trice_ie

hi chicken lady

i'm originally from clare and i'd def recommend it for what you're looking for. not to be biased but really it is one of the best places in the world (as long as you can cope with rural life). Ennis is the main town and most places in the county are max 40 mins from there so you're not too far from the shopping and urban ish life

In regards to expensiveness then these are probably the cheaper parts of the country . If you have any specific wuestions just shout i will do my best to help

Pye

I have had the same problem. I came to Ireland 3 years ago not expecting anything like it. Some people who insulted me had the cheek to dress up their anti British attitude by telling me they were only joking despite carrying on. Making comments at my Irish partner to the tune of "Sleeping with the enemy huh!" as if I'd come to invade. Then there's the simple out and out "Now I hope you know about our history" type people, who think you're a child who needs educating. To which follows a lot of Brit bashing and "but you're ok" crap.

I find it very hurtful, like a thorn in the side of an otherwise beautiful place.

That said, these people are usually in the minority and as I'm an outspoken person I tell them directly that their comments offend me and give me the impression that they are an intolerant person who hangs onto a past he probably wasn't alive to see.

Many Irish people are not like this and accept English people without any problems at all. Despite the odd eejit who comes along thinking he's clever, I've found my home here and thoroughly enjoy it. Ireland is a beautiful country (shame about the lack of snakes) and I have fell in love with the nature here. I rehabilitate sick wild animals and travel around the country watching wildlife. I've been to more counties than many of my Irish friends and eventually I'd like to have seen native wildlife in all of them! =)

Jock04

Pye
I don't doubt you (& the other poster) have met a few small-minded morons who dwell on times past. Very much a minority though.
Remember too, there are plenty places you can go in the UK and find anti-Irish feelings, still.
Every country has a few who are wrapped up in old stories. Don't let them get you down. The best defence is to have a great life & make loads of friends amongst the majority of very decent people.

Pye

I intend to Jock don't worry. I do recognise that these are only the few and the same can be said for those you speak of in the UK (although I'm from Manchester and have never witnessed it there, I'm sure it does happen elsewhere).

That said those types don't usually bother me for long. Off they go with all the other ignoramuses as I get on with my life.

moppet30

Well it was so bad for my husband at work that we had to leave and it has left a very very bad taste in our mouths about the Irish I'm afraid. My husband was subjected to being called a Tan Ba#$?&* on a daily basis and had to put up with constant jibes from people he worked with. The company where unwilling to deal with it despite my husband making a formal complaint to HR so we left and now live in Hong Kong. After what happened to us over a 5 year period was so bad that we would never set foot in Ireland again for any reason.

We lived in Ennis area Co Clare

Pye

I'm so sorry Moppet. That company should be reported for allowing racism like that. I've friends in Ennis and am there now and then but didn't know people could be that bad up there. Maybe it was just that area. I totally understand your problem although I've not had it so bad by any means.

How's Hong Kong? I'd love to go there at some point. =)

moppet30

We could of taken them to court over it and they knew it but it would of been a long drawn out affair and we just wanted to move on with our lives.

How's Paddy Quinns? same as ever i imagine

Hong Kong is great thanks and has been the best thing that could of happened to us, so i guess everything turned out in the end.

Have a good one

Pye

You should phone Pat Kenny from Hong Kong and give 'em some stick! I'm a born moaner though. Can't count how many times I've had to hide the phone when listening to the radio. There are some infuriating a-holes about.

Paddy Quinns... Not been there much, I usually go up to me mates house and hang about there. Unless someone's got a gig on, and no one'll give him a gig round there any more. Probably 'cause it isn't trad. =D

Glad Hong Kong is treating you well. Does everyone speak English there or do you learn Cantonese (or whatever they speak there)?

spaino

I am sorry to hear some people have been having problems with Ireland, I am from the North and am British but I have always found the 'Southerners' to be OK. Our family has a connection to English relatives 'one of which lives here now and works in the south quite a bit' but he has not experianced any problems with being English. Anyone English I know that visit the south or have moved there actually raves about the place but it is a small island that has areas that are set back in time, like some of the people, in fact that is one of the things I liked about my visits to the coastal areas of the south 'the back in time, not interferred with by modern method feel'.

