Canadian family moving to Ireland 2023 - Best town for young outdoorsy family (2+2 small kids)?

I relocated from England to Ireland nearly 20 years ago and I’m extremely happy in Athlone (where i have lived for all but 1 year, which was in Dublin). I wasn’t actually suggesting the OP choose Athlone, I was pointing out that a blanket statement querying why anyone would choose to live in the Irish midlands is a bit stupid

Ireland is a small pretty homogeneous place.

There are little or no differences between places.

The lived experiences of someone living in a small village in Mayo is not much different from the lived experiences of someone living in a small village in Carlow.

Same goes for bigger towns and cities.

So the OP and family could rent in a certain location and after a few years be confident enough that if they moved to a similar sized location in another corner of the country they would know what to expect.

Or they could decide that they want to move to a bigger or smaller city/town/village.

During that time they can find out what life in Ireland is really like.

They can meet real people, make their own opinions, see how much their salaries give them, travel to other areas to see if they would like to settle there etc.

At the same time I wouldn't like to live in one of those closed off gated communities where you probably don't even know your neighbours

Hi Daney - I'm a Canadian who moved here from Alberta 15 years ago - I love it and would never consider moving back. We live in Oranmore in Co. Galway which is a small town outside Galway city that I think ticks all your boxes. We have a lovely house but nothing compares to the houses in Canada - I especially miss the basements! I love being in a small town though where you get to know people and we're still close to Galway city for all the culture and nights out. I love being close to the sea and we swim and kayak regularly - even today (it was freezing!). We have a Canada day BBQ every summer with the local Canucks - you'd be very welcome. PM if there's anything I can help with.

Nothing like what the op wants. Good family home is all relative. Some people might call a 3 bed ex council terraced house a good family home. Others wouldn't and the op says he wants a 4 bed detached. There is one 4 bed under 500k in Bray at the moment and it is terraced.

Possibly a different perspective (not read the full thread) but I would seriously consider Dundalk.

I grew up here myself but have lived in South Dublin for much of the last 20 years and worked in London for much of the last 8 years - travelling the world roughly 35 weeks a year during that period.

Some stand out points for me:

• The number of outdoor activities nearby is absolutely outstanding. So much of it is undocumented and only known to locals. Walking, hiking, cycling.. absolutely super.
• Less than 40 mins to Dublin airport - literally motorway door to door.
• Proximity to Dublin and Belfast.
• Nearby Blackrock and Carlingford villages are great.

The town has a reputation of being rough but I honestly find that to be baseless (family have lived her for 45 years - myself for 22 of my 42 years).There is a humbleness and friendliness to the place that endlessly surprises me.

I moved from Dublin to kerry. Whats lacking in weather, though we do get lots of great days, is made up for in quality of life, great scenery and amenities.

Our life is more out doors that it ever was. Wouldn't swap it.

For the OP.

A factor to consider is the size of the place you choose to live.

A place to big like the main cities and large towns and its hard to get to know people, to small and everyone knows you and your business!

This is a important point.

If the OP is coming from the Vancouver metro area and is looking for something similar then Dublin and it's metro area are the only options.

No where else compares size wise.

And this is where places like Bray or Greystones might be a good fit for the OP.

But if the OP is more open about the size of place they wish to live in this is where the need to rent for a few years comes in, they need see first hand how big or small cities, towns, villages actually are and what amenities are within reach of those cities, towns, villages

I would say Westport (but then I'm biased since it's my local town)

Pretty much ticks all those boxes except maybe 2 hrs from Shannon (but 45 mins from Knock airport)

Good choice of schools (a fair few kids also go to the nearby rural schools along with the secondary school in Louisburgh)

Good road and rail links (New N5 dual carriageway due to open end of this year)

Plenty of good options for eating and drinking

Leisure facilities excellent - On the doorstep of Clew Bay and the Reek, start of great western greenway, good cycling infrastructure, 1 public pool/gym and 3 private leisure centres in hotels.

House prices high relative to the rest of Mayo but plenty of options for a budget up to €500k

the reality is that i think the OP will probably have the same issues here as there are in BC, there are affordable areas in BC, the same way there are plenty of affordable places in ireland, but the more desirable areas are out of reach for many (same as in BC) i dont think moving country solves that really and Canada is a fantastic place to live.

Hi. I am from Ontario, lived in Toronto, and have a sister who just sold in Kerrisdale. I have two houses in Dublin and cannot move back to Toronto without a crash there. You will have lots of choice here with your criteria although prices will keep climbing here. Ireland has far less gun crime than Canada. It is attractive as a stable place to live. Society is not as outdoorsy as BC but you can decide to live your way. Buy private health insurance when you come here.. Private school fees and university fees are far far lower here. Don’t wait too long.