Escaping to the countryside?

LirW

We moved to a tiny village 18 months ago because we needed a roof over our heads. Found a small cheap house in an estate in the village that's basically a crossroads with a pub. No schools and it doesn't even have a church.
I absolutely love that it is quiet, the views are amazing.
But we decided to sell up at the next given opportunity and move into a town, at that point any town will do. It's not the driving that bothers me too much but if you're not a super outgoing person you will have your struggles to find connection with the locals. We're very private and quiet people. My son gets along fine with everyone, he's involved in plenty of sports and in generally quite popular.
It is really clannish here. The unemployment is high and jobs aren't growing on trees around here. This creates a lot of bored people and feuds and if you don't wanna fall out with people you're forced to have some sort of opinion on it.
Like the amount of bored housewife catfights is beyond me.
My adjoining neighbours are a couple short of retirement, she's at home and would be considered the pillar of the community, her family runs the pub down the road. A few months back they did work on their kitchen and afaik he fitted it himself after work. A few evenings of going into the party wall with a hammer drill after 9pm and we kindly asked them if they could tone it down. Long story short: we're now the bad guys because we dared to say something.
The nosiness too is crazy.
"I don't give a sh1t" is not an acceptable opinion around here.

I started to miss the anonymity if towns and cities. I miss the opportunities if you aim for something higher than working in Londis and have 4 babies on the way.
We can't afford Dublin by a mile but honestly I'd sell my kidney for a 2bed apartment in any bigger town or city.
Currently looking for work and the day I'm out of probation I'll go to the bank.

I can't stand this stupid elitist community thinking that goes against everything that's even remotely new.

mattser

Chips Lovell wrote: »

This. Dublin is what you make of it. You've got brilliant parks, you're near the sea, the Wicklow mountains are on your doorstep and you've got all the amenities of a city.

Nothing wrong with rural living either, but anyone who sees it as something utterly idyllic hasn't spent a lot of time in rural/small town Ireland. It has its downsides too.

Also, I don't understand people who drive to work in Dublin and then complain about it. If you want to sit your car, fine, but there are alternatives if you don't like it.

Senseless one word sentence.

Ush1

Ush1 wrote: »

, I would find myself bored.

I never get this, people who live in the country do much the same thing as people in the city (watching tv etc being a big part of it for both ) anything you can do someone living in the county can do. 20 mins for you to get to the beach but it’s only 20 mins for me to drive into town and can partake in all the aminities a person living in town does without having to live there.

I’d be interested to know what in particular you do to keep from being bored that you couldn’t easily also do in the county?

Dramatik

I recommend doing some rally driving lessons if you are planning on moving down the country, this way at least when you move down you'll be used to gunning it down dangerous back roads and residents are less likely to know that you are new to the area.

Ush1

Anakin Nutritious Trend wrote: »

I never get this, people who live in the country do much the same thing as people in the city (watching tv etc being a big part of it for both ) anything you can do someone living in the county can do. 20 mins for you to get to the beach but it’s only 20 mins for me to drive into town and can partake in all the aminities a person living in town does without having to live there.

I’d be interested to know what in particular you do to keep from being bored that you couldn’t easily also do in the county?

I don't watch telly at all to be honest. Most evenings I will got to kickboxing or jiu-jitsu, I have a big selection of good places to train very close to me.

I have a selection of places to eat out in and lots of pubs within walking distance. If I want even more choice I have buses and the luas to get me into town where I can go to shows/gigs. I can get a taxi or bus to the airport also.

Summer evenings I will take the kids out to the local playground to play with with other kids. Any shopping I need is in walking distance including a barbers, doctors, chemists, butchers etc.. with a number of large shopping centres in close proximity.

I like being around people so urban/suburban environments suit me, I would hate the solitude of the country.

Kivaro

Originally Posted by sk8erboii
Social outcasts lashing out online instead of improving themselves?

whisky_galore wrote: »

You wouldn't like it, no place for your skateboard Bart Simpson.

