Moving back to Ireland

Rant alert: Advice for anyone moving back to Ireland.

I moved back to Ireland from London after about 15 years. Do I regret it...YES. I hate it here. I am in a small town in the South. Conversations involve bitching and slagging about other people. All opinions are the same and if you deviate from the common thinking you are continually berated and harassed until you tow the line (which I don't do, making me unpopular). Passive aggressive is the norm if you don't tow the line. No matter what the subject is everyone is an expert, no matter how ridiculous their view they will not change their view unless someone they see as higher in the social scale (I appear to be very low on this scale) tells them what to think. I don't think I have heard the phrase "Actually I don't know" once since I came back. If they don't know they make it up or spout some **** they heard verbatim, If it was said in the pub it must be right.

I loved London and had a fantastic job. I only moved back here for my kids. I didn't want them educated in the UK as it is a lottery as to the pupils and teachers. In Ireland the education is more stable and you can control the whole process a lot better.

I have incredible experience in 2 fields. I was offered a number of jobs from just meeting people (I declined as I was happy where I was). I could easily get a job in London as my experiences what people look at.

Employment: My 2 fields of experience and my qualifications are no good here, despite being recognised globally. I have been told a number of times I am technically over-qualified but they have to have a certain qualification. Each role has a set set of requirements that, from feedback, are non-negational. My first job in the UK was with substance misuse. I am fully trained with recognised qualifications (course paid for by employer). The law states you can take up roles, unqualified, as long as you begin training for the role after starting. I was told that although I am over-qualified for similar roles my qualification is not recognised for the roles. Only the ftec is permitted. IT'S THE SAME THING.

In my other role I am very experienced. This is the role I was headhunted for in the UK. My experience and qualifications are more than enough for the roles I am applying for but they want random qualifications for roles I would walk into in the UK. I was offered one job only to have to chase them down after. "It's on hold at the moment. We'll contact you when we sort it out". I then saw the role advertised on a job site. Another crowd called me up (I sent my CV in for their file) a day after they received my CV. Had a great chat, asked me all about what I was doing. I then asked what the role they had was. "Ah no. We don't have anything at the moment. We just liked your CV so wanted to have a chat, you had some time in the UK I'd say" JESUS. My buddy left the job in the UK and walked into a directors position. Same experience and qualifications. And they expect you to have the training done before you start. The amount of jobs that are the same that require different courses is unbelievable. YOU WANT IT, YOU TRAIN ME. I am happy to do the training. I did 16-24 hour shifts, I did a load of online courses on my own time, unpaid work. I am happy to put in the effort but I'm not doing 200 courses on the off chance 1 might get me a job.

Trades: Idiots. I can't get 1 trade that will agree to do what I want. Them- "Ah no, I wouldn't do that now". Me - "I want it done this way". Them - "Ah now that'll cost you a lot more then". Me - It's the same amount of work and I'll get the materials" Them - "Ah well you know that's just the way it is". I learnt how to do lime plastering. I decided to get a plasterer in to do the final layer on the ceiling as it was low and I wanted it straight. I mixed the lime he plastered. I finished the last batch and came up and he was watering it down to make it easier to put on. I told him that it'll crack as it's too wet. "Na, it'll be grand". Went up the next day and it was ****, bits missed and bits of plaster fallen off as it was too wet. Had to go over it myself the next day (only paid him half, he's not happy). The walls I did are perfect. His layer cracked, cracked my first layer and the layer I put over his to cover his **** job. The sparky I got in wouldn't bury the cables for a rewire and would only agree to rewire with trunking outside the plaster. (They were brothers). The two of them lost at least £20000 of work as the whole house needs to be taken back to brick and replastered in lime and rewired. The plumber was a great worker, put in a new stove in a few hours, did it for next to nothing but left the house in a mess and broke bricks in the fireplace.

And everything has some rule or regulation attached. I have to have a licence for pissing in this country. And depending on the weather, the direction of the wind and your star sign you can ignore them. I was going to start up a business but I had to do so much work it didn't seem worth it. I had to do 3 things. 1,2,3. 3 had to be done first, but you had to have 1 done 2 weeks after or you have to start again and 2 takes 3 months to get approved. How do you get anything done. And I was advised by a number of people that to start up that type of business you have to know people and bung some money around to get anywhere. I gave up.

I could go on.

I don't want to discourage people too much. But don't let nostalgia drag you back. I would make the same decision again for my kids. But I'll die alone and angry in this wet, miserable country surrounded by the sound of squawking. Unless you hate where you are and loved life in Ireland I'd think twice. I know a lot of people regret moving back. Others love it. I said it to my dad and he said the same, he was out of place when he moved back 50 years ago. Think long and hard. If you are happy where you are stay, it might seem like a good idea but if you have something that is working keep it. Ireland has changed, the people are begrudging, petty and painful to listen to. Everything is a putdown. No "good job" for a job well done, just a put down if you make the slightest mistake. No direct challenge or feedback, just passive aggressive nonsense.

I know a lot of people will attack me for this. And I know that their are 1000's of amazing people, trades etc out there but I haven't seen it. I just don't want anyone having my experience when they could have a long and happy life wherever they are now.

I know the above doesn't read well, but it is a rant and I'm not going to correct it as the lack of coherence is about right for how I'm settling into the country.