(Not another) Considering moving to Ireland thread

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FrodVegas wrote: »

Ok... just after general advice on locations in the south or west of Ireland. We are a young(ish) family with 3 kids (13, 10 and 4). I am thankfully NOT looking for any work in Ireland. I have a job where i work overseas. I've got to an age now that night clubs, trendy sports bars and being near city centres no longer interest me in the slightest. Open countryside, mountain or coastal walks and clean air do! My father is Irish and always talking about moving back when he retires. Although he's advising places in Kerry like Caherdaniel and Killarney. That might be a little too remote for me. I need to be able to commute to an airport (1-2 hr drive max) so i can fly to the UK to get flight connections. So i was thinking West Cork (Kinsale, Clonakilty, Bantry).

Towns that have excellent schools, shops, cafes, sports facilities, swimming pools, cinema play areas and skate parks (for the older boys) would be great!!! I seriously doubt there is any towns (let alone cities) in Ireland that have all that - there aren't that many in the UK, but I live in hope...

One of the other main motivations is that my wife has to work full time here in the UK to help pay the mortgage. By selling up in the UK i could pay off our mortgage and have a large chunk of equity to buy a house mortgage free Ireland (with of course the exception of Dublin) with some land for the kids to get off the xbox and play outside.. I do understand some living costs would be higher (the euro is a killer) in Ireland compared with the UK. But with no mortgage i can accept paying twice the amount for a pint of milk etc.

I moved back to Ireland this year. If you think Killarney is too rural then I would definetly rule out kinsale, Clon or Bantry. Honestly we have a brilliant standard of living here, better than we had in UK (and we had lived in London, and Oxford). Tried Dublin but it was expensive, miserable of commutes, parts wer unsafe, etc. through Kerry airport we still do a lot of commuting to UK (Luton and stanstead) and dublin by train if we fancy. It's relatively cheap to live here, property is not crazy and it has nearly everyone of the things on your list with the exception I think of a stake park. Real sense of community, lots of festivals and events, the national event centre has gigs all the time, etc. there are good schools, great outdoor lifestyle, etc. having lived in UK for years I'd be well placed to answer any questions if you want to PM me. I can't emphasise how much our quality of life changed moving here.

yankinlk

FrodVegas wrote: »

I would be in an uncomfortable financial position with the irish economy the way it s now. It does not make any sense buying a house that (in my opinion) is massively over valued still and (again in my opinion) still has a long way too fall in value.

maybe renting is the only way to go...

i have a friend that moved back from the UK around the time of the bust. He is not short of money. He has been house hunting for over 5 years now, no end in site. He keeps comparing house prices in Ireland to what he is used to in the UK. I dont think he will ever buy here.

JustAThought

Im Roaring laughing at all these little villages and 3 street towns being mentioned - someone has alluded
To finding a place that you will fit in and this is crucial Especially as " blow-ins"
Which even in a friendly way you will be! I'd highly Recommend Renting wherever you choose - apart From the fact your kids may not get a
Place To the " local" school or may be split between two different schools
With no rural Infrastructure or bus route . Idealism is everything but rent before
You buy.

No one has Mentioned Galway which is a Lively bustling little
Town wih lots of rural within reach and beaches, pools, Rec centres, aqua sports & resources to attract university level students - not to mention wifi & a few reliable coach services to Dublin ..?

John_Rambo

JustAThought wrote: »

No one has Mentioned Galway which is a Lively bustling little Town wih lots of rural within reach and beaches, pools, Rec centres, aqua sports & resources to attract university level students - not to mention wifi & a few reliable coach services to Dublin ..?

Bang on. I certainly wouldn't discount coastal villages around Dublin either. Eastern (better) weather, acres of green space and lots for the growing kids to do.

cnocbui

If you do come over to visit some of the places suggested - which I think is the best advice - add Killaloe / Ballina near Limerick to your list. I can vouch for the schools, the people and the locale. Limerick is easy and quick to get to via the motorway - same goes for Shannon airport. I would personally be a bit concerned at the future prospects of smaller airports like Cork and of them remaining viable: http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0111/671847-cork-airport-passengers/

Probably it will always be there, just a thought.

Your youngest child will not thank you for having to learn Irish. The Middle one will thank you profusely if you wait until they are 11 before moving so they don't have to

FrodVegas

griffzinho wrote: »

What's your price range OP?? I am seeing some decent houses in/near Kinsale representing what seems to me good value.

Looking to spend no more 450k.. Doesn't go very far in Kinsale it seems. Looking for 5 beds, detached, parking, decent garden etc

BrianBoru00

My tuppence worth:
I'm the other half of the country but you mention commuting distance..Skibbereen is about 1 hr 15 mins from Cork Airport - roughly the same distance as Killarney.
But I wouldn't just focus on the "touristy" towns - if you don't you'll more likely get much better value.