I visited Hong Kong the year before it was handed back to the Chinese. We stayed at the Gold Coast and so most nights took a ferry back to our Hotel, one night the ferry had a problem and the last one was cancelled. The only other people that where left in the waiting area when they made this announcment where a young chinese couple, he asked in good English where we where going and to cut a long story short we split a taxi to Kowloon and then we got a train and bus the rest of the way to the Gold Coast. The girl had never been out of Hong Kong as far as I understood from here boyfriend and wouldn't even acknowledge our attempts at trying to comunicate to her, she wouldn't sit beside either of us either, (Extream shyness or ignorance, who knows?), he studied in the US hence his openess I guess.
On another occassion I went up to a bus driver to ask directions, as I asked my question he 'slammed' the bus window shut and got back to reading whatever it was he was reading. We where of course tourists and we like to venture into the more local areas of places we visit, at many times we felt we where just garbage in the way of these peoples daily life, some others where helpful but in general we felt we where unwanted. We found a lot of people including Chinese that spoke English but that is when it was British, I wonder has it changed that much since it was handed back?

I knew a few people who lived there back in the British days and they loved the place.

BTW, We took a visit to Macau for the day and found it amazing, you felt that you where in Portugal, Portugese archtecture, licence plates but Chinese people and signs, very strange feeling but seemed like a great place, I think this was handed back by the Portugese around the same time as Hong Kong?

Sorry to rant on off topic

Pye

I do love Ireland and will probably stay here for the rest of my days. Fortunately like I said, I've not received much hassle for being English at all, just as I said, the odd irritating moment. I guess my reason for mentioning it is just to have it out there. I'm sure like many of my Irish friends, people in Ireland will help to stamp out these few who let their country down.

Strange that you had that kind of trouble in Hong Kong. Maybe it was the time as you said, I'm not really sure whether people in Hong Kong are happy about belonging to China or not. Hopefully this was merely connected to the whole goings on and isn't present any longer.

Grace O Malley

Hi Pye

Am also sorry to hear that you have had some problems. I am Irish, born in Connemara, my mother, grandmother and great grandmother born there also. i left Ireland when i was young as my dad got a job in the UK . I live in the middle east now and whenever I go home the locals are always at me, they call me a traitor, blow in. blow back and plastic paddy. Are you sure they are doing it just to wind you as this is why they do it to me, the irish are known to "rise" you. Anyway give them as good as they give you and they will respect you for sticking up for yourself.

I have lots of friends at home who are not Irish and have settled in. yes it does take a while to settle but they love it now.

Anyway you hang in there and enjoy. Obviously i dont know how old you are but it you plan to stay in Ireland for your retirement its the best country in Europe to retire to.

Jock04

That's good advice from Anacarna.

The Irish love a good wind-up, and they also have great time for someone who'll stand up for themselves. Give as good as you get, but take it all with a pinch of salt. Remember, they'll slag each other off too, one county against another. The Galway- Mayo slagging can be fierce, but slagging is all it is.

Incidentally, Anacarna......I'm going to take a wld guess here & say you're Ana from Carna?

Just outside Spiddal here. And it's still lashing!

Grace O Malley

Hey Jock04

Yes the wind is feirce and if you are not used to it, or raised with it you could think it was serious?

Annacarna my user name. am from the capital of connemara??

R u originally from Spiddal? Is your water sorted out yet.

It was all bottled when i was there in July although i wasnt drinking much water

Did you go to the races this year?

God its always raining in Connemara, and the west in general, you cant have it all i suppose, beautiful scenery, gorgeous women......

Jock04

Hi Ana
The capital of Connemara, eh?
Well, according to Grainne Seoighe, Spiddal was the D4 of Connemara!
I'm not from here originally, but blew in a good few years ago now.
The Galway water thing - actually, Spiddal was outside of that area, but I never drink the tap water anyway.
Only went to one day of the races, getting there & back is too much hassle.

Yeah, it was a real wet summer, although Sept. was pretty good. Was supposed to be good this week too, but for the first time ever, they got the forecast wrong.

But Connemara is indeed a great place to live.
Where are you these days?

Miss Eck

Hi Ana ... I get the same things said to me! and it is worse cos I married an English man

You summed it up Jock ... a lot of it is teasing!!!

Pye ... Unfortunately there are some narrow-minded folk that have a hatred for the English but being Irish and living in London/UK, you sometimes face the same sort of 'racisim'. Just let it go over your head if you can