Live in Dundalk, work in Newry?

Kotek Besar

Just wondering how many people do this, and what are the benefits, if any?

ibh

benifa wrote: »

Just wondering how many people do this, and what are the benefits, if any?

I actually work much further afield (Cookstown, Co Tyrone) and live in Dundalk.

TBH its not really a good time to be doing this. The exchange rate for Sterling to Euro is at its lowest in years meaning that you are being paid less than you would be in Euros and there is a chance this will slide further.
Since the start of the year this go so bad that I had to change my wages to being paid from our Southern office in Dublin.
Another down side is that when you work in Northern Ireland you actually pay more income tax than in ROI.
You can calculate it here for Northern Ireland, http://www.listentotaxman.com/ and compare it to ROI take home pay here http://www.taxcalc.eu/

Some of the plus points are that you can do your shopping etc in Newry which is cheaper.
But in general cost of living in NI is cheaper, car tax, insurance etc is also cheaper.

aquascrotum

You want to be living in Newry and working in Dundalk - the other way round is financial suicide. Salaries in RoI are probably a good 10+% higher even after taking into account the exchange rate. Sterling crashing is making it even worse.

Kotek Besar

Thanks both of you for your replies.

I think you're right. It might indeed be a huge mistake to live in the South and work in the North. Vice versa would be a much better idea, on reflection.

So, working in Dundalk.. I could apply to Digiweb, since I've a "technical support" background here in Waterford I think I might stand a fair chance of getting a job there.

Would Newry be a nice place to live? Possibly the wrong place to ask, I know. But I'm having trouble finding any houses or apartments to rent online. Daft.ie have 3 properties advertised in Co Down - and none are in Newry!

Finally, how practical is a daily commute from Newry to Dundalk and back?

ibh

benifa wrote: »

Thanks both of you for your replies.

I think you're right. It might indeed be a huge mistake to live in the South and work in the North. Vice versa would be a much better idea, on reflection.

So, working in Dundalk.. I could apply to Digiweb, since I've a "technical support" background here in Waterford I think I might stand a fair chance of getting a job there.

Would Newry be a nice place to live? Possibly the wrong place to ask, I know. But I'm having trouble finding any houses or apartments to rent online. Daft.ie have 3 properties advertised in Co Down - and none are in Newry!

Finally, how practical is a daily commute from Newry to Dundalk and back?

Daily commute from Newry to Dundalk is very easy. Basically you can go by car, bus or train and a lot of people do it so car pooling is an option.

The best place to find rental properties in Newry would be in the local paper. Armagh-Down Observor (there could be another one but i'm not sure)

Why not live in the South work in the South???

Basically any situation where you have to change currency regularly leaves you in a position where you are relying on the exchange rates being kind to you. It's not a good way to be tbh..

Gd Luck

MDTyKe

Well, I live in Newry so I'm gonna be biased and advise to stay well clear of it.

The little places outside of the hellhole are nice though, eg: Warrenpoint (which has a dual-carriageway link to Newry & takes 5mins).

PropertyNews.com would be the main property site for NI, so give it a check.

Local papers are the Newry Reporter and Newry Democrat. There's other small ones for the South Armagh/highly Republican population

Anyway, why dont you move to Dundalk? It's a really up and coming town, and has lots of nice rental opportunities. NI is a bit backwards.. plus we've got heavy rates (council tax) & now high water charges coming in, its not worth being here...

aquascrotum

benifa wrote: »

Thanks both of you for your replies.

I think you're right. It might indeed be a huge mistake to live in the South and work in the North. Vice versa would be a much better idea, on reflection.

So, working in Dundalk.. I could apply to Digiweb, since I've a "technical support" background here in Waterford I think I might stand a fair chance of getting a job there.

Would Newry be a nice place to live? Possibly the wrong place to ask, I know. But I'm having trouble finding any houses or apartments to rent online. Daft.ie have 3 properties advertised in Co Down - and none are in Newry!

Finally, how practical is a daily commute from Newry to Dundalk and back?

Newry is ok to live in. Choose location carefully - its rough parts are only as rough as the rough parts of Dundalk though. In my experience the Rathfriland road and Warrenpoint road areas are nice but probably expensive. Bessbrook is a pleasant wee village on the outskirts of the town and would be ideal for getting onto the Dublin road from. Daft isn't as well used in NI so it's not necessarily the best place to start. Propertynews.com could be a better option.

