@stretchza Tough decision ahead, Andrew!
Re #1: you can find some good resources for finding well-rated schools at this link: http://irelandmoveclub.com/enrolling-child-school-ireland/
Re #2: there are a lot if commuter towns not far from Dublin. Plenty of room for labs 🙂 Let me know if you need help finding town suggestions.
Re #3: it's best not to kid yourself. It isn't easy. There are pros and cons to an irish move. The weather is almost certainly a con for most people.
Re #4: sorry, that one's over my head 🙂
Nice to see someone else who has an interest in GIS and is having success getting a position. It does worry me greatly as daily in the bay area there are dozens of GIS jobs posted where as in Ireland you might get 3/4 a week for the whole country.
If you care planing to move to Dublin, as Liam said, there are plenty of commuter towns around the city, some with access to public transportation so you may not even have to drive. The further out you go the cheaper it will get! If you go outside of Dublin you are more likely to get what you need for a better price.
I worry about the weather in regards to my husband who was born and raised in California. He has spent some pretty horrible vacations during the winter in Ireland so he has an idea of what he is in for. Have you and the kids visited Ireland for long periods? You can start thinking about activities that aren't weather dependent. My husband and I have just started this.
As for your last point, I think every Irish person both inside and outside of Ireland are thinking of the future of the Euro. We are pretty lucky though, in regards to increased taxation, we will probably break even when compared to California! And, maybe I am biased, but I think you can see where the money goes a little more.
Thanks for the comments Carol..No we haven't spent long periods. Last time the wife and I were there was in the mid 90's! for about a week. With the kids being older - they need to be entertained the same way we do..which makes it a bit easier. Yeah..I am worried about my wife too as she has always professed she wants to live somewhere where the sun shines all day every day...but sometimes we have to make compromise in out life..and If that means ploughing her time into a vegetable patch then that is what she will do as she is strong willed like that. We are planning on coming over for a final decision making look see visit at the end of the month...so we think that Ireland in Nov/Dec should give us a pretty good idea of the rainy winter!. Makes no mistake...I am sitting at my desk in Shorts and a t-shirt and despite the very much unseasonal snow fall we have just had in the mountains (snow in Summer in South Africa!) it is still going to be a solid 30 degrees day by the looks of things!
Definitely come over for a visit. Ireland has changed a lot since the 90's!! November/December are good months to come if you want to get a handle on weather, the days are shorter and it will be pretty cold. It will also give you a good feel of activities you can do. If you come in December you will see Ireland during Christmas time, everyone seems to be a bit happier and cheery.
You know what though (@soju4321 & @stretchza), Nov/Dec can be such a bad representation of what Ireland can be like. Those are usually bitter cold months, and it's not that bad throughout most of the rest of the year. As wet as it can be, it can be quite mild most of the year.
Andrew, as Carol said Ireland has changed immensely since the 90s. Mostly in good ways e.g. more multi-cultural, better roads, more dining choices etc. But if you're feeling an attraction based on something you experienced 15-20 years ago, it's a good idea to get a new feel for the country. Be sure to let us know how your visit goes.
@moveclubadmin..Nope, Its not about any attraction I had 20 years ago....more of looking at it from the perspective of a better future for me and the family. Certainly not an easy choice to make..but one that has to be made at some point in your life
hi! i am just back from 2 weeks in ireland with my husband. we looked into a few things for our move in between visiting everyone. i was wondering if anyone here bought a house to move to, or are you just renting? i learned that daft.ie doesn't have many rentals listed and that it really helps to know people and ask around. they seem to rent quick (in our village, anyway). we really wanted to buy a house, but it seems renting for a year is just easier to do (that means moving twice). any suggestions?
also, we tried to open a bank account while we were there. we were talking to the guy sitting next to us on the plane who said he has one and he sends his mother money to deposit into it. the banks want to see money coming in consistently for a mortgage, we learned. we wanted to get a head start. so we went with a letter from the pps office as proof of address, which the bank did not accept. they want a utility bill with your name on it. i think this is kind of a weird thing. you need a bank account to get a house and pay bills, but you need bills to get a bank account. i am finding more and more things like this as we go. once you're in, you're in, but there are a lot of hoops to jump through to get there.
Hi Susan,
Yes, that is a catch 22. The reasons they give for needing a utility bill are to reduce international money fraud. I think the banking requirements are EU-wide. It's certainly a pain and a hassle for people moving to Ireland for the first time. Some of them accept insurance documentation too, which might be easier/faster to get than a utility bill. I went through the same hassles, and was even told that my electric company 'welcome' letter would not work.
re:rentals - I hear they are harder and harder to come by. I've heard stories where people go through an 'interview' process, and they landlord selects the 'best' one. In the US, it all goes off credit checks, but it's not like that in Ireland.
It may be a blessing to rent for a while anyway, unless of course you really know where you want to live. Obviously moving twice is nobody's cup of tea, but you can feel a place out a lot better if you give yourself time.
Hope you had fun on the trip otherwise 🙂
thanks, liam! that is good to know!
we would be living in the village that my husband is from. we know it really well. there are a few houses i would definitely want to live in there, but we didn't win the lotto 😉 we had a great time. spent most of it running around visiting everyone. two weeks can go really fast!
@susan3 This article explains a little bit about what's going on in the Irish rental market
"1,000 rental homes now being sold each month"
www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-mortgages/1000-rental-homes-now-being-sold-each-month-34201627.html