I'm moving to Galway (About Ireland & localisation...) [Merged]

cornbb

Programming jobs are available in Galway alright but are quite thin on the ground compared to Cork and Dublin, even Limerick. It would be a good idea to research availability or even secure an offer before you move. Galway is more of a large-ish town than a city but if thats what you are after it will suit you down to the ground, despite being one of the wettest places in a wet country.

Limerick's not a bad place either despite its rep, its larger than Galway, there is more shopping than Galway and artistic facilities are almost on a par now. The city centre is quite dull but is improving rapidly. Crime is not a major issue unless you are dumb enough to move to one of the infamous estates. And unlike many of the posters commenting on these cities, I have lived in both

The discoverireland website is really a marketing push more than anything. For information on the practicalities, legalities, logistics etc of moving to and living in Ireland, check http://www.citizensinformation.ie/

Getting a visa sorted for you and/or your girlfriend might unfortunately be the toughest part of the job, but best of luck with everything anyway. May I suggest visiting some of the other forums on boards with any specific questions on your move (eg the Region forums, the Work & Jobs forum etc).

Best of luck with it

galah

If you're moving from Queensland, and you like the weather there, do not move to Galway, unless you absolutely have to. I'm serious. I did it, and I hate the weather here. It's worse than anywhere else in Ireland, even in Connemara the weather is better.

It will get you down, I promise...(and I don't want to sound bitter, but hey...)

Last "summer", we had two (yes, two) nice days - the 10th of June, and the 14th of July, and that was it. I'm not joking. And with nice, I mean sunshine for more than 3 hours straight, and temperatures a "hot" 18 degrees.

mise_me_fein

ScumLord wrote: »

What two airports are there in the east?

Out here we're loads of them, sure we're swiming in airports, there's Knock 15minutes away, Galway 40 minutes away and Shannon 1h 40minutes away. There's one up in Sligo too.

I'm talking about International airports, not Willy Wonka ones.

Belfast and Dublin.

Guy:Incognito

Mulan wrote: »

Any how, I'd recommend the west cork /kenmare region.

Language barrier might be an issue, best off sticking to English speaking counties.

leninbenjamin

galah wrote: »

If you're moving from Queensland, and you like the weather there, do not move to Galway, unless you absolutely have to. I'm serious. I did it, and I hate the weather here. It's worse than anywhere else in Ireland, even in Connemara the weather is better.

It will get you down, I promise...(and I don't want to sound bitter, but hey...)

Last "summer", we had two (yes, two) nice days - the 10th of June, and the 14th of July, and that was it. I'm not joking. And with nice, I mean sunshine for more than 3 hours straight, and temperatures a "hot" 18 degrees.

Heed what this guy says... Anyone from Queensland will find it a major system shock.I spent a few months in Queensland recently enough and i've found it hard to adjust back to our weather...

also beware that Ireland has very poor infrastructure. For a relatively small town compared to others Galway has metropolitan traffic problems, and that's pretty much the same everywhere, even in the small towns dotted around the place it can be nuts getting through. If you're not used to it (and if i remember correctly traffic isn't an issue much in Queensland?) it can get quite frustrating. And buses and trains are all sh*te too. Many's a headache caused...

leninbenjamin

mise_me_fein wrote: »

I'm talking about International airports, not Willy Wonka ones.

Belfast and Dublin.

Shannon is probably the most underrated airport in the world. never any hassle checking in, never any hassle getting parking, never hassle getting food or whatnot. It's relaxing compared to Dublin... seriously don't dis it. It's such a pisser it lost the heathrow link.

phasers

don't do it

rossie1977

having lived in galway city for a few years i found it one of the better spots in the country for weather, warmer and much less rain than roscommon and westmeath for sure the two counties where i have lived the majority of my life

comparing wexford to galway, galway is always 1-2 degrees warmer i have found, galway city hit 28-29 degrees celcius in July 2006, parts of mayo were no more than 20 degrees at the same time http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/monthly/EIXX0048?month=-1

http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/monthly/EIXX0017?month=-1

rossie1977

mise_me_fein wrote: »

I'm talking about International airports, not Willy Wonka ones.

Belfast and Dublin.

knock airport has flights to the states, without the queues, willy wonka indeed

Mulan

Stekelly wrote: »

Language barrier might be an issue, best off sticking to English speaking counties.

Your joking right?

shane86

Really wouldnt recommend Galway. The town is nice, but the county seemingly filled with depressing go nowhere rural backwaters. And the rain, jesus christ I have never seen anywhere like it. Ive been 3 times now, and each time I was glad to be back home. The clubs are...meh....ok. The women are admittedtly quite nice, some of the best in Ireland tbh, and they like the Dubs. But the weather simply isnt worth the few good points, never mind the extortionate train fare (why pay 45 to Galway and back when I can go to Liverpool or Glasgow for an additional tenner and have the weekend of a lifetime). Was offered the chance last Halloween, couldnt be arsed and glad I didnt. Weather, again, was brutal.

Grand if you like your takeaways though. Galway seems to have more Abras and Supermacs than people. And Galwegians seem very up their own arse about how great a place it is. And they say Cork folk are proud?!!? Cromwell didnt say hell or Connaught without reason.

