Would you move back to Ireland?

Jimoslimos

Yeah I'm agreeing with BEAT too regarding weather, it was bad enough for me living in London this summer so would probably be a factor that would encourage me to return to Ireland rather than stay away.

dSTAR

Blub2k4 wrote:

So the incident with the riots didn't happen about two months ago in Oz?...I'd suggest that you get less news from the bigots in after hours and more from the politics forum.

Yes the Cronulla riots last summer. If YOU did a bit of research (instead of ill informed remarks) you will find that the riots were started when a group of Lebanese thugs attacked some Aussie girls near the beach. This kind of stuff had been going on long before it erupted in the riots at Cronulla and is a perfect example of the hesitancy a lot of immigrants to integrate and respect Australian laws.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Cronulla_riots

Blub2k4 wrote:

You dont have detention camps for the incoming asylum seekers?
That clears that up then.

Not big enough IMO. Much of the flotsam that is washed up on Australian shores SHOULD be detained and interrogated before being sent packing for obvious security reasons. I am all for GENUINE immigrants coming to Australia and adopting Australian ways but I am shocked at how naïve some people are when it comes to the issue of immigrants and national security. The detention centers are there for good reason.

This is getting a bit of topic so perhaps the above would be better off discussed in the politics forum instead of splitting it into an argument about Australian immigration issues and ethnic violence.

Ponster

I left Ireland in 1997. Unemployemnt was about 9% but I moved as I had just finished my degree in Optical Electronics and I met a French girl in Uni. who asked my to spend some time in Paris with her. I ended up finding a job without really looking and with no French and here I am, almost 10 years later.

Since then I've married (not the French girl though) and thyink often about going back home. I can't imagine starting a family in France where our kids wouldn't have any cousins, aunts, grandparents...Besides the fact that it would kind of help to have the odd family babysitter available to let me and the wife 'off the hook' now and then

The only problem is that once I'm at home, most the romantic ideals that had been flowing through my head while in France tend to collapse. Maybe it's just beause the Ireland I knew not 10 years ago hardly exists anymore and I feel like an outsider when I go back now. Life seems so much faster, even in the countryside; friends start conversations by asking how much I earn (and often looking at me strangly when I tell them how much); the Americanisms and USA-life style that people I meet strive to achieve.

I guess I'd have to first write a list of what I'd miss if I moved from here and see if what I'd gain, or think I'd gain, could match up. The weather in Ireland isn't too bad, though constant wet weather can be very depressing. Paris gets hotter and colder but the good thing is that it's more predictable. if I want to have a BBQ in July I can usually plan it weeks in advance and not worry about the weather.

"Ireland is a grand little country, if only you could roof it!"

I don't drive. Had a provisional in Ireland but since then have almost never had the need to be behind a car. I cycle to work in 15 minutes or I can take the metro which costs €25 per month for the citywide transport ticket. When we do hire a rental and head off into the countryside it's great to be able to drive at 85mph almost non-stop to wherever you're going. Now I know that roads in Ireland are being improved and new bypasses being put in everywhere but I'm still one of those people that feel that accidents will only go up due to people not being tought how to drive but how to pass the test.

I get 11 weeks holidays per year. True, I work 5 weeks per year in total that I don't get paid for but people over here prefer to take a paycut and work the same hours to have them paid back in holidays. It means that I could have a long weekend every 2 weeks and still not touch my basic 6 weeks holidays.

The list goes on and on but it never really get's me anywhere. But at least I'll help to keep this thread alive a little longer

motormatic

BEAT wrote:

Having had it both ways I'd choose Ireland climate to the Ohio climate any friggin day of the year. The winter is much more pleasant than in Ohio where we get 3 feet of snow and the roads are sheets of ice making everyday of the 6 month long winter pure HELL. People who have lived here all thier lives still seem to act like its thier first time driving on ice covered streets and traffic gets flucked up every single day. there isnt a singla flucking day that goes by without a traffic jam because some moron thought thier car was special and wouldnt slide into a guard rail or another car making a 13 car pile up etc...
it's amazing how stupid these people are.
I'd rather have the rain and overcastness than the snow, ice and other crap that comes along with it anyday.
Summer is also a pain because it doesnt just get nice out it gets unbearable! Its hard to enjoy summer when you have to go indoors for the airconditioning because its blistering heat and humidity are killer outside!
Ofcourse Im thankful for the days when its nice enough to stay outside all day and night and not be sheltered inside by the snow or heat but those days are too few and far between.
Spring and autumn are very short here, winter seems to outlast all else and summer gets confused with the other seasons anymore lol

I could go on and on but I think you get my point

I agree about the weather too. Canadian winters are the most dismal, depressing, horrible things to live through. You're snowed in, stuck in your house, it's hell if you go outside because it's absolutely freezing. The people who grew up here don't seem to mind as much as others but I never got used to it. I suppose moving down to Texas for a few years didn't help either. Give me rain over snow and ice storms any day.