I have Avril on ignore, so don't see his/her posts.
What a strange way of thinking about life.

secman

I'm in a good position, through hard work i might add, i live and work in Dublin midweek and spend every weekend in a very rural area , out in the sticks. I've best of both worlds, can appreciate good and bad of both City and Rural living. Each makes me appreciate the other. Im at foot of Dublin mountains and within 5 km of coastline in the rural area. The rural one is our bolt hole, to get away from city every weekend, friends of ours were in a similar situation but sold their Dublin home and moved down permanently, a big mistake for them, now they woould have to lay out a lot to get back to Dublin. I know another guy, he's been renting out his Dublin home for the last 12 to 15 years and renting in a rural area, commutes to Dublin for work. He is currently getting 1500 + a month and paying 650 a month for a house twice the size. Suits him while the kids are growing up. But he can always relocate to Dublin if he ever wants to.

ChikiChiki

Considering meandering into a Software Development career from a Financial background to give me more opportunity to work remotely at a projected higher salary. Ive lived in big cities abroad and the buzz 7 days a week is not for me. My homeplace is in suburban Dublin but family has some land down west near the coastline in Mayo and always wanted a nice house in the country with a mini farm. Cannot ever see myself paying Dublin prices.

Ireland is great in the sense that you can be in all the big cities in a couple of hours. Ideal for remote working and maybe spending a couple of days a week in the office.

Galway_guy_33

I moved from dublin 15 years ago, managed to get even a better paying job in my profession (Software Development ) and work from home 3 - 4 days a week.

I have a jetty in my back yard and can be in athlone quicker than car by power boat.... honestly the best move ever.

Right now im sitting in my home office looking out on the river shannon, If i never set foot in dublin again I'd be happy maybe except using the M50 to the airport.

Lord Glentoran

HBC08 wrote: »

Jaysus..that sounds like it was written by a lad from Lancashire who has never been to Ireland and voted for brexit.

Wrong on all three counts, but there ya go.

uck51js9zml2yt

Gerry G wrote: »

Do it, you wont regret it not even for a second. Country life beats city life hands down. Apart from the smell of cow ****e

Get the whiff of slurry in your nostrils and you know you're not in the city anymore

jam_mac_jam

I can see the attraction but it’s not for me. It would actually be my idea of hell. But we aren’t all the same. One thing I would love in the country is the real proper darkness and being able to see the stars .

But why everyone has to **** all-over everyone else’s choices I don’t know. Again apology for liking Dublin but I do. I really think it’s a lovely small city to live in. Right beside the mountains and the sea if you need to get away. I could never live outside a city, maybe a big town but the middle of the country would kill me. According to everyone its besieged by feral scumbags about to kill you.

Hedgelayer

There's rumours about redundancy in my place, probably get a nice nest egg if I went for it.

Re educate myself in something creative and live a more simple life.
Sell the 4 bed detached and get a 2 bed refurbished cottage.

Im already a horticulturist and quite creative so it should be an advantage.

Into fishing bushcraft and surfing, so id enjoy the ferral lifestyle.

A mate of mine is an actuary and into predicting trends and she maintains a lot of IT jobs will be automated, so IT will fade away,therefore it'll hit a wall in the next ten years.

The big money will be in the creative arts, especially hand made crafts, anything from knitted products to sculpture....

Galway_guy_33

Hedgelayer wrote: »

There's rumours about redundancy in my place, probably get a nice nest egg if I went for it.

Re educate myself in something creative and live a more simple life.
Sell the 4 bed detached and get a 2 bed refurbished cottage.

Im already a horticulturist and quite creative so it should be an advantage.

Into fishing bushcraft and surfing, so id enjoy the ferral lifestyle.

A mate of mine is an actuary and into predicting trends and she maintains a lot of IT jobs will be automated, so IT will fade away,therefore it'll hit a wall in the next ten years.

The big money will be in the creative arts, especially hand made crafts, anything from knitted products to sculpture....