In terms of commute you can do Newry - Dundalk in <10mins, not including getting out of whatever bit of Newry your in and into whatever part of Dundalk your trying to get to. Definitely no big deal though.

aquascrotum

MDTyKe wrote: »

Well, I live in Newry so I'm gonna be biased and advise to stay well clear of it.

The little places outside of the hellhole are nice though, eg: Warrenpoint (which has a dual-carriageway link to Newry & takes 5mins).

PropertyNews.com would be the main property site for NI, so give it a check.

Local papers are the Newry Reporter and Newry Democrat. There's other small ones for the South Armagh/highly Republican population

Anyway, why dont you move to Dundalk? It's a really up and coming town, and has lots of nice rental opportunities. NI is a bit backwards.. plus we've got heavy rates (council tax) & now high water charges coming in, its not worth being here...

Aye what ibh and MDTyke said - why not just live in Dundalk??

Kotek Besar

Once again, thanks guys. Some valuable advice.

Why not live in Dundalk and work in Dundalk? Hmmm.. there's a thought.

I don't know why, I just thought I might be financially better off living in one jurisdiction and working in another. Don't know why. Not really thought it through have I!

Is Newry really a hellhole, MDTyKe? Why do you say? Oh, by the way, I'm English. Would I be happy living in Newry? Sorry guys, I don't want to open a can of worms here, but in Waterford there are one too many anti-English pricks for my liking - and that goes from taxi drivers to post office staff. As soon as my accent is heard, the face changes and coldness kicks in. Ok, I'll quit there..

I guess cost of living is lower in the North. But true, they do have council tax and soon water rates to pay, which we don't in the South. Maybe it's swings and roundabouts. Or, maybe living in Dundalk could still be an advantage, since we could do our shopping in the North, and thus "experiencing" the lower cost of living without actually living there.

I'm just thinking out loud really. Thanks for the tips. I'm off to look at places to rent in Dundalk now..

aquascrotum

benifa wrote: »

Once again, thanks guys. Some valuable advice.

Why not live in Dundalk and work in Dundalk? Hmmm.. there's a thought.

I don't know why, I just thought I might be financially better off living in one jurisdiction and working in another. Don't know why. Not really thought it through have I!

Is Newry really a hellhole, MDTyKe? Why do you say? Oh, by the way, I'm English. Would I be happy living in Newry? Sorry guys, I don't want to open a can of worms here, but in Waterford there are one too many anti-English pricks for my liking - and that goes from taxi drivers to post office staff. As soon as my accent is heard, the face changes and coldness kicks in. Ok, I'll quit there..

I guess cost of living is lower in the North. But true, they do have council tax and soon water rates to pay, which we don't in the South. Maybe it's swings and roundabouts. Or, maybe living in Dundalk could still be an advantage, since we could do our shopping in the North, and thus "experiencing" the lower cost of living without actually living there.

I'm just thinking out loud really. Thanks for the tips. I'm off to look at places to rent in Dundalk now..

Ehhh....major can of worms that its difficult to skirt round! There are parts of Newry that you mightnt be welcomed with open arms, and many places (esp. Newry) in S.Armagh would be very highly politicised. I'd imagine that parts of Dundalk are similar. Again, its all about the area you live in. Your background is less of a problem the more affluent an area you live in - usual story for anywhere in NI.

I'd imagine that day to day living costs are significantly lower in NI than RoI even taking into account rates, water charges etc. Utilities are cheaper, your in a UK market so telecoms, broadband, mobile phone etc are much more competitive, theres the NHS so health insurance isnt a pre-requisite. Buying and running a car is significantly cheaper, plus ye get cheap diesel over the border

I'm in the opposite situation to you - live in NI and moving to Drogheda shortly. I was chuffed when I got my job and gained a 40% pay rise - but after I've looked into it the additional living costs in RoI do soak up many of the gains.

Kotek Besar

aquascrotum wrote: »

Ehhh....major can of worms that its difficult to skirt round! There are parts of Newry that you mightnt be welcomed with open arms, and many places (esp. Newry) in S.Armagh would be very highly politicised. I'd imagine that parts of Dundalk are similar. Again, its all about the area you live in. Your background is less of a problem the more affluent an area you live in - usual story for anywhere in NI.