And personally if I was a peasant and had a vision of rainy, desolate, rocky field wind swept Galway Id have sooner died fighting Cromwells men than move. People from abroad do have some bizarre affinity to it though (dont think I have a foreign workmate who hasnt been, some go there almost monthly, god knows why)

MrJoeSoap

Dunmore East, County Waterford! Doesn't matter what the weather is like, every day is like Sunday!

Not much work for a computer programmer though I'd imagine. Waterford city is only about 30 minutes drive though!

leninbenjamin

shane86 wrote: »

The town is nice, but the county seemingly filled with depressing go nowhere rural backwaters.

what you're describing is effectively every single county in the country which hasn't been polluted by the commuter belt. Oh that and everywhere that the government ignored in the faux Celtic tiger.

super-lloyd

mh.... you made it hard to decide myself hey!
I was decided and now I'm hesitating again! pff.... sigh...

Crumble Froo

basically, here is an irishman in australia. all the things he cites as bad thigns... just assume we dont have that problem here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZY17y1MVl4

rossie1977

shane86 wrote: »

Really wouldnt recommend Galway. The town is nice, but the county seemingly filled with depressing go nowhere rural backwaters. And the rain, jesus christ I have never seen anywhere like it. Ive been 3 times now, and each time I was glad to be back home.

3 times :eek: you are an expert, i guess my nearly 3 years living there has nothing on that

first time i went to paris i spent a week there and it rained heavily every second of every day in the middle of f*cking June, never saw anything like it here in ireland, third time i visited paris in the summer of 2003 it was the hottest weather on record with temperatures hitting 40C for about 5-6 days in a row, same thing has happened with new york i have been there in heatwaves and blizzards, doesn't make me judge either place though

Terry

super-lloyd wrote: »

mh.... you made it hard to decide myself hey!
I was decided and now I'm hesitating again! pff.... sigh...

Pay no mind to the moaners.

Ireland is a nation of self loathing begrudgers.
The one thing about everyone in this country is that they love a good whinge, to the point that it is a national pastime.

I'm actually surprised this thread hasn't had more moany posts.

Come over here, live here for a while and decide for yourself. You will never hear the full truth about Ireland from an Irish person.

Milktrolley

seamus wrote: »

Another thing that can either catch you out or you may love is that Ireland is small. Not geographically, but socially. Because of our small population you can almost always be sure that when you meet someone, they know a friend of yours or a friend of a friend. It's one of the more endearing parts of our little island - you can be in a remote village in the arse end of nowhere and find out that your mother in Dublin lives next door to the publican's nephew. It can also be irritating, especially in tiny villages - everyone knows everyone else's business.

+1
Case in hand: my aunt in a small town in Co. Kerry (a good 200km away and therefore the other side of the country) moved in beside people whose daughter was going out with a guy from Carlow. They showed us a photo when we called to visit and sure enough we knew the guy, he works down the road from where we live. You'll get unexpected stuff like that often enough after awhile.

super-lloyd

Terry wrote: »

Pay no mind to the moaners.

Ireland is a nation of self loathing begrudgers.
The one thing about everyone in this country is that they love a good whinge, to the point that it is a national pastime.

Ho.. just like France then (and Austria I was told) I start to think that's European speciality! hehe...

Thanks for straightening things up!


Other than that I like the fact that everyone knows everyone or knows someone who does, that makes it easy to make new friend uppon arrival from distant shores

It's difficult to make good friends with Irish people.
Lots of pleasant social interaction, lubricated and otherwise.
But when it comes to actually doing things (out of the pub) with and for each other, people are reticient to make an effort.
Alot of people in the mid-late twenties are extremely couple orientated, with huge mortgages on ****ty commuter town properties and they make very little time for friends or socialising.
I think that is why alot of people like galway, the drink culture is strong, accessible and cohesive there.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

super-lloyd

In France and now in Australia I have a group of friends and we hang out together for such thing as movie, tennis, wall climbing, dinner party, dance party, ....

I guess it's what people do

rossie1977

daveirl wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

well in parts of england, blackpool in particular women aged 50 and over go on the pull :eek:

super-lloyd

I'm thinking of coming in Ireland next year in January, with the hope to find an IT job in a rural environment, basically I should avoid city center because of some allergies.

While in Ireland there is more IT opportunity in the country side than anywhere else in the world, there are still many in Dublin.
And while I should normally avoid those I couldn't help but notice sometimes the location is: 'Dublin 12' or 'Dublin West', what location those job add might refer to?

Any google map link?
(such as this: http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=53.324312,-6.303406&spn=0.30021,0.394135&z=11&om=1 )

thanks

Karoma

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_postal_districts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_West_(D%C3%A1il_%C3%89ireann_constituency)

Guy:Incognito

Mulan wrote: »

Your joking right?

Not at all, you people should tape yourselves talking and play it back.





:) (you get 2 this time for missing the first one)

super-lloyd

mmh... curiously I can't see Karoma answer on the web buut I got it on my email, so.. thanks!

Mulan

"YOU PEOPLE"

Now thats not very nice is it?
Do you have to be so rude?

Karoma

Trying to draw out a map...giving up... The two links + map should give you some idea.

the_syco

Dublin 1, 2, etc, are in the middle of the city, and 12, 13, etc, are on the outskirts of the city, so these may suit you better. Also, there are lots of data-centre type jobs around Dublin 12. Sap has a support office in CityWest (waaaay outside the city), so it depends on what you are qualified in, and what sector you wish to work in?

Oh, and IT job & rural doesn't really exist in a broad range.