Mazzie_0908

Hi All,

Myself, my partner and my 1 year old daughter are currently looking into the possibility of moving over to Ireland for one years trial. My partner works away so would not rely on Ireland for employment. We have been looking into the area of Galway and was wondering if there are many british expats currently living there that could share their experiences with us. We are not sure on what areas would be best for us to start our search so any advice of good areas would be much appreciated. We are a couple in our late 20's and are very flexible as to areas. There are a few keys things for us for the search. we would ideally like to be within a good drive time of an airport and as I would over there with my daughter on my own a lot of the time I would like to be in a place we can start to integrate such as baby groups etc but don't mind having to drive to get there.

Also, would anyone be able to advise on rough prices for gas, electricity, water rates and council tax for properties please? Just want to get an idea of what we would be paying monthly and living expenses. And if anyone else has had experiences with local schools and doctors etc? Schooling is very important to myself.

Can anyone also advise on what would happen if we bring our UK Plated car over with us? Are there insurance companies over in Ireland that will insure UK cars?

Any help would be much appreciated. We are researching on the internet but it is always good to hear from people living there and been in our position before.

Many thanks

Mari-Anne

Moses2013

Welcome, you'll find many British people in Ireland, but this Forum is not so active. Galway is definitely a good choice and to be honest with you, there aren't really many bad areas in Co. Galway if you compare to bigger towns or cities in the UK. Like anywhere, you might find areas or estates with certain people, but that's it really. Galway is not a huge town, but pretty easy to get around and full with tourists and students. We don't rent, but Galway City has seen rent increases over the last few years (because of students and international companies) and prices really drop if you look outside of Galway. Best check Daft.ie. Closer Airports would be Shannon and Knock, but Dublin is only 2-3 hours away by bus. There is no council tax, but if you own property there is now a property tax which depends on value of your home. Water charges are now being introduced, but we are out in the country and have our own private water scheme, so paying less than in the UK. Since we have a newer heating system and a better insulated house are bills are a lot lower, but it depends on supplier too. You have SSE Airtricity, Electric Ireland etc. The system in Ireland is very different to the UK, so you have to pay for doctor visits and would need health insurance. Depending on insurance you get a certain amount back and if a GP refers you to hospital, it would be free. Again it depends on insurance, but I pay around €30-40 monthly. Can't really comment on schools, but most people I know are happy and never had problems. Creche would be expensive until the kids can go to school, so that's something to be aware of. You'd have to get Irish number plates Importing a vehicle into Ireland
No tax has to be paid if you've owned the car for more than 6 months Ireland can be as expensive or as cheap as you make it, but overall we personally have more money here and a better quality of life than in the UK.

Mazzie_0908

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me. I have been struggling to get an active forum for Ireland and this looked most positive so I appreciate your response. All of your information has been really helpful.

Do you recommend any insurance companies for health insurance? I've had a quick look on trusty Google and Aviva come up but always find recommendations good to go by.

We are hoping to get out for a month to see areas and check the place out . Looking forward to it aready

Thanks again

Moses2013

For health insurance you have GloHealth,, Laya Healthcare, Vhi & obviously Aviva which we have. It always depends what type of plan you want or need, but that's different for each individual. As long as you take your time to look at areas, you'll be fine. Again it really depends what you want, but I find life here much more relaxed than in England. Definitely drive out to Connemara past Oughterard, which is a nice little village. Just outside Galway, you can also drive along the coast direction Spiddal which is also nice.

molly1664

We made the move six months ago to the Galway/Mayo border and absolutely love it. Took a trip back to the UK and couldn't wait to get back. We don't have any dependant children so can't help there, but fully agree with Moses, life here is very different but we have settled instantly. Everyone is really friendly and helpful.