What about somewhere like Roscarbery just outside Skibbereen on thr Cork side- daft.ie is a good site to get an overview of the market in particular locations ... http://www.daft.ie/sales/triskele-rosscarbery-rosscarbery-cork/726510/

Re: schools .
Ireland is different to the UK with regard to catchment areas etc. Also schools with good reputations may not have a good reputation in 8 years time when your youngest is starting secondary - a change of principal can make a huge change (positive or negative). Unless its way out in the west coast, there would be a choce of at least 2 schools for boys & girls at second level within 15 minutes drive. and in that region, within 25 minutes drive you could easily up it to 10 schools.

If your set on that region - that'd be my advice.


Airports are your main priority in that you have to have a convenient one.

If you did consider other parts of the country - Shannon airport brings you within an hour of umpteen good size towns including Ennis /Shannon Nenagh.

Knock airport would offer daily flights to
manchester & Gatwick among others and would being you within 20 minutes of the cheapest housing in the country - remote areas of East Mayo, South Sligo, North Roscommon. Its also within 45 minutes of Sligo / Ballina / Castlebar / Westport which are larger towns with good amenities.

cnocbui

What they are asking and what they they are getting or will accept are two different things in the current property market, which is probably the best it will ever be for a buyer. On property.ie there is at least a 6 bedroom house within your range and probably others that would come down.

Kinsale attracts some people with fairly high world profiles and pockets to match so prices reflect that i would say.

Balmed Out

griffzinho wrote: »

Well Bandon isn't a great spot imho, but i don't really know it. Clonakilty is ok, but nothing much happening for 9 months of the year. Your kids would go mental there. Kinsale, by a mile, is the best bet for proximity to the coast/Cork/airport,etc. and I feel Ovens would be the best bet as it has some beautiful houses that are considered very rural (lovely green countryside), yet are close to Cork/Ballincollig and all the desirable amenities. West cork is only 25 mins from Ovens too so great for day trips.

That isnt true, there are things happening throughout the year in Clonakilty as well as Kinsale, they have very proactive communities that organize a variety of events throughout the year. Both have large amounts of non nationals living in the areas so they are also more cosmopolitan then you would expect and the "blow in" factor isnt the same as elsewhere. Kinsale is more touristy so its a matter of preference. I wouldnt rule out Killarney either and its not so far from Cork airport.
Given how much easier it is to attend any events ive found living in Clon I go to cultural events, festivals etc far more then I ever did in Cork as its just a two minute drive and no worries about parking etc. In a city you just have a bit of hassle involved in doing anything though there are advantages too especially proximity of employment.

http://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/rathbarry-clonakilty-cork-west/2793092
http://www.myhome.ie/residential/brochure/kilkern-castlefreke-clonakilty-cork-west/1392489

Both houses are in Rathbarry area 5 minutes walk from pub, shop. If I didnt commute and so prefer to live on the city side its the area id love to live in. Lot of scenic walks and beaches on your doorstep, great community spirit, usual field sports, badminton, tennis and rowing clubs and about 10 minutes from Clon in a very sought after area. Unfortunately homes closer to the town and what you want dont come onto the market very often.
Im not a fan of the education provided by the private schools of Cork and think the ones in Clon by and large compare favorably to most of the city's.
OP I have no idea what living in Belgooly, ovens etc is like but I wouldn't rush in to it. Personally I wouldnt live anywhere in Co. Cork not very close to the city with the exceptions of Kinsale, Clonakilty and Middleton. From personal experience Clon is very diverse and inclusive but I wouldnt say the same about most rural towns.

Graces7

iguana wrote: »

Oh yeah, where ever you do move if broadband is important to you make sure to investigate it's availability in whatever area appeals to you. In more urban areas speeds of up to 200-240mb are fairly easily available. In less urban areas, it's not uncommon to have no option other than satellite, which may be unsuitable.

I have satellite and it is excellent. And the only option here.

Jakey Rolling

Graces7 wrote: »

I have satellite and it is excellent. And the only option here.

I'm guessing you don't download or stream much video. Most basic satellite broadband packages are limited to about 4GB monthly download. We use around 60GB, mostly from Netflix and RTE Player. This would be prohibitively expensive on satellite. Also not much use for online gaming e.g. Xbox due to the unavoidable latency.

The good news is that the Communications minister has announced that govt will subsidise fibre connection to every property by 2020, just don't hold your breath on that one!

