# Moving down the country, anyone made the move?



## terrysgirl33 (12 Jun 2006)

Hi all, just thinking things through at the moment, and looking for anyones advice??? 

We currently live in Dublin, and may think about a move down the country in the future, but as far as I can see it would cost us much more to live down the country? The house prices on myhome.ie for the area I was looking at are the same as our house in Dublin, so no saving there and lots of moving costs to be paid. It would probably mean having to get a second car, and would mean having to drive everywhere instead of having dublin bus on the doorstep. I can't see groceries or other things being cheaper. 

So, am I missing something here? Anyone any advice to share? If we moved down the country we would be earning less money, so that's why I'm asking about costs...


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## rkeane (12 Jun 2006)

I would think that the main reason to move away from Dublin is to get away from the traffic jams and the crime.  I know housing used to be cheaper and probably is depending on where you are considering moving to, but there are obviously other things to factor in.  Like you say a second car is probably a must and my sister had to reconsider her move away because of that very reason.  But a second car wont cost you that mucyh in the long run.  Insurance is cheaper and you cna get a second hand car for very little.  I think you should consider the quality of life you will be moving to if you can afford it.  But remember, there are more opportunities in Dublin (careerwise) than any other part of the country.  If things dont work out, you may be trapped there for a bit longer than you would like.


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## sloggi (12 Jun 2006)

I'm moving myself but as i'm from "down the country" i go home a lot, know the value (socailly)of living there and am itching to get back!  for a start i'm looking forward to getting home from work earlier than 7pm even if i do work till 6!  i will miss certain things about Dublin but depending on where you go to, there are obvious savings to be made.....if its financial savings as opposed to better quality life you are looking for!  A round of drinks costs less for a sart!  dont know about car insurance being too much cheaper....you're car value is the same in the west as dublin if you wrote if off...true maybe crime rates are higher in the big smoke.  As for house prices.....would want to move far enough out of dublin to get out of the comuter belt.  I have bought a 4 bed detached property with garage in the west for €245K.  doubt you'd get that here...but its in a pretty rural location, so we're not talking big lights of a small town here!  Car is essential, but then have you every tried to get to the beach on a sunny day in dublin, to me car is essentail here too, but i could be just lazy!!  

I spent the first week of the sunny weather we're having in the west, by the beach, sipping a bulmers and wishing i didn't have to do the 8 weeks i've left in dublin to do!  might be the best move you make!!


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## brian.mobile (13 Jun 2006)

I love it when someone else's plan comes together. Best of luck with the move. I think in time many more will engage a personal decentralisation.

BM


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## DrMoriarty (13 Jun 2006)

As this is not really about any particular location (location, location...), but rather about a Dublin _vs._ rest-of-Ireland lifestyle choice, I've moved it over to _Shooting the Breeze_.

I'm from Dublin, but living in Limerick (city), and I find life is quite a bit cheaper and a lot less stressful. 

_(Go on, someone ...crack the obvious joke!)_


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## Purple (14 Jun 2006)

DrMoriarty said:
			
		

> As this is not really about any particular location (location, location...), but rather about a Dublin _vs._ rest-of-Ireland lifestyle choice, I've moved it over to _Shooting the Breeze_.
> 
> I'm from Dublin, but living in Limerick (city), and I find life is quite a bit cheaper and a lot less stressful.
> 
> _(Go on, someone ...crack the obvious joke!)_


No, I like Limerick it's so easy to get around....everything seems to be just a knife's throw from the city centre.


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## Ron Burgundy (14 Jun 2006)

i am from the country and needs must i moved to dublin, i lived there for 10 years and every second i wanted out. i now live in laois and couldn't be happier.

i found it hard to find one reason to stay in dublin, i'm 45 mins now from the city centre and living in dublin it often took my longer to get there than that.

as above the level or crime was something i hated, i never wanted to leave my car anywhere.

not to mention the price of everything.

its the best move i ever made getting out of dublin and my family still live an hour away from me so close to family is not an angle i look at.


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## decembersal (14 Jun 2006)

I have read with interest the replies to Terrysgirls post. I was wondering do any of you who have moved to the country miss your friends and family, and have you found you are welcomed into the new community?


