heritagefarmer

We left Uk in '92 for Ireland (Rural Tipperary) when we first got there it was stuck back in the 50''s and that was what we liked. There were hardly any Brits where we were. We took took some stick but it was almost always good natured. I even picked up and accent!
However, by 2001 it had caught up with the rest of the world and it was no longer what we liked. That, and the cr*p weather and cost of living (and bugs!) drove us to 'somewhere warmer'. Spain.
We quickly realized that wasn't for us either (too many Brits! LOL) so we left in 2004 for Canada after a 15 month wait for our visa.
I think I have finally found the 'greener grass' that I was hunting for the last 14 years, and have never been happier on my rare breeds farm in eastern PEI.
Check it out
http://dundasheritagefarm.com

crazydaisy

It's nice to see someone find the dream goal at the end of the rainbow. Like most rainbows it seems to fade away just as you reach it but finding something you love and more to the point somewhere you love has got to be a good bonus!

tucs

bob whoever is giving you this information is either trying to keep Ireland a secret from you and doesn't want to share it with you or they dont want to leave them. Utter rubbish.
like i said before the Irish love a bit of banter, this is their way. Ireland is really changing, especially the way things are now with all the multinationals here. Do not take this as it is no longer a problem to be English, it never was. Now if you want to arrive here and start telling everyone England is great and we ruled the world, then you will meet hostility, the same as anywhere. When i mentioned Ireland has changed i meant it is changing in a way that people are no longer happy just to tick along. Their is a lot of work here at the moment and people want the better things in life, so it is Changing in a way where people are working hard and not getting the time to spend time with neighbours and family. Sitting and chatting. everyone seems to be so busy. No time to spare. They want the holidays and two cars in the drive, nice house. This all cost money and quite rightly so they need to work and work hard they do. So laid back Ireland is changing. Not saying this is a bad thing to want what is better for the family but it is changing and you would notice the difference.

My bigger concern if i was to be moving here again would be the cost of living. I think it is the third most expensive country in the world to live in, saying that, it seems this is no longer accepted and they are trying to change this, but this will take a long time. someone mentioned about the weather, yes it is crap and unfortunately they are not going to change that, but it really makes you appreciate a lovely day.

Bob if you like a pint and a bet on the horses and you are up for a bit of "craic"then you would fit in anywhere in this country. Limerick does have a bad name, but nothing to do with where you come from. It has its problems but again trust me i worked there for about three years (travelling up and down to work) coming from London it is way way behind in the league of rough spots. It seems to me that when something happens it is highlighted here, where as if it happened in London it would not even make the papers. This is a good thing in my mind as it shows that it will not be accepted.

BlueScottyGirl

Yeah what Tuc said!!! I heard on the radio yesterday that the typical irish pub is closing down....hundreds last year closed their doors and I think that's mostly due to the fact that there just isn't the time there was for socialising.

I love life here, I even love the weather because I know I'd get sick of sun 24/7/365 it's one of the things that's made this country beautiful.

I wouldn't be anywhere else!

tucs

Lots on the news about the rural pubs closing and others not doing the business they used to.
Publicans blaming it on the smoking ban. I personaly think it is because of the high price of drink and the fact that when you do get spare time there is so much more to do with it these days. Used to be you had to go to the pub.

snowqueen

Bob

Please don't get hung up on the anti english thing. As tucs said, most of it is good natured banter and as long as you have the right attitude you will be fine. The fact that SOME people have an anti-english stance shouldn't put you off - you might never meet them, and even if you did, they won't do you any harm, just make their feelings known. It's very unlikely that you'd move to a town and find a 'general' anti-english sentiment. You are far more likely to be asked if you're on your holidays and then get into a chat about you life. Don't forget, large amounts of people have family living in England, so the ties are strong and you are far more likely to find things in common than face hostility. It is possible to feel a subtle undercurrent of anti-Brit sentiment when you read the papers and listen to the radio, but then the media also covers the Royal family and is mad about english soccer - go figure!

You sound like the kind of guy who will get on great with anyone and I am sure you will find a warm welcome wherever you go.

Snowqueen

BigDavyG

Hello old tuceroo.
On a serious point, do you think these punters who knock their pan in for the 2 cars, private education ad all that really are motivated by what is better for the family.
To me the old, more laid back way of life is infinitely better to one where parents see their kids for about 2 hours a day and everything, work, school, etc is pressure, pressure, pressure. That is something which is very evident over here and it saddens me quite a bit - people working 50-60 hour weeksthen in their spare time doing some pointless MBA or management degree just so they can get on a bit more in work - I'm hoping that the UK and Ireland will realise before they go much further down this road that there's so much more to life than work and cars, houses and mobile phones.