Murtinho

Well it looks increasingly likely that ill be moving back with the wife and two kids this coming summer after 11 yrs in sweden. I left in 96 and Ireland is so different now it will be like a totally new country, when i left a pint cost £1.80 and i had summer job paying £3.50, everyone was unemployed and going nowwhere.

Kids (5 & 10) were born here but they love Ireland speak proper Irish English but it'll be a bit hard explain it to em, i remember the balling when we moved 200 hundred yards down the road 3 yrs ago . The missus has lived here bofore a bit so no probs there wither.

Anyway the timing is right now, the youngest is finishing in preschool, weve both studied as much as we possibly can and the oldest kid can hop into 4th class in national school and be well acclimatised before secondary.

Were moving back partly for social reasons, family reasons but mainly econimical, the taxes here are just too much, ive been working me nuts off for a few yrs now, earning quite well but what we get back is ****e, especially compared to Ireland, i know we'd be paying for things other ways but well definitely be better off in Ireland, especially now that we dont need preschools.
I also hate the climate here, allways have, winter is just problems for me, the car fuchs up, everyone stays in, honestly you can go months without seeing ppl, spring is unreal when the kids start going out again and you see how big everyone suddenly is.

Anyway weve been going through this decision since summer, we said we'd decide one way or the other by new yrs but were both 95% certain now.

galwaydude

I have only been in the states 7 months now with my wife. We moved here for family reasons as she is american. Come march time we will decide if we want to move back to ireland as we both miss ireland alot and its a better place to bring up kids than here in the states.

Both countries have advantages and disadvantages and we will evaluate both when the time comes in march.

On the plus side food,cloths ect are alot cheaper here.
Weather is better in summer but alot worse in the winter.

On the minus my wife is earning over 20k$ less than what she did in ireland. I am earning roughly the same.

The Sweeper

Is your missus earning less for the same job, galwaydude? (By that I mean same grade, industry, level of responsibility etc.)

Ponster

galwaydude wrote:

On the minus my wife is earning over 20k$ less than what she did in ireland. I am earning roughly the same.

Not really a minus side if the cost of living works out the same.

I earn 33% less in Paris than I could in Dublin but seem to have more 'disposible income' than my friends doing the same job, living in Ireland.

FatherTed

I moved from Galway to the US 14 years ago, originally intended to be a short stay (company transfer). But I stayed longer than my planned 6 months, met my future wife, got married, kids, etc. We return to Ireland almost every second year now, but I cannot see us ever moving there. Besides my family, I really don't miss much about the country. In some ways, Ireland is much better than when I left, but in others, worse.

Now before the knee-jerk defensive responses come flying telling us how rich everyone is there now, I am not knocking the country. These are just MY experiences and are MY reasons for not returning....

- social life revolves around the pub
- my asian-born daughter has experienced bigotry there
- too much of the 'keeping up with the Jones' stuff
- weather
- expensive
- still not enough diversity
- cannot get a good salad (so my salad-loving wife says)
- every kid seems to wear an english soccer club shirt
- too small of a country
- shocking health care (visited my uncle in hospital last May, awful conditions)
- crazy-ass drivers


Things I do miss that I can't get here
- Cidona & Taytos
- Hurling
- eh, not much else really

We normally go back for 10 days at a time, I always look forward to going. But usually about 3-4 days after arriving, I am already looking forward to returning back here.

Faith

No, I don't think I would. There's just nothing there for me, apart from family and friends. I find it so small and claustrophic, like I'm living in a tiny town, except with all the problems associated with a city.

Dave!

I don't have any experience living abroad, but I plan on doing so after college (I may return again, I may not).

I just wanted to point out something that I love about Ireland. I've never really thought about it before, but it was mentioned in a thread before.

It's how laid back it is The Taoiseach's name is Bertie for god's sake! lol. But for instance with relation to swearing... Swearing is quite taboo in some parts of the US, but on the whole of this island, you hear people saying things like "come on ye pr*ck, you're a slow b*stard, dya know that? hurry up!" And we just constantly take the p*ss out of each other, or call each other what others might deem offensive terms, as terms of endearment! It's quality!

There are tonnes of things I can't stand about Ireland though, but I won't get into that at the moment...

Ruu_Old

DaveMcG wrote:

I don't have any experience living abroad, but I plan on doing so after college (I may return again, I may not).

I just wanted to point out something that I love about Ireland. I've never really thought about it before, but it was mentioned in a thread before.

It's how laid back it is The Taoiseach's name is Bertie for god's sake! lol. But for instance with relation to swearing... Swearing is quite taboo in some parts of the US, but on the whole of this island, you hear people saying things like "come on ye pr*ck, you're a slow b*stard, dya know that? hurry up!" And we just constantly take the p*ss out of each other, or call each other what others might deem offensive terms, as terms of endearment! It's quality!