Ha best one ive heard yet... theres so much source code out there developed controlling things people would never even think about day to day.... even maintaining whats there would ensure IT jobs... let alone whats coming downstream IoT, 5G etc

Snow Garden

Hedgelayer wrote: »

A mate of mine is an actuary and into predicting trends and she maintains a lot of IT jobs will be automated, so IT will fade away,therefore it'll hit a wall in the next ten years.

The big money will be in the creative arts, especially hand made crafts, anything from knitted products to sculpture....

Your mate might be an actuary but her trend prediction is very very poor. Automation has been a major part of IT for many many years and it helps productivity/quality a lot - but it hasn't reduced the number of jobs. New roles are appearing all the time in IT and will continue to do so e.g. Cloud, AI, Security, IoT.

Ask your mate this - how will automation dream up new requirements and innovation?

mariaalice

It interesting how the OP phases their post.

Going back to Roman times there was this belief that somehow country life is better that city life and that city life was corrupting people that somehow the countryside is a verdent green Arcadia free of all vices, such as in the irish context.. bad influences on childen, drugs, snobbery, scobies.

deValer famoun speech is full of such nostalgia.

"The ideal Ireland that we would have, the Ireland that we dreamed of, would be the home of a people who valued material wealth only as a basis for right living, of a people who, satisfied with frugal comfort, devoted their leisure to the things of the spirit – a land whose countryside would be bright with cosy homesteads, whose fields and villages would be joyous with the sounds of industry, with the romping of sturdy children, the contest of athletic youths and the laughter of happy maidens,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ireland_That_We_Dreamed_Of

Its very strong in the psyche of a lot of people.

Snow Garden

What is with all the Urban v Rural discussions lately? The trend seems to be that Urbanites don't want to 'subsidise' us Rural folks but it's getting heated lately.

Hedgelayer

Snow Garden wrote: »

Your mate might be an actuary but her trend prediction is very very poor. Automation has been a major part of IT for many many years and it helps productivity/quality a lot - but it hasn't reduced the number of jobs. New roles are appearing all the time in IT and will continue to do so e.g. Cloud, AI, Security, IoT.

Ask your mate this - how will automation dream up new requirements and innovation?

Am I was talking about my own requirements for the future.
I already see people in IT jobs loosing employment because someone clever developed a program which will do the job of 4 people in effect its more productive for the company, but not so productive for the employees.

I don't know much about cloud, but isn't AI artificial intelligence?

FFred

sk8erboii wrote: »

Its a good thing you're all beneath me. Otherwise, I might actually forget that I wasn't some crusty loser getting mad at Boards ie posts at 5 am in the morning.

This entire thread reminds me that its good to be a young person living in the city. I cant believe the utter bitterness that comes from people here. Does it come with age? Or do I have to spend several years being a social outcast and a failure like the rest of you?

Bleedin scarla' for you when you wake up with the fear and read your silly posts :pac:

riffmongous

Lord Glentoran wrote: »

Wrong on all three counts, but there ya go.

Pretty accurate I thought, your post that is

freshpopcorn

It's for some people and not for others.
If you want to go to Brown Thomas, Starbucks, Zara, etc every few days then it's probably not for you.

Edgware

Hedgelayer wrote: »

There's rumours about redundancy in my place, probably get a nice nest egg if I went for it.

Re educate myself in something creative and live a more simple life.
Sell the 4 bed detached and get a 2 bed refurbished cottage.

Im already a horticulturist and quite creative so it should be an advantage.

Into fishing bushcraft and surfing, so id enjoy the ferral lifestyle.

A mate of mine is an actuary and into predicting trends and she maintains a lot of IT jobs will be automated, so IT will fade away,therefore it'll hit a wall in the next ten years.

The big money will be in the creative arts, especially hand made crafts, anything from knitted products to sculpture....

Put your money into the Aran jumper business so and see the return you will get

ChikiChiki

ChikiChiki wrote: »

Considering meandering into a Software Development career from a Financial background to give me more opportunity to work remotely at a projected higher salary.