Oh, and whatever way you slice it limerick is a complete kip and I would advise every and anyone to stay well away, especially if there is anything about you which would make you stand out a bit - including an English accent.

tucs

Hi big D,
hate for me to agree with you but i do agree 100% (not about Limerick though)
When i was replying to the original thread i was trying to be open minded to why these people are working so hard. Also, i was exactly the same when i was in London. Although i did it at a much younger age. I was always blessed with the ability to earn money from a very young age so at 17 i had a good job and was renting an apartment in the centre of London. At 18 i bought the same apartment. Having bills around my neck at such a young age made sure i kept out of trouble and also made sure i was working hard, most of the time seven days a week. This went on for about 7 years. Only because my wife was a chef and worked all hours as well, we would never of managed a relationship. When i was about 24/25 i moved over to Dublin. I then started again. Working too long and too hard. People here couldn't work out what i was at. It took me a long time to get into the Irish way of living. But my god i am making up for it now.

What i am trying to say is that i did things too young when i should have been off flying around the world, but i am reasonably young enough still (39) to be able to catch up with what i missed. The people i meet now are missing out so much, but when they do get to where they want, i think they will be too old to enjoy what they have, the kids will have left home and they will not be able to enjoy them.
Also the amount of debt in this country is frightening. I sometimes think they will never get out of it. The mortgage rate here is at its lowest ever and people are up to their gills in debt. If the mortgage rate goes up they are in big trouble. Unemployment is at its lowest ever. This can all change tomorrow. What happens to the people with the big mortgage or the two car loans when they are out of work then?
Another point here is that the wife runs a creche, parents are paying a lot of money to have their children minded when both sets of parents go out to work. A few parents openly tell my wife that they are doing this so they can come out with a €100 at the end of the week (after paying for child care) because they really need the €100. So like you say, they see nothing of their children for five days a week and all for €100.
We are moving to ozz in a few months and if i dont bring the 3,2 and 1 sitting room furniture it means we can get all our stuff in a 20ft container, a young fella i work with is getting married and i asked him if he wanted the set (for nothing i might add) and he was insulted that i asked him. The set is less than 2 years old, leather and cost a small fortune. He told me everything has to be new in the house.
Two other girls are getting married i know and one of them said her wedding is costing over €20k, i was in shock and then she told me the other girls wedding is costing over €30k.
People now are not happy to make do. they want the very best and are not prepared to get by until they can afford it.
Nobody knows their neighbours anymore. I jokingly started saying a few years back that Ireland is getting more like England every day, and i think it is coming true. Nobody has any time any more, they all look to be doing great but are heavily in debt. Trying too hard to keep up with others.

Regarding Limerick, it is about 7 /8 years since i was down there, is it really that bad?? I had good times there. Made good friends there. I know it is different alright but is it really that bad???

P.S even had to agree with you about the degree thing. I studied my balls off for 2 and i can honnestly honestlynever got me a job and i have not seen the use of having them to be honest.

So after agreeing with you so much today i am off to have a good look in the mirror and find out what is going on.


edit, i forgot to say that i was talking to a fella who has a morgage 5 times his salary. He then explained that they will offer 10 times your salary. Also mortgages over 40 years are available.

Thank god i am getting past it,

BigDavyG

Agree with most of that.
Back home I would have needed to get a mortgage 7 times my salary to get something half decent, plus saved for about 2 years for a deposit - one reason why I left.

Your degree probably has helped you get your foot in the door for jobs - only because a lot of interviews are twats and will bin your application if no degree is listed, that said you probably learnt little in your degree that was actually of any use to you if it was anything like mine - its a shame, but all it is now is a piece of paper, nothing more, nothing less.

Enjoy oz, and as for limerick, the problem is all the bloody tinkers. Though I haven't been there for about 3 years you always had to be careful where you drunk - i guess if you were local you'd know where to avoid.
Also i stayed in the ryan hotel when last there and 4 floors were full of asylum seekers from shannon airport.

tucs

The Ryan Hotel, if its the one i am thinking of, it was new in the centre of the town, on a corner. It was only opened and a fella went lampy one night, i think it was a secirity guard and stabbed the chef to death. Its name was ruined before it started.
As for the degrees, my first was part of my apprenticeship, so i already had a job. When i moved to Ireland i started to study for my second just because everyone else seemed to be studying for one. As you said i learnt nothing from them. It just seems to show employers you have the ability to learn. But only having three employers, i feel they have done nothing for me.

take it easy big boy

BigDavyG

Maybe it wasn't the Ryan then - this one was just the otherside of the river from the main town as you head towards the airport - it a big 70's tower block style thing.
Their bread rolls were stale too - meant to be a 3 or 4 star though

Canada Bob

I really appreciate the feedback that you've all given me, I was close to looking elsewhere but the comments from SQ and others have put things into perspective for me.

