Kastell

Hi all, we're considering a move from France to the ROI (we're English), we love country life & the have 2 young children, are used to paying for our healthcare (although we get a % reimbursed) & a higher amount for groceries etc.. We miss living in an Anglophone country but find the UK too hectic / crowded & property prices scare us!! The ROI ticks lots of boxes for us, although my main concern is finding enough work to support us (we hopefully won't have a mortgage). My OH is a s/e Builder & I am Admin / Equestrian trained, although am not fussy with work, will work as a cleaner, in a factory etc... We love the look of the West coast Co.Galway but been told by a few friends that there is no / very little work there (it's cheap for that reason). We also like the look of Co.Wicklow-Co.Waterford, again not sure on work opportunities though (have friends in Co.Wexford). I wanted to ask members on here, if what we've been told is correct - if not can anyone recommend specific areas for me to look into? Thanks in advance.

Moses2013

Welcome and great that you are thinking about Ireland. A lot of people have come here for the exact same reasons as you, because they found the UK too hectic and house prices are another factor. When your friends say Co. Galway has no work, what do they really mean?






Galway is the 2nd biggest county and it's pretty obvious that you'll have less work in a rural location 2 hours away from Galway City, but that would be no different elsewhere. In and around the City you will find a lot more jobs than in Wicklow or Waterford, but again it's personal experience and what kind of work you can or are willing to do.


(See Galway Ranking)
Dublin is Europe’s third best city for inward investment






Galway City is certainly not that cheap for housing, but 20 mins outside you can find more house for your money and it's definitely cheaper than Wicklow. The closer you get to Dublin, the more expensive it gets and I suppose your friends think Wicklow has more jobs because you are closer to Dublin.






Wicklow is not a bad location and we're all different, but financially we are far better off in Co. Galway with more jobs available in our field than Wicklow. We were also lucky to buy 20 mins outside Galway when prices were at their lowest, so for us it's far better to live and work in the West. Thanks to the motorway it's now so easy to travel to Dublin from Galway if we want to go shopping etc.




You just have to figure out which location will work better for you, not what others think including myself

Kastell

Thanks for your reply moses, much appreciated & thanks for the link.

We live pretty ruraly atm, although only 5 minutes from the nearest town (pop 3k) & largest city 40km away - which suits us fine. I would hope if we lived with similar distances in Ireland we could find work (none of our work has come from or near the city over here)?

After living in a less populated country for 13 years, the thought of returning to the UK isn't good, hence why we're considering Ireland, plus we like the Celtic connections (always lived in Celtic lands :-) ).

What are the largest (& nicest) towns within an hour of Galway?

Is the weather really much worse on the West coast Moses? Thanks again

Moses2013

It really depends on your budget and what type of house you are looking for, but there should be no issue finding a nice home 40 km away from Galway where you have job opportunities. Ireland is just so much different to England and we don't really have that many big towns:-). It's spread out more, so if you don't mind a small community with a few houses, or being a bit rural, I can give you ideas within your budget.








Sometimes it's very hard to find property on the websites if you don't know the area and names of places. Athenry might not be the prettiest town itself, but around that area (10-15) mins it's not bad and you get good value for money, especially if you work in Galway, but don't want city life. Weather is always a subject on this site, but luckily you have an expert here . No doubt that the West is wetter than East (Dublin is driest), but that's because you have so many mountains. As you can see on the map, Galway City (marked red), or East side of Galway is not much wetter than Wicklow, but people are very quick to judge and think West is all the same. Of course we have changeable weather, but overall it's similar to let's say Birmingham if you stay around Galway and don't move to the mountains. If it's a bad summer here, it's usually a bad summer in the UK, only that we might miss a few days of the so called heat wave LOL.




Personally, I sit outside a lot more now than when I was in Kent for many reasons. We know have a house with garden that gets sun all day, a lot more space (covered bbq area) and you get a lot more daylight in summer. Include the great scenery, beaches, so I can't complain. Nowhere is perfect, but it's what you make out of it. The UK is not bad, but I couldn't see myself living there again.

Moses2013

Sorry forgot to add rain map.

Kastell

Thanks again moses , I'll pm you re budget but our next place will be a project - make the most of my OH's skills (again!). We don't mind living semi rural (need schools etc not too far away for the kids) & small community living is fine - it's nice to be part of a community...

Thanks for the weather map, like you said nowhere is perfect but it's what you make of it that counts. We are outdoors people & we're outside all weathers, just not keen on incessant rain, as it can impact of OH's work & makes life miserable for our horses. Then again I couldn't live anywhere hot, prefer to be cold over too hot! Your place sounds lovely btw.

I agree the UK isn't bad, it's a beautiful country & we have lots of family there - fine for a holiday

Kastell

Can't pm you...Budget as little as possible (<150k), looking for a renovation project / new build plot with acreage, not flat land...

Moses2013

Yes UK is fine for holidays, or if you want to take another route to France, rather than taking the direct ferry from Ireland LOL. If you like outdoors, there are plenty of options in the West. Places I love would be Westport Co. Mayo, and they have some excellent beaches around that area, but it wouldn't be a place to live if you work in Galway. It's still easy to get there for weekend trips. It makes more sense to live not too far from Galway and use the weekends to explore.


Here some examples of properties in different areas not too far from Galway, just to get ideas of locations. Some might not suit at all, especially if you have horses but again just an idea :-)
If you are willing to go a bit further out, you'll obviously get a lot more for your money.


Carheenlea, Turloughmore, Co. Galway - House For Sale


Barnaderg / Abbeyknockmoy, Tuam, Co. Galway - House For Sale

Clough, Gurteen, Co. Galway - House For Sale


Cahermaculick, Shrule, Co. Galway - House For Sale


Lough Cutra Demesne, Gort, Co. Galway - House For Sale


COROFIN, CO. GALWAY., Corofin, Co. Galway - House For Sale


River View House, Carrowmanagh, Oughterard, Connemara - House For Sale

Moses2013

Just to add, Cong would be a great place, maybe Kinvara, also Spiddal but could be too far out and really depends what you can get for your budget. Sometimes you have to find the balance between beautiful and practical.

TrishP

Why not Scotland? There are some lovely, low-populated locations there that aren't far from major centres.

HKG3

Well the Scottish FM said last year that Scotland is ready to house 1,000 refugees.

Nicola Sturgeon: Scotland ready to take 1,000 refugees - BBC News

Zelda247

Please bear in mind that you will need Private health insurance in Ireland unlike the U.K.