Start right now. freecodecamp.com

irelandrover

I grew up in the country and had to get my parents to drive me to soccer/ hurling/ swimming/ school/ friends houses. As a parent I do not want to be doing all that driving so we live in a city. I also enjoy being able to walk to shops/ restaurants/ bars. Country living wouldn't be for me. If you've never lived in the country before I'd rent a house before committing to buy anything and see if you actually enjoy the lifestyle.

Ush1

Ush1 wrote: »

I don't watch telly at all to be honest. Most evenings I will got to kickboxing or jiu-jitsu, I have a big selection of good places to train very close to me.

I have a selection of places to eat out in and lots of pubs within walking distance. If I want even more choice I have buses and the luas to get me into town where I can go to shows/gigs. I can get a taxi or bus to the airport also.

Summer evenings I will take the kids out to the local playground to play with with other kids. Any shopping I need is in walking distance including a barbers, doctors, chemists, butchers etc.. with a number of large shopping centres in close proximity.

I like being around people so urban/suburban environments suit me, I would hate the solitude of the country.

All of the above can be done by someone living in the county side (you just drive to the places instead of walk bar the pub where you organise a lift home (easy if it’s the local a few km away), get a taxi or stay with a friend if going out in town). I personally don’t see the massive attraction in being able to walk to all the places cited above bar the pub, even when I lived in the city I normally drove to these places as it’s just handier. Also as most work in the city a lot of the things listed would be done on the way home from work anyway so doesn’t even involve a specific trip.

On the other hand when you head home you are away from the noise, people, light pollution etc of the city and also have the advantage of a much bigger house, garages/sheds and large private grounds with no parking worries etc. your neigbours are often your family or relations too so no issue with all sorts moving in next door, having solcial housing near by etc.

mvl

I Was VB wrote: »

Ever get tired of city life? I know I have, Currently living in south dublin city centre and working in north Dublin, I’m tired of a hour sitting in traffic each way to get to work, tired of paying €3.50 per hour for parking, tired of little scruffs thinking they are gangsters, tired of junkies, cyclists, not having change out of two pints from a tenner (I know it’s been that way for ages) tired of walking Instagram accounts, tired of people looking down thier nose at people who have a €20 less than them in thier pockets, tired of trials by social media, tired of knocked together houses being sold for €500k just because of the postcode*

I would not move to country side, at least to what I understand irish country side is. I need my broadband, a good job within 10 mins drive, decent common transport, nice restaurants, cinema, shops ... I don't have the big fat capital salary I would get for my role in DUB, but I put more value on owning what I do with my time off work (+ not wasting it in traffic)
But this is where I noticed there is an inconsistency in OP: instead of moving out to the country side, have you thought of looking for a job where you live, or moving closer to work ?

Ush1

Anakin Nutritious Trend wrote: »

All of the above can be done by someone living in the county side (you just drive to the places instead of walk bar the pub where you organise a lift home (easy if it’s the local a few km away), get a taxi or stay with a friend if going out in town). I personally don’t see the massive attraction in being able to walk to all the places cited above bar the pub, even when I lived in the city I normally drove to these places as it’s just handier. Also as most work in the city a lot of the things listed would be done on the way home from work anyway so doesn’t even involve a specific trip.

On the other hand when you head home you are away from the noise, people, light pollution etc of the city and also have the advantage of a much bigger house, garages/sheds and large private grounds with no parking worries etc. your neigbours are often your family or relations too so no issue with all sorts moving in next door, having solcial housing near by etc.

But I like being able to walk or have the option of public transport. I don't like driving unless I need to.
There is far more choice of things to do and amenities in a city like Dublin.
I like the people around me. They aren't noisy. Light pollution? Dublin suburbs aren't Shenshen, I can see stars and the moon just fine.
I don't see a bigger house as an attraction, I probably have too much space as it is to be honest. I don't like to accumulate junk.
No parking issues where I am, it's a quiet cul de sac.

I like to visit the countryside and there is some lovely parts of Cork I like but I wouldn't live there.