There are tonnes of things I can't stand about Ireland though, but I won't get into that at the moment...

Bertie is a rare one alright, chancer.
Thats one of the big things I noticed, luckily my wife has gotten used to it and throws some abuse back at me. Ya know, John and Mary from Father Ted style. Great fun. I nearly let slip in an interview recently when someone asked me what the Irish think of the Americans. "Ah not much really, a lot of people think Bush is a pri..that he doesnt do a very good job".

Murtinho

DaveMcG wrote:

It's how laid back it is The Taoiseach's name is Bertie for god's sake! lol. But for instance with relation to swearing... Swearing is quite taboo in some parts of the US, but on the whole of this island, you hear people saying things like "come on ye pr*ck, you're a slow b*stard, dya know that? hurry up!" And we just constantly take the p*ss out of each other, or call each other what others might deem offensive terms, as terms of endearment! It's quality!

yes, i agree totally with this and its one of the things i miss a lot,

Blackjack

Murtinho wrote:

yes, i agree totally with this and its one of the things i miss a lot,

This is indeed true. When you consider his Marital status (was separated and living with his common Law wife) when he became Taoiseach, there's not many countries where this would be allowed to happen, least of all America. This is indeed his own business and generally considered so in Ireland, and rightly so as well.

I'll not comment on the payments relating to his divorce, as the electorate were not aware of this at the time.

Tuesday_Girl

I moved to Amsterdam 8 years ago, it was initially for a one year contract but I'm still here. I just bought a new place that won't be ready till early 2008 so I guess that means I'm not going anywhere anytime soon

Financially I think I'm much better off here, my mortgage is EUR 470 a month, I don't think I could hope to have my own place in an Irish city for that, and I have lots of disposable income, just because things don't cost as much here. I don't need a car, eating out/socialising is very affordable and my health insurance premium covers all medical expenses, GP visits, dental work etc.

I love going home and I do miss some things about Ireland, but at this point not enough to want to move back.

I'm single at the moment so any change to that could alter things, depending on where my partner was from. Also, if/when I have kids, my perspective may change. But for now, I'm happy in the Dam!

The Sweeper

Sometimes I wonder how many of the Irish abroad would move back to Dublin if property prices - purchase and rental - weren't so obscene. You're damn right you wouldn't get your own place in Dublin for a €470 a month mortgage! (Assuming, that is, you didn't put down more than 15% as a deposit )

Tuesday_Girl

MinesBIGSLUT wrote:

Sometimes I wonder how many of the Irish abroad would move back to Dublin if property prices - purchase and rental - weren't so obscene. You're damn right you wouldn't get your own place in Dublin for a €470 a month mortgage! (Assuming, that is, you didn't put down more than 15% as a deposit )

That's my main worry about moving back, and could even become a reason not to. I would be most likely to find work in Dublin as opposed to the other cities, but would probably have to live way outside and be faced with a lengthy commute every day, or else go back to renting and still pay way more than I pay for a mortgage today

By the way, I didn't put any down-payment on my place, 100% mortgages are (luckily) pretty standard here for first-time buyers

Ruu_Old

Razzle wrote:

That's my main worry about moving back, and could even become a reason not to. I would be most likely to find work in Dublin as opposed to the other cities, but would probably have to live way outside and be faced with a lengthy commute every day, or else go back to renting and still pay way more than I pay for a mortgage today

By the way, I didn't put any down-payment on my place, 100% mortgages are (luckily) pretty standard here for first-time buyers

Yeah they are like that in the US too, infact most real estate agents and lenders expect it, we are closing on ours shortly but have plenty of money to put a few grand down (years of hard work).

The Sweeper

Actually I should be a little less Dublin-centric and point out that the entire country, apart from the six counties in the North, is obscenely expensive to buy or rent in...

Tuesday_Girl

MinesBIGSLUT wrote:

Actually I should be a little less Dublin-centric and point out that the entire country, apart from the six counties in the North, is obscenely expensive to buy or rent in...

And with little sign of slowing down either, I never thought I would be in the position of not being able to afford to move back to my own country, but it's looking that way.

Having said that, if the day comes when I really want to be back there, for whatever reason, I will just move back and deal with the consequences of having a lower standard of living, no longer having my own place, etc.

motormatic

I just got back to Canada after two weeks visiting family and friends in Ireland and I have to say I was heartbroken to leave. I think I will return to Ireland one day. Perhaps not in the near future but I will definitely retire there. I can't think of a better place to relax and live out my golden days than the small town I lived in as a child in Mayo.

But I'll tell ya, the three days I spent in Dublin cost more than the entire two weeks of my trip.

philologos

I find these threads really interesting as I hope to travel myself once I finish school and eventually university just to see the world but I could see myself settling outside of Ireland for a few years.