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## Pavlik (14 Jun 2006)

decembersal said:
			
		

> I have read with interest the replies to Terrysgirls post. I was wondering do any of you who have moved to the country miss your friends and family, and have you found you are welcomed into the new community?



This "down the country" business is incredibly silly. "Down the country" includes Navan, Glencolumbcille, Ring and Cork City. However, it does not include Skerries or Lusk. Surely Cork, for example, is not *that* much of a culture shock for the cosmopolitan Dub?


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## Dearg Doom (14 Jun 2006)

I too have a strong dislike of the term 'down the country' or the general reference to 'the coutry' vs. 'the city' as if there was only one of each. I have moved 'out of Dublin' to be nearer friends and family and now have a life style that I prefer, but it's horses for courses.


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## DrMoriarty (14 Jun 2006)

decembersal said:
			
		

> I was wondering do any of you who have moved to the country miss your friends and family, and have you found you are welcomed into the new community?


I reckon I probably see nearly as much of them as I would if I were living in Dublin — which on my salary would probably mean 20 or 30 miles outside Dublin, anyway...

We have young kids, and they make it a lot easier to meet people/make friends/become 'integrated' into the community. I even suspect that my children's children's children's children will probably not really be considered 'blow-ins' in Limerick..! 

Personally I don't mind being considered a blow-in. I moved around so much as a child — including abroad — that I don't feel any particularly strong attachment to any one place — in fact, 13 years in Limerick is the longest I've ever lived in one place! There are a (very) few things that I miss about Dublin, but moving from it has definitely given us a better quality of life than we would have if we had stayed there.


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## CCOVICH (14 Jun 2006)

I don't think there is anything wrong with the term 'down the country' being from deep in the woods myself.


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## MissRibena (14 Jun 2006)

I have lived "down the country" all my life and while I love the benefits of a city, I really don't think I could cope with the lack of space and privacy involved in living in one.  One thing I'd love to be in a city for is all the social events; like concerts, lectures, exhibitions, sporting events etc.  People might say "oh it's only 2 hours" or whatever but it never is when you actually want to go to something.   A trip to an art gallery turns into a major event.  And it's getting worse and worse.  If you go to those kinds of things, depending on where you are thinking of moving to, be prepared to drastically reduce you attendance.

Rebecca


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## ZEGAR (14 Jun 2006)

Purple said:
			
		

> No, I like Limerick it's so easy to get around....everything seems to be just a knife's throw from the city centre.


.


    Vary good...


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## Henny Penny (14 Jun 2006)

We moved to the countryside about 5.5 years ago. I am true blue but MrHP was a native of the area. There are many advantages, but there are a lot of downsides too. Here are a few.
Pros
1. No traffic ... or at least none worth mentioning.
2. Better value houses ... you get what you pay for ... but the choice is more limited.
3. Slower pace of life ... 
4. Sense of community ... better opportunity to get involved on a local level in voluntary work.
5. The mixture of housing is better ... rich and poor ... no ghettos.
6. There are many excellent theatres in the country that host travelling companies at a fraction of the cost of Dublin ticket prices.

Cons
1. Roads are bad
2. You need to drive everywhere unless you live in a town ... there is no public transport.
3. When the weather is bad it's very hard to find something to do. The weather in Dublin is significantly better than the rest of the country ... and definately not as rainy.
4. Getting to/from the airport has to be added onto any flights ... and without public transport you will need your car.
5. Sports are limited. If you have a particular interest in a sport it may not be available locally.
6. You know what you're missing coming from Dublin ... and there will always be a suspicion about your presence in a rural area.
Good luck whatever you decide.

HP


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## mobileme (14 Jun 2006)

Pavlik said:
			
		

> This "down the country" business is incredibly silly. "Down the country" includes Navan, Glencolumbcille, Ring and Cork City. However, it does not include Skerries or Lusk. Surely Cork, for example, is not *that* much of a culture shock for the cosmopolitan Dub?


 
I'm currently selling a house that is in a village in the "country" but is 30 mins by motorway to the airport...alot more accessible than some areas on the southside. We sale agreed with a young couple of FTBs from Dublin and they put their deposit down. Couple of days later, estate agent asked us if they could come to the house again as they wanted to show it to her parents. Mammy and Daddy decided that it was waaayyy too far out and they pulled out of the sale the next day. Some people just don't want to see beyond their back yard I reckon.


