Living in Mayo vs Kilkenny vs Westmeath?

S

Sophia2457

Registered User
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Hi all
I'm going for jobs in each of the above counties in the next few months as self and hubby want to live a more rural life (escape to the country!).

We've had a dream for years of getting off our noisy estate of 240 houses but realise we have to make a big move to be able to afford it. We really don't want to keep commuting to Dublin.

Not saying I'll get any of these jobs but I have a chance, I hope :)

So what I'd like to ask is, if there's anyone on here living in any of these counties, could you give me your honest opinion?

We're both late forties, no kids and dream of a detached house with a little more than the pocket handkerchief of a garden we have at the moment.
All advice/info very welcome ~ thanks!
 
All 3 are pretty good counties. Mayo is more rural and relaxed I would imagine but still only an hour from Galway city which is a great spot. However it's twice as wet as kilkenny if you look at met eireann weather stats. This may be a factor for you.
nbc
 
Thanks, nbc
I do fancy Mayo and not that bothered about rain, tho the other two counties are nearer my very elderly parents. I like Kilkenny city but its a small county and not as cheap when it comes to houses, less for your money.
Anyway - it all depends on what job (if any) I get offered.

Anyone familiar with Westmeath?
 
If I had the chance I would be gone to live in Mayo tomorrow! They have acres of sandy beaches...great mountains... low population density. Top of my list would be Westport - closely followed by Newport. Castlebar suffers a bit from being that bit further inland but I wouldn't discount it either. My ideal scenario would be a rural setting on the fringes of any of these 3 places.
 
Hi Sophia
I can't answer for any county but Kilkenny; I love it there! There are some new developments being launched at €220k - and some excellent second hand properties available at that price also (I know this as my sister is currently looking for a home there.) It's a rural area with city status; full of culture and the arts. In an hour you can be at the beach, in 20 mins you can be in the mountains, in two hours you can be in Dublin. Employment is high, crime is low, and most of all.... it's the sunny south east! :D
hth
 
Thanks all!
Well, Mayo is out now anyway - got the letter for the interview appointment yeaterday and it's in 3 weeks while we out of the country on holiday, bringing a young relative - all booked and paid for, so I had to decline :( They can't change the date as it's a panel interview and all set up. Public service is not flexible on these things!

Westmeath is up next. I'm filling in the application form now, closing date is 7th July so I'll be back in time for the interview.

Kilkenny hasnt been advertised yet - just heard about it thru my sources. Thanks Ruth, for giving me an insight into living there - I'm looking for what your sister wants, rural living. We've lived long enough on an estate so no new developments for me!!!!

Extra plus is that I'm from Wexford so very near the parents :)

Fingers crossed something works out here - hubby off sick with stress and the estate is noisy morning noon and night - esp night with gangs of drunken lads...Summer is always worse.

Anyway, I'll take the first one offered!!! I ain't proud.
 
Sophia2457 said:
Fingers crossed something works out here - hubby off sick with stress and the estate is noisy morning noon and night - esp night with gangs of drunken lads...Summer is always worse.

Anyway, I'll take the first one offered!!! I ain't proud.
Click to expand...

Don't tell the estate agent that when selling up ;)
 
LOL
Dont worry, Sid, mum's the word!

Actually, it's a very 'sought-after' estate - houses go sale agreed within a week and we're always bombarded with leaflets from estate agents telling us they've loads of buyers lined up.

Just too many people packed in there and big green areas where all sorts can happen at night.

The going rate for a semi-d there is about €350,000 +

It's a strange world :)
 
Sophia2457 said:
LOL


The going rate for a semi-d there is about €350,000 +

It's a strange world :)
Click to expand...

Wow, that's phenomenal value, where can you buy these houses?
I didnt think you'd get anything that cheap in Dublin!!
 
Hi Newkid
It's not strictly Dublin, its Bray.

Actually, there are one or two for sale at the mo - I'll check what they're asking and let you know. A lot of people have built extensions or done attic conversions so the prices vary, I'll see what the original bog-standard, unvarnished (like ours) is going for.

They're nice houses - tiny gardens but not everyon's a gardener. watch this space :)
 
Can't really fill you in with regards Mayo or Kilkenny. Any time I have been down in Kilkenny, I've enjoyed it and would love to live there myself. But that's probably the issue, for me, work. And even if I did get a job, the amount of opportunity I would reckon is still limited. So unless I struck gold in that I found a job I was happy to stay with indefinitely, it limits me.

That's where Westmeath comes in. I'm the opposite to you in that I currently live not too far away from Bray, Dun Laoghaire direction but grew up in Westmeath. There are some good things and some bad things. Not exactly the most scenic part of the country and not always the friendliest but it is reasonably close to Dublin and that's a significant advantage to you.

Reason being, it's close to Dublin and Dublin, as much as the dreaded commute can get you down, does provide the best source of employment. There's good rail links that seem to be improving all the time, as well as buses and the new by-pass has cut a lot of time off the driving. So if you do end up getting work in the county, you're safe in the knowledge that if all else fails, you will probably get work in the city without having to move again.