Thanks aquascrotum, very useful info. Don't get me wrong now, I'm not some marching British patriot or something, lol. Far from it. My baby boy's an Irish citizen, my wife is neither British nor Irish, and between us we're very pro-Europe and I certainly believe strongly that everyone in Europe should definitely take advantage of their rights to free movement, in accordance with European Directive 2004/38/EC. Ok, so I went off on one there. But do you get my point? We love living on this island, it's beautiful. But I wouldn't want to live in Newry, or Dundalk for that matter (or anywhere for that matter!), if my English accent were to be a problem.

aquascrotum wrote: »

I'd imagine that day to day living costs are significantly lower in NI than RoI even taking into account rates, water charges etc. Utilities are cheaper, your in a UK market so telecoms, broadband, mobile phone etc are much more competitive, theres the NHS so health insurance isnt a pre-requisite. Buying and running a car is significantly cheaper, plus ye get cheap diesel over the border

I'm in the opposite situation to you - live in NI and moving to Drogheda shortly. I was chuffed when I got my job and gained a 40% pay rise - but after I've looked into it the additional living costs in RoI do soak up many of the gains.

You see, this is what I'm thinking as well mate. My gas bill here in Waterford is around €230 bi-monthly, and my electricity bill is around €150. My Dad lives in England and he pays £20 a month for his electricity - and gas is even cheaper! (can't remember exactly how much). So even with council tax and water bills to pay, I'm sure living in the North would be cheaper all round. Plus, I'm pretty sure that as a married couple with a baby, we'd get relief from having to pay council tax, plus Housing Benefit towards a private rented house (again, I'm thinking out loud).

Hey good luck with your move to Drogheda, hope all goes well.

MDTyKe

Newry on the whole is sort of 'left out' when it comes to things in NI - we haven't got gas to begin with, which even Dundalk has. Broadband though is cheap.. I have Sky TV & broadband, and calls (not inc line rental) for £26 all in for up to 8mb (I get 3 as I live in teh styx) with 40GB cap.

Electricity isn't as cheap in NI as say in england, because we only have one provider - NIE. But like anywhere, people are moving to renewable. You can get better grants in ROI now for photovoltaics, turbines and solar panels than we can in NI.

And cheap diesel? Im assuming you're referring to the agricultural type, as its £1.19/liter here for regular diesel at the pumps!! (€1.52/l)! We do have one little place that does biodisel though for 79.9p (€1.02/l).

Think about it though. I know English people both in NI and ROI, and they've claimed to have more hassel in NI than on the ROI side of the border. You used to see slogans around Newry "Brits out", and on occasion you still do, but I doubt you'd get your house burned down or anything. They just do that to the British stores. We lost MFI, JJB and Tk Maxx last year...

But anyway, just make sure to ask locals on the area - avoid Carnaget, Parkhead Crescent, Derrybeg etc in Newry, and Muirhevernamor and Bay Estate in Dundalk for your dear life...


Matt

Kotek Besar

Cheers Matt, cracking advice and much appreciated indeed.

DundalkDuffman

benifa wrote: »

Once again, thanks guys. Some valuable advice.

Why not live in Dundalk and work in Dundalk? Hmmm.. there's a thought.

I don't know why, I just thought I might be financially better off living in one jurisdiction and working in another. Don't know why. Not really thought it through have I!

I lived in Forkhill, just over the border for 3 years and its not a lot cheaper than Dundalk where I live now. The only real advantage is that your car is cheaper to tax but over the course of a year its not really worth it. I used to go for a pint in the village and it was around the 3-3:30 yoyos mark or about 70cent less than in Dundalk. Shopping is still done in Newry while living in Dundalk so thats not much different, the house prices really went up in my time in Forkhill so when her indoors decided that we needed to buy a place of our own then Dundalk was the clear winner.:)

c4cat

DundalkDuffman wrote: »

I lived in Forkhill, just over the border for 3 years and its not a lot cheaper than Dundalk where I live now. The only real advantage is that your car is cheaper to tax but over the course of a year its not really worth it. I used to go for a pint in the village and it was around the 3-3:30 yoyos mark or about 70cent less than in Dundalk. Shopping is still done in Newry while living in Dundalk so thats not much different, the house prices really went up in my time in Forkhill so when her indoors decided that we needed to buy a place of our own then Dundalk was the clear winner.:)