Snow Garden

The way I see it, there are many Urban folks that would prefer to live in the countryside. However it's very rare for a Rural dweller to want to move back to the city.

sk8erboii

FFred wrote: »

Bleedin scarla' for you when you wake up with the fear and read your silly posts :pac:

? Its almost as if afterhours is a joke forum and i did that specifically to show how cringy people in here are for taking this forum like its serious discourse.

As someone who has been in formal panels of debate, I find the posters here very laughable. Its also not a coincidence that the same simple minded folk are the ones promoting the slow (dull) country life, because its dim enough to appease their low IQ brains

Its pretty meta, but its true. You gotta read what people are actually saying.

I hope you're being ironic with 'bleedin scarla' though

freshpopcorn

sk8erboii wrote: »

? Its almost as if afterhours is a joke forum and i did that specifically to show how cringy people in here are for taking this forum like its serious discourse.

As someone who has been in formal panels of debate, I find the posters here very laughable. Its also not a coincidence that the same simple minded folk are the ones promoting the slow (dull) country life, because its dim enough to appease their low IQ brains

Its pretty meta, but its true. You gotta read what people are actually saying.

I hope you're being ironic with 'bleedin scarla' though

Are you on Boards during school or do you and the other students get to finish school early on a Friday?

J Mysterio

sk8erboii wrote: »

I get it y'all. You cant stand conflict, never could. That's why when you're brought to a place thats all about competition (for money, for pussy, for fame) you just cant hack it.

Truth is, you're never gonna make it. Never will. You might aswell lay down and surrender (Go to the countryside and be alone so no one can hurt your fee fees).

You cant hack it in the arena. Here in Dublin, its a young man's game. The worn and tired slink away quietly to moldy pubs to complain about whoever they cant fight (Liberals? Immigrants? Feminists).

Thats what you are. Worn. You used to be a sharp knife. But you lost your edge. This is the time of our lives and your death.

Wow, you don't half come across as an arrogant little wànker.

Realt Dearg Sec

sk8erboii wrote: »

Bobblehats wrote: »

F*cking pee diddely up in da house and where exactly might you taking us good sir; the bronx?

So you finally got it figured out huh? You talked the talk and walked the walk. You beat the best and killed the rest. You took all the cards until you finally became the dealer.

Well guess what? Now everyones playing chess.

You better watch your back. Its a dog eat dog world out there, Bob. And im the f*cking chinaman

Lad stop, I know in your head it sounds cool, but you're making a show of yourself.

FFred

sk8erboii wrote: »

I hope you're being ironic with 'bleedin scarla' though

:pac:

sk8erboii

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Are you on Boards during school or do you and the other students get to finish school early on a Friday?

Ive actually submitted my masters thesis on fluid dynamics a week ago. How about you? How many gourds you pick today?

sk8erboii

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

Lad stop, I know in your head it sounds cool, but you're making a show of yourself.

Brainlet

Omackeral

sk8erboii wrote: »

? Its almost as if afterhours is a joke forum and i did that specifically to show how cringy people in here are for taking this forum like its serious discourse.

As someone who has been in formal panels of debate, I find the posters here very laughable. Its also not a coincidence that the same simple minded folk are the ones promoting the slow (dull) country life, because its dim enough to appease their low IQ brains

freshpopcorn

sk8erboii wrote: »

Ive actually submitted my masters thesis on fluid dynamics a week ago. How about you? How many gourds you pick today?

More like your Transition Year mini company end of year report.

No gourds picked here Today!

FFred

sk8erboii wrote: »

Ive actually submitted my masters thesis on fluid dynamics a week ago. How about you? How many gourds you pick today?

I have to say son, you are very entertaining. You deserve a whole thread to yourself for us to take the piss(fluid) out of you :pac:

J Mysterio

freshpopcorn wrote: »

It's for some people and not for others.
If you want to go to Brown Thomas, Starbucks, Zara, etc every few days then it's probably not for you.

This is nonsense though.


No matter where you live in Ireland, you are probably only an hour or less from these amenities.

freshpopcorn

J Mysterio wrote: »

This is nonsense though.