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## Ron Burgundy (14 Jun 2006)

Henny Penny said:
			
		

> Cons
> 1. Roads are bad
> 2. You need to drive everywhere unless you live in a town ... there is no public transport.
> 3. When the weather is bad it's very hard to find something to do. The weather in Dublin is significantly better than the rest of the country ... and definately not as rainy.
> ...


 
1. Sorry but dublin roads are no better and speed bumps are a pain in the ass

2. agreed, but there are parts of dublin with little or no public transport either

3. something to do, golf courses all over the place, must regional towns have librarys etc.

4. once again transport to the airport is ok if your anywhere near a train station, same time table as public transport in dublin.

5. depends on the sport, i have tennis, golf, bowls, rugby, soccer, gaa, swimming, slydiving within 10 mins of my house.

6. oh and we all hate the jackeens down the country 

the above is my view as someone from the county who lived in dublin for 10 years.


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## CCOVICH (14 Jun 2006)

Ron Burgundy said:
			
		

> 1. Sorry but dublin roads are no better and speed bumps are a pain in the ass.


 
Seconded-the roads in Dublin are awful. It seems that when developers/communications providers dig up a road, there is no obligation (or at least it is not policed) for them to fill it in level.

Speed bumps are a different matter and generally a good idea in residential areas,

However on a recent trip to 'God's Country', some of the road from Churchill to Gweedore was a real treat.


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## Ron Burgundy (14 Jun 2006)

i meant to add the point about the esb/gas/ntl digging up the roads on a weekly basis,

there is an excuse in the midlands, bog, the road just sinks and there is nothing that can be done over time. in dublin is rubbish planning between these lot.


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## Purple (14 Jun 2006)

The good thing about country folk moving to dublin is that they will be near their other 14 brothers and sisters who have moved up here and priced the locals out of the market


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## Guest127 (14 Jun 2006)

dont know what is classed as 'down the country' Suspect darkest  Dundalk is not on the list. as for sports clubs,facilities etc
1 municipal swimming pool/gym, 2 seperate privately owned swimming pool/gyms, 3 swimming pools attached to hotels and probably a fourth with the opening of the crown plaza hotel shortly. 
dog track
first all weather ( including evening under floodlights) horse racing course in the country
5 golf clubs within 20 mins 
lots of soccer and gaelic and rugby clubs
badminton hall
indoor soccer dome with 10 pitches
full indoor ice skating rink opening shortly
3 Dunnes, 2 Tescos,1 Superquinn
3 shopping centres with new village outlet due next year
10 mins Newry, 1 hour Belfast, 50 Mins Dublin airport ( excluding parking unfortunately) 75 Mins Aldergrove Airport. 
Swop with Dublin? No Way. but to be fair 99.9% of Dubs wouldn't come up this way either.


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## Teabag (14 Jun 2006)

From the west. Lived in Dublin for 5 years. Some good years but glad to leave and come west again even though I am still 1.5 hours from home village.
IMHO, the quality of life outside Dublin is considerably better all things considered. It stresses me having to even go back to Dublin for a visit !


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## SarahMc (14 Jun 2006)

For families with children, on balance I think "down the country" wins

1.  It may be a gross generalisation, but in my experience there isn't to competition to acquire like in Dublin.  Probably down to lots of reasons such as less large new developments with large groups of same age people, less dual income families etc.  Birthday parties are still jelly and ice-cream, trampolines are rare etc.
2.  Children from all economic and social backgrounds mix, as was said earlier there isn't the ghettoisation (sp) you can find in Dublin, and they all attend the same school.
3.  Children can walk/cycle to and from school.
4.  Its becoming rarer, but children still have more freedom outside Dublin.  "come home when you're bleeding or hungry"  can still be heard as children are shoved out the door when the sun is shining.