If you are renting, then live on the northside of the border, cos rents are so much less cos the pound is heading south, Food is much better, cheaper if you have euro earnings and more of a selection in Newry. Sainsbury were giving 78.2pence for the euro, infact the tills at sainsbury take more euros then sterling. Road tax on a 2ltr car in the north 185 pound and in the south 600 euro, car insurance with kwik fit is a 1/3rd of RoI prices plus kwik fit give you a free oil and filter change. I find living in the border region one can take advantages for instance if your wife works in the north you can claim her tax allowence inthe south and she is responsible to pay tax on her NI income in the North, cheaper booze on the north side cheaper fuel on the south side

DamoDLK

benifa wrote: »

Would I be happy living in Newry? Sorry guys, I don't want to open a can of worms here, but in Waterford there are one too many anti-English pricks for my liking - and that goes from taxi drivers to post office staff. As soon as my accent is heard, the face changes and coldness kicks in. Ok, I'll quit there..

Half the time you wouldn't even know where you were up there, Dundalk and Newry are good twin towns, relations have developed over the last 10+ years. When i'm home in Dundalk, i can now tip over to newry in 10 or so mins on the M1. happy days!

DamoDLK

MDTyKe wrote: »

avoid.... Bay Estate in Dundalk for your dear life...


Matt

MMmm your not familiar with Dundalk are you Matt? i would have though that one ought avoid Coxes first surely? I'm familiar with Bay Estate, your remarks are completely unfounded.

MDTyKe

Neva!

Hagui

I'm foreigner, i don't say the country, because in dundalk, we are less than 5 from my country, but I would like to say that this town is a nightmare. The people is terrible their character. I'm working in Dundalk, and I would like to move to Newry. I have been in Newry a few times, and i can see that newry, the way of life of Europe. Dundalk the way of life is behind the time. Sorry for my English. I don't want offence to anybody, but i feel in this town like 2 centuries ago. And sorry a bit racist this town is.

KBarry

benifa wrote: »

Is Newry really a hellhole, MDTyKe? Why do you say? Oh, by the way, I'm English. Would I be happy living in Newry? Sorry guys, I don't want to open a can of worms here, but in Waterford there are one too many anti-English pricks for my liking - and that goes from taxi drivers to post office staff. As soon as my accent is heard, the face changes and coldness kicks in. Ok, I'll quit there..

Surprised to hear that tbh. I'm English and Waterford was the first place I lived in Ireland. Never had any problems at all. Lived in Dundalk too and never had any problems there either, despite the town's reputation.

Maybe I'm just not very observant?

Kotek Besar

KBarry wrote: »

Maybe I'm just not very observant?

Maybe. Or maybe I'm too sensitive. In fairness, as time goes on it's got better (or at least seems to have). So either I was seeing a significant minority as a majority that wasn't, or I'm now so used to it that I don't notice it anymore.

I think, when I first experienced it, it upset me so much that perhaps I started looking out for it. And if you look for something, you're going to find it - even if it's perhaps not actually there as often as you think.

As time goes by I don't think of it, nor look out for it. The result is, I don't notice it.

So who knows. Life's too short to care anyway. I've got a beautiful baby boy now, who's a British and Irish citizen, but most importantly IMO, we're all citizen's of the European Union.

In any case, and I realise I'm going off on a whim a bit here, as this fantastic nation grows at such rapid pace, in 20 years from now, who's going to be Irish? No longer will an Irishman (or woman) be almost exlusively of caucasian race, but a significant number will be of African, Asian, Eastern European and other origin. All equal Irish citizens.

I doubt the next and future generations of Irish citizens will hold any anti-English feeling at all.

sudzs

Sorry to drag up an oldish (!) thread but what is the story when you pay your National Insurance in the North but live south of the border. Can you benefit from the medical or dental services in the North without a UK address?

ibh

sudzs wrote: »

Sorry to drag up an oldish (!) thread but what is the story when you pay your National Insurance in the North but live south of the border. Can you benefit from the medical or dental services in the North without a UK address?

Don't know if you get the dental cover, but you can go to a doctor for free i think.
I am very unclear as to what NI actually gets you?? I work in the North and live in the South and I've had to pay for my own dentist bill in the north.

Kotek Besar

ibh wrote: »

I work in the North and live in the South and I've had to pay for my own dentist bill in the north.

If it helps, about 3 years ago I lived and worked in England and I had to pay for dentist check-ups there. I don't think it comes free on the NHS.