No matter where you live in Ireland, you are probably only an hour or less from these amenities.

I understand you.
I live about an 1 hour away from Limerick and under an hour from Cork. They're close enough for me.
However it's a excuse I've heard about why city life is so good. They can either walk to these shops or it's a short journey. Some people want to go to these places several times a month if not week and a hour is to far.

BeerWolf

Give me the countryside over the city anytime.

Realt Dearg Sec

sk8erboii wrote: »

As someone who has been in formal panels of debate, I find the posters here very laughable...

Its pretty meta, but its true

sk8erboii wrote: »

Ive actually submitted my masters thesis on fluid dynamics a week ago...

Stop, stop, you're making it worse!

Omackeral

sk8erboii wrote: »

Thats because your points are nothing but low IQ mental gymnastics

sk8erboii wrote: »

Thats a pretty low IQ comparison.

sk8erboii wrote: »

I already did. Its a pretty low IQ method of deflecting questions.

sk8erboii wrote: »

Mate thats such a low IQ argument i cant tell if its a joke or not.

sk8erboii wrote: »

Wow this is pretty low IQ im not sure if its parody

sk8erboii wrote: »

You're either low IQ or mentally ill.

sk8erboii wrote: »

You'd have to be pretty low IQ to not see what he's doing.

sk8erboii wrote: »

Ii can already tell its gonna be a long winded rhetoric full of low IQ sentiments.

sk8erboii wrote: »

Honestly listening to right wingers on this website talk makes me think most of them are low IQ: Around sub-90

sk8erboii wrote: »

This is the most low IQ thread ive seen on boards

sk8erboii wrote: »

Low IQ

sk8erboii wrote: »

Thats a low IQ argument and everyone knows it

sk8erboii wrote: »

Incredibly low IQ op

sk8erboii wrote: »

Low IQ comparison.

sk8erboii wrote: »

Low IQ argument.

sk8erboii wrote: »

Its a pathetic thread full of low IQ reactionaries

sk8erboii wrote: »

These ‘zingers’ are pretty low IQ

mrcheez

I Was VB wrote: »

tired of cyclists...

so that’s why I want to move to Leitrim

erm... people cycle in Leitrim believe it or not

freshpopcorn

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I understand you.
I live about an 1 hour away from Limerick and under an hour from Cork. They're close enough for me.
However it's a excuse I've heard about why city life is so good. They can either walk to these shops or it's a short journey. Some people want to go to these places several times a month if not week and a hour is to far.

Most people living in the county still work in the cities though so it’s pretty easy to get to any of these places a few times a week.

I live 30km from the pool I swim in but it’s only 3km from work so a very quick and easy stop off on the way home.

Snow Garden

sk8erboii wrote: »

Ive actually submitted my masters thesis on fluid dynamics a week ago. How about you? How many gourds you pick today?

Still waters

sk8erboii wrote: »

Ive actually submitted my masters thesis on fluid dynamics a week ago. How about you? How many gourds you pick today?

The ordinary Joe soap might be impressed with a masters, but in academic life unless you've done a PhD your masters is the same as a diploma in humanities, you might as well do a course in hairdressing while you're at it as well, might as well have something out of all them wasted months (note I said months instead of years, because that's all it takes to do a masters)

freshpopcorn

Anakin Nutritious Trend wrote: »

Most people living in the county still work in the cities though so it’s pretty easy to get to any of these places a few times a week.

I live 30km from the pool I swim in but it’s only 3km from work so a very quick and easy stop off on the way home.

Yes, I understand you but people want these things beside there house in my experience or within walking distance.

road_high

Try somewhere like Kilkenny where you’ve got the best of both worlds in many ways plus not too far away from Dublin if you need to nip back

topper75

sk8erboii wrote: »

I get it y'all. You cant stand conflict, never could. That's why when you're brought to a place thats all about competition (for money, for pussy, for fame) you just cant hack it...

Ah yes! The 'competition' for pussy...



I'd say you rule the roost there in old Dublin town sk8ter with your aerodynamic jeans and no socks to weigh down your feet.