Is Ireland, to put it frankly, a kip?

Mutant z wrote: »

No and i suggest to those who want to run this country down at every turn to go and live elsewhere this isn't the country for you.

Gunner Jay wrote:

Ireland is now a country where house prices soar while salaries go down. The are so many inequalities in Ireland it is unbelievable. With a mess of a health care system and a litany of scandals, when is enough enough? Six counties of Ireland are still owned by the Brits FFS.

Shenshen wrote: »

Well, point us to a country that's better in most aspects, then.
So we can get a comparison, and maybe some ideas on what to improve and how.

super_furry wrote: »

Ireland's class.

You basically won the lottery of life before you even born by being Irish.

Sleeper12 wrote: »

At the same time we've come a long way. In the late 70s & early 80s there was a three year wait to get a Landline into your house. I remember people getting onto their local TD trying to speed things up.

Ah you've gotta love the Irish

Deleted User wrote: »

I sometimes wonder about the people who complain about Ireland so much. Don't get me wrong... I did the same when I was younger. I thought other countries had to be so much better than what Ireland was, and in some cases, they were. But that was 30 years ago, and Ireland has changed considerably since then. The other major difference is that back then I hadn't lived abroad much. Oh I'd traveled on short hops/holidays to other countries but that only gives a shallow experience of other countries.

Since then, I've spent a lot more time in other countries. 8 Years in China. 1.5 years in Australia. 8 months in Japan. A few months in a variety of other countries living in a particular city as opposed to living on a holiday budget (pre-saved).

Ireland is a great country for those people who want this kind of living. It is a small country and hasn't developed along the lines of the larger nations. It doesn't have an impressive transportation network, and most things in this country are far more expensive than they should be. You pay quite a bit for the lifestyle you want but the same can be said for most countries. The tiny population is probably the biggest factor since that influences so much in terms of options.

I think it really comes down to what you want from life. I don't particularly want the type of lifestyle that Ireland offers, or the costs involved. And so, I'll go back to living abroad. But I do that, knowing the differences. I don't particularly enjoy the small town feel to everywhere in Ireland. Dublin doesn't impress me in the slightest, and the other cities are just large towns. Nor do I enjoy the weather or the attitudes to health. For all the claims to freedom, there are rather a wide range of regulation regarding what you can or cannot do here. (Yes, I'm a smoker, and paying so much bothers me)

Is Ireland a kip? Not even close to one. Obviously, anyone who says so, hasn't really lived abroad much. Their ideas of other places are sugar coated and they've missed out on the corruption, hassle, expense, etc of most other countries. In spite of the stupidity of Irish officials, Irish people have very little actual exposure to corruption from officials. Ireland is a very comfortable country for those who want this kind of life, or enjoy the Irish cultural trends.

If you're finding yourself unhappy living in Ireland, I'll suggest the normal answer. Leave. Get out. Get some bloody perspective. I know I won't live long-term in Ireland again. It's not the place for me. A great country but it doesn't ring my bells. I do prefer much larger populations, and the options that comes with that.