Really constructive thread anyway,
thanks

BrianCalgary

Looking at moving to Ireland, for me only visited on 4 occasions. My mother is Irish. My wife is Irish and would be moving back.

Things I don't look forward to:
1) social life around the pub = drunkeness
2) the swearing
3) no real hockey.

Things I look forward to:
1) the social life around the pub = good company, good fun
2) football 12 months of the year
3) just got 10cm of snow yesterday and had to shovel it. Don't have to shovel rain.

it will be a great experience and I will miss Calgary, big time. Grew up in Toronto and don't miss it at all.

Exit

BrianCalgary wrote:

3) just got 10cm of snow yesterday and had to shovel it. Don't have to shovel rain.

The snow is great. I love it, and I wish there was more coming. When I first moved here, after a while I really missed the Irish rain, and then last month I went back for a couple of weeks and it absolutely pissed on me every single day. It's fine when it's drizzly, but this was lashing all the time.

BrianCalgary

Exit wrote:

The snow is great. I love it, and I wish there was more coming. When I first moved here, after a while I really missed the Irish rain, and then last month I went back for a couple of weeks and it absolutely pissed on me every single day. It's fine when it's drizzly, but this was lashing all the time.

Howzabout you come over and shovel mine?:D

I really don't mind the snow either. Just wasn't ready for it. When we used to have our 3 mountain ski passes I looked forward to the snow every year. I guess it is what you make of it.

Ever go to Peanuts and watch Ireland play?

Exit

BrianCalgary wrote:

Howzabout you come over and shovel mine?:D

I really don't mind the snow either. Just wasn't ready for it. When we used to have our 3 mountain ski passes I looked forward to the snow every year. I guess it is what you make of it.

Ever go to Peanuts and watch Ireland play?

Only been to Peanuts once. Watched Ireland v Israel last year. Not sure if you've been or you're asking my opinion, but it's a decent place with good atmosphere (they usually show 2 or 3 games at a time, so when I went there was a bunch of Irish, Ukrainians, Turks (or Greeks, don't remember) and a couple of Israelis. Still at $20 just to get in, I've never gone since.

BrianCalgary

Exit wrote:

Only been to Peanuts once. Watched Ireland v Israel last year. Not sure if you've been or you're asking my opinion, but it's a decent place with good atmosphere (they usually show 2 or 3 games at a time, so when I went there was a bunch of Irish, Ukrainians, Turks (or Greeks, don't remember) and a couple of Israelis. Still at $20 just to get in, I've never gone since.

Hey everyone please forgive us.

I was there for the game. Cracking atmosphere. I haven't been in a while though, $20 a bit much.

Greeks and Turks watching the game between Greece and Turkey. No fights.

Murtinho

Exit wrote:

The snow is great. I love it, and I wish there was more coming. When I first moved here, after a while I really missed the Irish rain, and then last month I went back for a couple of weeks and it absolutely pissed on me every single day. It's fine when it's drizzly, but this was lashing all the time.

Got caught up in a serious snow storm yesterday, ended up three hours late home from work!
What i wouldnt give for a lovely bit of rain that just fall's down from the sky and rolls down into drains.
Ppl over here hate rain, i've learned to love it.

tj-music.com

toomevara wrote:

... I find Ireland a very frustrating, claustraphobic place in ways that my friends who've more or less lived here all their lives don't. I'm glad to be leaving and frankly, holidays, family events apart I don't think I'll be back.......

Funny in a way. I moved from Frankfurt/Germany to Dublin 0ver six years ago and although there are things that the Germans handle way better I feel the same way about Germny as you feel about Ireland.

I guess once you tasted something different and set yourself free from the rest of your friends and family it is difficult to settle back in. I for one will surely never go back to live in Germany again.

Blub2k4

dSTAR wrote:

Yes the Cronulla riots last summer. If YOU did a bit of research (instead of ill informed remarks) you will find that the riots were started when a group of Lebanese thugs attacked some Aussie girls near the beach. This kind of stuff had been going on long before it erupted in the riots at Cronulla and is a perfect example of the hesitancy a lot of immigrants to integrate and respect Australian laws.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Cronulla_riots



Not big enough IMO. Much of the flotsam that is washed up on Australian shores SHOULD be detained and interrogated before being sent packing for obvious security reasons. I am all for GENUINE immigrants coming to Australia and adopting Australian ways but I am shocked at how naïve some people are when it comes to the issue of immigrants and national security. The detention centers are there for good reason.

This is getting a bit of topic so perhaps the above would be better off discussed in the politics forum instead of splitting it into an argument about Australian immigration issues and ethnic violence.

Ah right, so there you have it, the reason I ( an Australian by birth) wont move back to Australia....oh wait that wasn't the thread title, damn.