I certainly wouldn't be telling anyone "how good it is in Old Blighty" if I thought it was any good ore here we wouldn't have hopped it to Canada in 1982, it's not easy for me to say, but I'm glad to get out of the place.

Yer right SQ saying that you reckon I could get along with folks most anywhere, I do like to get involved, and no matter where we've gone we have quickly made friends with the locals.

I like a pint {but I don't swim in it}, I like the banter in a pub more than the ale to be honest, I can live bowt ale, but I'd find it harder to live without the banter.

Here's the thing then, I note some folks have concerns about Limerick, so that's off the list, if nothing more than it being inland, I much prefer somewhere on the coast.

The shortlist for now {in no particular order} is Galway, Cork {even though I've been told it's a "Political Town "} ? then Wexford and Waterford, I'd appreciate pointers on these places. Am I missing anywhere off that you guys think I should take a look at ?

I really do appreciate the time and consideration you folks have afforded me, nothing like hearing from the folks who have "been there and done that".

Canada Bob.

Canada Bob

Thanks for the above comments Tucs, much appreciated, I've visited Ireland a good number of times in the last 40 years, never had a problem and enjoyed the place every time we went there. Salthill was one of my favourite places, but I haven't been there in a while, so I don't know if it's changed now or not.

I thrive on the "craic" Tucs, I'd hate to be in a place where I'd be better advised to keep me mouth shut, wouldn't do for me, and I like to tease the locals a bit :-) used to get away with murder in some of the roughest toughest bars in Buffalo NY, full of black guys, all of who would pass for Sonny Liston, but they never took offence at me winding them up, I think they were influenced by the Chippewa tribe {the local Natives at one time}, they say it brings bad luck to kill a lunatic :-)

Same thing in Quebec, spent 2 years there, and of all the anglophones who worked at the same place as me I seemed to be the only one who the locals would invite out fishing or just for a night out, even though I would wind them up much the same way, I reckon they could see the twinkle in me eye, I can't tell a tale without a semblance of a smile on me face, so I give myself away :-)

As you say, the craic is the thing, I love it, I'd go out me mind in 10 minutes in solitary confinement :-)

Might just jump in the car and head out there as early as next week, I think that Cork may be the first port of call... any of you guys out that way ?

Anyone want a bottle of Vimpto ? every time I've gone to Ireland someone or other has asked me "did you bring any Vimpto" ? what's that all about ? can't they buy it over there ???

Canada Bob.

Batty

Hi

There's been so much written here that I agree with. The 'new' Ireland is so different to what it was like growing up there that I just couldn't settle there at all when I went back in 99. In New Zealand now which is much more like Ireland used to be.

The village (tiny) where my family lives has had an influx of 'foreigners' over the last few years. People from Russia, a Muslim family, loads from the UK and the only problem the locals have are the 'gurriers' from Dublin LOL Seriously, if you're prepared to fit in and not be loud mouthed (the Irish hate that, from anyone, regardless of nationality) then you'll have no problems. Galway would be MY choice - it's a fantastic city and the countryside is so interesting around there. The people are a bit more 'real' too. Good luck - I think you'll get on just fine.

snowqueen

More info to consider re the above places. Galway gets a lot more rain, due to its location. Wexford and Waterford are in what is generally called the 'sunny south east'. (ie, it gets better weather than the rest of us!)

If you are looking at Cork, then Kinsale, just west of Cork is a lovely town. Great atmosphere, busy in summer but that's because it's fab! You are still close enough to Cork city too. Cobh (pronounced Cove) is also a particularly attractive and historical part of Cork city.

Blue Scotty Girl has recently moved to the Wexford area I think and she might be able to give you a lot more on that area than I could, as I only go down once or twice a year to visit friends.

If you are coming over, be sure to investigate the small towns just outside the big cities.There are so many pretty places, yet you still have access to the buzz without any of the hassle.

You could also investigate places like Sligo town and Westport in the Northwest. Stunning scenery. Donegal is more out of the way, but very beautiful too.

Take care
Snowqueen