In the meantime, wireless ISPs do a reasonable job at filling most of the gaps.

Mrs OBumble

I would be looking pretty hard at the quality of schools in some of the smaller places being named on this thread.

Now, I'm not living in those areas, so I have no specific knowledge about them. But in general smaller towns find it more difficult to attract and retain quality teachers. An excellent principal can overcome this. But it doesn't always happen.

And like others, I would absolutely suggest renting first.

BrianBoru00

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I would be looking pretty hard at the quality of schools in some of the smaller places being named on this thread.

Now, I'm not living in those areas, so I have no specific knowledge about them. But in general smaller towns find it more difficult to attract and retain quality teachers. An excellent principal can overcome this. But it doesn't always happen.

And like others, I would absolutely suggest renting first.

That is an absolutely ridiculous and utterly silly comment. If anything it would be the other way round. Teacher get paid the same whether they re working in Dublin 4 or Longford.

cnocbui

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I would be looking pretty hard at the quality of schools in some of the smaller places being named on this thread.

Now, I'm not living in those areas, so I have no specific knowledge about them. But in general smaller towns find it more difficult to attract and retain quality teachers. An excellent principal can overcome this. But it doesn't always happen.

And like others, I would absolutely suggest renting first.

I named a small place. I have direct experience of two children going through first the PS, one through the secondary who is now in college and the other being in second year of the secondary. Both schools are very good indeed and the teachers have almost without exception been fantastic. Pupils from the secondary have recently won awards for their high scores in the Leaving cert, have won in the Texaco Art Prizes, and have gone on to do medicine at college. One girl who did the leaving cert at the same time my son did got around 620.

Mrs OBumble

cnocbui wrote: »

I named a small place. I have direct experience of two children going through first the PS, one through the secondary who is now in college and the other being in second year of the secondary. Both schools are very good indeed and the teachers have almost without exception been fantastic. Pupils from the secondary have recently won awards for their high scores in the Leaving cert, have won in the Texaco Art Prizes, and have gone on to do medicine at college. One girl who did the leaving cert at the same time my son did got around 620.

I'm delighted to hear that, and totally agree that some schools in smaller places are excellent.

But I can name towns in Co Galway where my colleagues have told me that their children were having different experiences.

And I have a friend who was head-hunted into a principal's job in a remote area, because they needed an outsider to deal with a local who'd trained as a teacher and moved home, and was totally not up to the job. He did what was needed, but said that no outsiders will find it easy to work there and most move on fairly quickly. One not-so-good local can do a lot of damage.

The point for the OP is that they need to examine the schools' results, not just assume that they'll be fine.

_Kaiser_

FrodVegas wrote: »

But those places are massively over priced to me. They are more expensive than Cheshire where i live now, which i feel is too busy and over populated as it is. It would also defeat the objective economically, to buy the same standard property that i live in now in Greystones or Bray would 100k's euros more than what i would sell my house for in the UK. I would be in an uncomfortable financial position with the irish economy the way it s now. It does not make any sense buying a house that (in my opinion) is massively over valued still and (again in my opinion) still has a long way too fall in value. That wouldn't matter if i didn't have a mortgage on it, but i would have one to live in those areas. My wife or I will never work (or need to work) in Dublin either so being within commuting distance has no value to me at all.

Agree on the rent somewhere first idea though I think we are pretty set on Kinsale, Clonakilty or Skibbereen - they also have fibre optic broadband available in those areas which is a big plus.

The Irish property market is somewhat "unique" though insofar as people are obsessed with owning their own homes here. Renting is seen as "dead money" and the choice for those with no better option - as a result the private rental sector here is a mess with cowboy/accidental landlords AND tenants being the norm, not the exception (you only need look through this forum to see that).

As a result of this obsession with property from average Joe to the government, house prices will never really fall to a "real" value - the closest would have been 2011/2012 and they're on the up again since then. In short you'll probably have to accept that you won't get the same value as you have in the UK (as someone else posted here as well) if you want to buy.

Broadband and infrastructure is a real issue as well once you go out of the main cities - you may see that fibre broadband is available in an area but that can literally vary from street to street/house to house depending on what kind of mess the phone lines are in. Public transport is generally non-existent outside of Dublin or so infrequent/impossible that it may as well not exist, so running a car becomes essential (also note that you'll pay a lot more in Motor Tax here than you're used to).

Some will probably consider this overly pessimistic, but I'd really think hard about the idea of not being in/close to a larger town or city especially if you have kids who will soon be looking for things to do beyond staring at the greenery you find so relaxing.

Definitely come have a good look at the areas mentioned (and I really wouldn't dismiss Dublin/surrounding towns either) before you make a final decision.