is unlike the other urban Irish options. It is large and has an 'always on' buzz about it. If this is not for you, you may spend an entire chunk of your life fighting a war that you cannot win.

Galway (spent 3 years there) may be small but the traffic is insane in that medieval bottleneck. Its supposed jewel the sea (a salty lake really) is also its downfall as no ring road is possible to the west.

Athlone is the best option of the 3. Stay put and do day or weekend trips to avail of whatever it is that the other places in Ireland claim to offer (€1500pm rent so you can browse some gallery! :-)).

Where to Live? Galway or Dublin?

Comments