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## Purple (15 Jun 2006)

We looked at moving to the countryside of Kildare a few years ago. I also spend a lot of time in Wexford. One of the main reasons for not moving was that our children would be trapped in the house, as the roads are too dangerous to walk on. I wouldn’t feel safe as an adult walking on them. 
The other reason is that both Ms Purple and I are from Dublin and are lucky enough to love in the area we both grew up in. As a result there is a strong sense of community that we would not get in a dormer town in the midlands.
Where I live I am 20 minutes from the Wicklow Mountains, 25 minutes from the sea and 20-30 minutes from the city centre, with good public transport. I am a 5-minute walk from a large park that has tennis courts, playgrounds, duck ponds, coffee shops, a formal garden, etc.
My eight year old can walk to the shop and walk to his grand parents house.
I work on the other side of the city but it only takes 20-35 minutes each way around that excellent road, the M50.
If Dublin wasn’t a good place to live it wouldn’t be so expensive.


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## Teabag (15 Jun 2006)

Purple said:
			
		

> If Dublin wasn’t a good place to live it wouldn’t be so expensive.



That's a naive statement Purple if you dont mind me saying so. I only moved to Dublin for employment. It is the largest city and therefore offered the widest choice and highest salaries for my field of work in mid 1990s. I am limited in my job opportunities now because I live in the west. Its the price I have to pay for a better quality of life. I would earn a lot more living in Dublin (It would cost more too though). The only reason I would ever move to Dublin again is for employment even though I'd prefer Cork and Limerick first.

The vikings wouldn't live there now !


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## DrMoriarty (15 Jun 2006)

Purple said:
			
		

> 20 minutes from the Wicklow Mountains, 25 minutes from the sea and 20-30 minutes from the city centre, [...] 20-35 minutes each way [from the Southside to the Northside via] that excellent road, the M50...


In the middle of the night, maybe — or do you have a helicopter, Purple?


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## Berlin (15 Jun 2006)

Just thought I'd point out that there is more than one airport in this country and some which are far easier to negotiate than Dublin.


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## MissRibena (15 Jun 2006)

I'd second that about the airport.  Only if every other option fails, would I consider using Dublin airport.  I was at home in my house in less than an hour from the time the wheels touched the ground the last time I flew into Knock.  No wait for baggage, no journey to the carpark (shorter walk than the supermarket), no traffic home.  I had my doubts before I tried it but I'm a complete convert now.  There are lots of package holidays going from there now as well as the growing number of scheduled flights.  

I live less than 100 miles from Dublin but it's easier for me to get to events in London than it is to those in Dublin.

Rebecca


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## Purple (15 Jun 2006)

DrMoriarty said:
			
		

> In the middle of the night, maybe — or do you have a helicopter, Purple?


 No, a car. Times are off peak. During rush hour the mountains are still 20 minutes but getting to the sea might take  35 minutes. I start work at 7.45am and leave for home at around 6.00pm.


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## Guest127 (16 Jun 2006)

purple:
surprised nobody picked you up about being lucky enough to love in an area you both grew up in. most of the rest of us have to make do with bedrooms ( if we're lucky)


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## Grizzly (16 Jun 2006)

It's strange, but I live less than 5 minutes from the sea here in Dublin but only get to visit it once a month or so. The Dublin mountains are 5 minutes the other side of me and likewise only visit them once every so often. I have several cinemas, bowling alley, racecourse, golf, a choice of shopping centres, sports complexes, restaurants, take outs, trendy pubs, music venues, beside the DART and bus lanes yet I seldom use all of the above facilities. When I go to the airport I nip across the toll bridge, up Collins Avenue in no time or use the Aircoach on my doorstep if it's not raining. Yet, I am off to Sligo next week for a quick break and to west Cork in July for another break and can't wait to get there. Strange.


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## Purple (16 Jun 2006)

cuchulainn said:
			
		

> purple:
> surprised nobody picked you up about being lucky enough to love in an area you both grew up in. most of the rest of us have to make do with bedrooms ( if we're lucky)


That's why we have so many children


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## tallpaul (16 Jun 2006)

Purple said:
			
		

> I work on the other side of the city but it only takes 20-35 minutes each way around that excellent road, the M50.


 
Ahem... I've heard the M50 called a lot of things but 'excellent' isn't one of them...

I am however terribly envious that you live where you grew up. It is option that most people now growing up in Dublin will never be able to experience. The irony is that those living in non-Dublin locations can still probably afford to live in their locality but leave to come to Dublin for work...


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## larry1 (16 Jun 2006)

Ron Burgundy said:
			
		

> 1. Sorry but dublin roads are no better and speed bumps are a pain in the ass
> 
> 2. agreed, but there are parts of dublin with little or no public transport either
> 
> ...