Best thing you can do is jump in a car and go down there if you haven't already. Check out a few areas and see what you think yourself. It should help make you mind up. With the M50 fully open and the M4 motorway fully open, you should do the journey in 80 mins or so.
 
Thanks, Nosferatu (love the handle BTW)

I think your suggestion of visiting is excellent and that's what I intend to do. If I get the job its permanent and pensionable, so that just leaves finding work for the hubby, and he's willing to take on anything - security, painting/decorating, taxi - anything to pay the bills. I'm the main wage-earner and I'm happy so long as we like where we live and can earn a crust.

80 mins from Dublin isn't bad - and on to Wexford would be another hour and a quarter - so vey doable for visiting parents.
Thanks!!

Newkid - I stand corrected and flabbergasted. I checked out the going price for our estate with local estate agent who has sold a lot (and lives on the estate) and it's €550,000!!!!!!!!!!!

I last had the house valued in early 2004 at €320,000 and obviously have been living in cloud cuckoo land since as I had NO idea prices had gone so crazy.

I bought the house from plans in 1995 for 72,500 (pounds that is).

Wow! The housing market is insane - no way our 2 1/2 bed semi-d is worth that!

Sorry for misleading you..it's been an eye-opener.
 
How about Athlone in Co. Westmeath? I come from there and I'd love to move back. The town has really bloomed over the last ten years or so. It has great shopping, pubs, restaurants, etc. There's a big new town centre currently under construction. There are great sports facilities like Gyms, Golf, etc. If you have any interest in watersports or boating then you have the lake & river on your doorstep. The house prices have shot up over the last few years but there are still great bargains to be had outside the town. My friends just bought a big 4 bed bungalow on half an acre for €380K. It needs modernisation but it's a fine house. There is also plenty of employment opportunities in the area with public sector jobs also an option. Go down for a weekend and see what you think....
 
Hi Dino
Have to say Athlone looks really nice, and something like your friend's house is just what we're looking for :)

BUT, rang to see if my job application had arrived safely only to be told that the interviews will probably be held before I get back from hols!!!
AGAIN!!

Somebody up there has it in for me...

All I can do is hope they have trouble getting an interview panel together in a hurry at this time of the year. It's just not fair.

Oh well, Kilkenny is due to be advertised in September, tho there's already someone acting in that position. Not a nice way to get a new job, with a big dagger sticking in your back.

I'll keep you updated and thanks to all for the feedback.
 
Sophia2457 said:
Thanks, Nosferatu (love the handle BTW)

I think your suggestion of visiting is excellent and that's what I intend to do. If I get the job its permanent and pensionable, so that just leaves finding work for the hubby, and he's willing to take on anything - security, painting/decorating, taxi - anything to pay the bills. I'm the main wage-earner and I'm happy so long as we like where we live and can earn a crust.

80 mins from Dublin isn't bad - and on to Wexford would be another hour and a quarter - so vey doable for visiting parents.
Thanks!!

Newkid - I stand corrected and flabbergasted. I checked out the going price for our estate with local estate agent who has sold a lot (and lives on the estate) and it's €550,000!!!!!!!!!!!

I last had the house valued in early 2004 at €320,000 and obviously have been living in cloud cuckoo land since as I had NO idea prices had gone so crazy.

I bought the house from plans in 1995 for 72,500 (pounds that is).

Wow! The housing market is insane - no way our 2 1/2 bed semi-d is worth that!

Sorry for misleading you..it's been an eye-opener.
Click to expand...

If you've definitely decided your going and have no kids,i'd sell the house now regardless and rent till you get the job you want !.
 
Thanks for the commiserations, guys!

Thewatcher - there's nothing I'd love more than to sell now, but we have financial committments in the form of elderly parents and there's always the bills to pay, so we can't take that chance. It'd all eat into the money we'd get from our present house and leave us with less available cash to buy a new one.
Besides, my type of job doesnt come up very often so I can't take the risk :(

Tarquin - well done to Dublin CC for having some sense. This type of inflexibility should have gone out with the ark. Imagine the great staff they're missing out on (ie me!)
 
Hi,

I moved back down to Kilkenny from Dublin after living in Dub for the past 6 years! I got such a suprise! I had always been a little bit snobbish in my view that once I went to Dublin I was never coming back but my quality of life is so much better at the moment! I live in a rural area but it's under a ten min drive into the city! I can actually walk home and it's the same as it use to take me to walk from city centre to Kimmage! That's the advantage of it being so small. There are loads of great pubs, good food, theatre, comedy, music, gyms, shopping etc there is actually something to do every night but on a smaller scale obviously!
The down side is that property prices are quite high, like every where I suppose but it certainly isn't as cheap as neighbouring counties or other "country" areas. There are also some traffic problems at peak times but no where near as bad as Dublin.
As well as this over the past ten years Kilkenny has seen a huge increase in the number of people from other counties/countries who have moved here so it should be easy enough to meet people in similar positions!
It's under two hours to drive to Dublin, less on train and bus is 2 1/2 hours.
I realise I'm giving KK a bit of a glowing review here, so do keep in mind that I'm "a native" so haven't really experienced it from an outsider's perspective!
 
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