1 British Mom, SA Dad and 2 British kids
Rather than tell our entire story I thought how we came to living where we are and our decision-making processes.
We started putting feelers out around 2014-2015 about immigrating. Originally the plan was Australia where my family live in a teeny town in SW Australia and in Perth, but with our ages counting against us on points, and it all being just to scary on a 1-year work permit. We then looked at UK spousal visa (even though my husband and I had lived in the UK 7 years in the 90’s-2000’s, owned property there etc.) going back was now different and the previous Indefinite Leave to Remain for my husband had now expired.
Someone mentioned Ireland… and suddenly everything clicked into place. I started off watching simple YouTube videos about Ireland in the evenings. Instead of TV I was watching YouTube!
Along the way the kid’s British passports were approved and we researched to death the whole EU treaty process. We looked at schooling, medical and all the other parts and were satisfied we were making the right move. Ireland in some ways reminded us of the SW of England or Wales to some degree. I had never been to Ireland; my husband had been to Dublin a long time before. We were taking a big chance, but it felt right!
Where to live? Having come from Pietermaritzburg, we knew the big city of Dublin wasn’t for us. Cork originally also seemed a bit big. But we did a virtual travel through Donegal, Galway, Waterford, Wexford and realised Cork was our answer.
I used to open the following browsers during my search, and flipped between the open tabs on my laptop. No point doing this on a phone!:
- YouTube - looking for videos on the area
- Daft.ie - looking at the cost of rentals
- Jobs.ie - looking at availability of work
- Google Maps - looking from street view (did many a virtual drive through hills and valleys and through towns and looking at the scenery)
Let me start by saying that no matter where I looked, I was never disappointed by the look of Ireland. It was always what we wanted. Amazing natural beauty! The towns looked at first, well run down. And in a way they kind of are. When I think London, I think graffiti and hustle and bustle and noise and chaos. When I think of rural England, I think of picture-perfect villages, as my English Grandmother would say “Chocolate box cottages.” Ireland seemed to have scars. It seemed to have a story.
And that was the next thing I started researching, the History of Ireland: occupation, civil war, the Troubles, independence… all of it! I was (still am) amazed by the story of Ireland. And being a British South African I did wonder how I would be accepted here. (let me put fears aside as I say that, the Irish are amazingly forgiving. When your time comes to make Irish friends and you start talking about the history, wow! The Grace in which these people handled their past and how they are fiercely patriotic… hmmm… South Africa you have a role-model to learn from!) Growing up in the 70's and 80's in South Africa we received filtered news about Ireland in the Troubles, though the Uk and SA news broadcasters. It has been interesting on reflection how that filtering created an opinion which thankfully I have now lost.
Aesthetically, a country that gets so much rain leads to its name the Emerald Isle. The grass, the trees, the hills… all green! The variations of green is astounding. But also, think where there is water there is also moss and mould. Yes, more modern well heated homes don’t suffer mould easily if at all, but yes, some of the older homes unless they have been treated, they can suffer mould. Apparently, if the concrete from the 50-70’s is removed from the outside from some of the old old old cottages and the original lime is replaced, the building then breathes again, and the mould disappears. Also, on the outside the buildings everywhere look streaky from a black mould that forms from continuous rain down the walls. Most modern homes can be washed down with a pressure washer, older homes that concrete may come off in chunks.
Anyway, I digress, but there is the reason it looked a little less sparkly brand new, say compare to Perth Australia which is a pristine city. Ireland is NOT Perth! But bear this in mind when looking at homes. Look up BER ratings (heat insulation) and whether a home has single or double glazing, gas/ oil or electric heating. These things will make a huge difference in the cost of running a home in Ireland and how that home retains heat and keeps dry.
So, my travels around Ireland I started making a list of what we wanted, and I encourage you to do your list and what matters to you. This was our thinking:
- Big city/ small town/ village or completely rural will be your first question!
- Near the sea vs inland- a biggie for us as I LOVE the sea. I love the mountains more but let’s be honest I won’t find the Drakensberg here! so I'll have the sea thanks!
- Good transport network close to a city- train/ bus/ main roads or are you happy to budget for 2 cars and drive everywhere?
- Schools and supermarkets nearby, or does that not matter, you dont mind standing in the rain with 6 shopping bags waiting for a bus or you’re happy to drive
- Good availability/variety of work or do you work from home? As long as there is internet you can work from home?
- Do I like the smell of the farms or do i prefer the varied smells of a city? or the fresh smell of sea air? (countryside at Slurry spraying time... well... don't say I didn't warn you!)
The Geography of Ireland HERE
Transport network Ireland HERE
Schools and Children HERE
Other things to consider, the accents. You may laugh, but the Cork accent is one hell of an accent to understand! Go google the Accents, as many counties as there are in Ireland there are more accents! Do not even get me started on the Kerry/ Clare or West Cork accents! And do not forget the West of Galway is Gaeltacht where people speak more Irish than English. Where the rest of the country is 99% English speaking, there are pockets of some of the other counties that are Gaelic speaking.
The Weather- the west and south of the country get significantly more wind and rain. In winter when the big storms roll in for days, its always the west and south that gets most beaten. The East is more sheltered. But the central and northern parts are generally colder by a few degrees, they may get more snow or ice more frequently.
But this is YOUR journey and you need to work those factors out for yourself. Make your list! Imagine I said to you where would you recommend you live in South Africa... think how that list would include and exclude certain parts in your thinking and why. One step at a time and many hours of research will be well worth the investment! There are people as happy as us all over this amazing country who will sing the praises as equally as I would over their county of choice.
#rebelcounty #realcapital I am in LOVE with Cork!!! And very proudly have been called my close Irish friends as O’Paine ???? they may be saying OH! Paine! But either is true!
My Favourite video about Ireland HERE! yes, click!
Important links:
#MapMyMove- Our coaching Services - Confused or lost and need some direction, book a session with us to help untangle the confusion and work out your route of immigration
Finding a home: Buying property
BLOG: Areas- What the Saffas say - Comments from our Facebook page on what towns, cities, villages and counties are like
BLOG: Rentals and How to find one from an ex Agent in Ireland
BLOG: Housing crisis in Ireland, what is this about?
BLOG: How we decided where to live - Tips and tools to investigate what it's like in the various areas of Ireland
BLOG: What is the climate/weather like around Ireland?
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