 
Ahh go on, your only bitter cos your house is only worth 25% of the value of us Dub's houses


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## Ron Burgundy (16 Jun 2006)

larry1 said:
			
		

> Ahh go on, your only bitter cos your house is only worth 25% of the value of us Dub's houses


 
well i got mine for free so i'm ahead anyway , plus my mortgage is in the low 3 figures


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## Bamhan (16 Jun 2006)

I've lived in Dublin, Waterford, Cork and Limerick City, currently live in Cork county and commute to Limerick city daily.

There are pros and copns to living anywhere but for me I think city living is ideal when you are young and have no children, or older and have no children but factor in children and I feel it is a much easier life in a rural location.
Persoanally I would hate to live in any city with small children.

When you talk about down the country I think it is only useful to compare rural and city living.

Living in the suburbs of Cork city in my opinion would not be all that different to living in a Dublin suburb.


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## Betsy Og (27 Jun 2006)

Lived in Dublin and enjoyed it but it was never really a runner in the long term as:

1) Quality of Life - traffic & general hassle
2) Price of houses. Built mine in the last few years, a house I wouldnt see for decades if I'd stayed in Dublin. Fair enough it wouldnt sell for as much either but I aint selling ..... ever, so I get to enjoy a fine house with a low 3 figure mortgage.

Am in the general Limerick area but rural setting. Not my home place but not much over an hour from it and not "culturally" any different.

Careerwise I dont think I've lost out much, same type of job, fair enough it pays less than Dublin- though not hugely less - but the costs are way less so definitely financially better off.

So weigh up the loss in earnings with the money savings in terms of mortgage costs, and then factor in the big quality of life benefits.

The best bits of Dublin are always available at weekends if you want - I never did much on "school" nights anyway. Now I like going up there now and again.


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## Purple (27 Jun 2006)

Bamhan said:
			
		

> Persoanally I would hate to live in any city with small children.


 For us this was a major factor in not moving out of the 'burbs. In a rural setting children are prisoners in their own homes as the roads are so dangerous. I spent all of my summer holidays as a child in a rural setting but the roads are so dangerous now that I woudln't go for a walk on them, let alone allow my children out on them. I a town or city, or a village, children can walk to their friends house.
I was also concerned about them driving when they are older as country roads are so much more dangerous and public dransport is not a real option in many areas so even if my children were not drink driving they may be in a car with someone who was.

I agree with your point that it is more an issue of urban V rural than Dublin V "down the country". I also think that location in Dubli is a very important factor for quality or life.


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## Betsy Og (28 Jun 2006)

I wouldnt get obsessed with the dangerous country roads issue. It all depends. Particularly if you are off the national routes then there isnt a very high danger - I dont recall rural pedestrian deaths ever being spoken of as a big issue. 

You do get quite a few 1 car accidents at 2am Saturday & Sunday mornings but driver speed and/or intoxication are the big things here.

Normally country roads are so quiet that its easy for pedestrians and cyclists to hear approaching traffic.


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## gearoidmm (28 Jun 2006)

Purple,

I have to agree with you and stand up for Dublin a little bit.  I've lived here for the past 6 years with one year of a break in Waterford.  I hated living in Waterford and had a real feeling of coming home when I moved back to Dublin.  I'll probably have to move again in a few years because of the job and I'm dreading leaving Dublin.

We don't own our own house so we aren't restricted to living in the outskirts iof the city.  We have a great apartment in Ranelagh that we never want to leave with fantastic restaurants, pubs, parks etc on our doorstep.  Like you said, the Dublin mountains and the Sea are only minutes away and if you want to go down to visit the folks, the roads are improving all the time (it's now only 3 hours to West Limerick).

Even something as small as the quality of the take-away food available drove us mad in Waterford - all you could get was pizza and poor chinese and Indian food.  There was nothing to do except go out drinking in the pub and we were living on an estate for the first time in our lives so you couldn't really walk anywhere.

I think people have a jaundiced view of Dublin because of the obsession with property ownership with its attendent long commutes.  You don't have to buy.  There are plenty of really nice rentals in every part of Dublin for reasonable rents.  Unless you feel that you have to but, you can pretty much live next to your workplace, no matter where that is.


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## Tarquin (12 Jul 2006)

I have


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