Move from urban to rural (or vice versa)

I think Conor Lenihan made some noises recently about the percentages/distribution of non Irish nationals in certain areas in Dublin. Sorry, I can't be more specific
If you are going to make such accusations then it's surely incumbent upon you to back them up!
 
TBH I think a lot of country 'nosiness' is misinterpreted.

Of course there are nosy people everywhere - in fact the classic 'curtain twitching' image is to me an urban phenomenon!

I just think country people are more direct in their 'enquiries' - urban people will find out just as much about you but it tends to be more by suggestion and deduction etc.

Also, there are often practical reasons why country people seem concerned about the movements and habits of others - Mr X who is going on holiday for a week might also be the local coal delivery guy, or he might be a farmer which means a certain farming practice may not happen for a week or so ( I know farmers don't take many holidays but it's an example of how small things can affect the local community at large).

There is genuine curiosity too - confirmed rural dwellers who would never dream of living in a city can find it bemusing/interesting why a former apartment block devotee would want to live in the 'middle of nowhere'.

The pace of life is also noticeably slower - city people in country pubs can appear to be fidgety, restless or even shifty to locals. Their often louder voices can appear arrogant.

I suppose all this can lead to misunderstandings.

No offence to anyone intended - I'm just suggesting how things may be perceived!

I hope Miss Ribena's experiences are the exception - they certainly don't reflect my current lifestyle.

Another big country living plus for me is the amount of 'characters'. Don't even get me started on that one...
 
If you are going to make such accusations then it's surely incumbent upon you to back them up!

I wasn't making an accusation, I was simply saying I couldn't recall the precise details of the news story. I have done a quick search (Irish Times Monday 30th July 2007) and pasted it in below. If you read it, you will see that my recall was correct.

Lenihan highlights issues in integration


The Minister of State with responsibility for integration, Conor Lenihan, has expressed concern that some Dublin suburbs are becoming too concentrated with foreign nationals and that new steps are needed to create more sustainable communities, writes Carl O'Brien , Social Affairs Correspondent.
The high use of rent allowance in areas of Tallaght and west Dublin meant that any foreign nationals in receipt of rent allowance were renting in investor-owned housing estates and apartment complexes, he said.
He also warned that Irish parents were becoming increasingly concerned that their children would suffer from a lower standard of education in schools where there were large numbers of foreign national students.
When asked if there were signs of what US commentators called "white flight" - where white people move away from racially-mixed neighbourhoods - Mr Lenihan said: "There is a concentration of non-Irish nationals in particular areas. It's essentially driven by the rent subsidy scheme. We'll have to work with local authorities to address this."
He added: "There are also fears among Irish parents that their children are falling behind where the numbers of non-Irish students are particularly high. The fear is that Irish parents will just move on and take their kids elsewhere."
While foreign nationals will ultimately move from the rent subsidy scheme on to local authority housing lists, he said this could pose problems as Irish nationals compete with immigrants for housing. "It will be a big change and it will be a big issue with our own people. That will create its own tension," he said.
Mr Lenihan said the Government is examining a number of policy options to help address these issues, such as "subtle" changes in rent allowance and greater input from local authority social inclusion units to help ensure there is a social mix in neighbourhoods.
In the area of education, he said officials were looking at introducing common enrolment policies for schools to ensure individual schools cannot discriminate against non-Irish national students.
Separately, Mr Lenihan said the provision of English language courses aimed at foreign national adults will be a key plan in the Government integration strategy. One of the major failings of integration plans in other countries such as France was that second or third generations of immigrant families often did not know the language of their adoptive home.
He also said the Government will introduce citizenship ceremonies for immigrants who become naturalised. The concept could also involve young people when they turn 18.
 

I grew up in Dublin and then lived in a few European cities over the years. Recently moved back to Ireland to a VERY small village in Cork and so far so good. I love having a garden, albeit a small one, but no one lives over the backwall (there's a graveyard). I am a private person and don't want to make friends with neighbours as such but they are friendly and we pass the usual greetings with a friendly wave without getting nosey.
Two of my male neighbours are first to offer to help with lifting/carrying heavy stuff if they spot me at my car.
The peace and quiet is fantasic after working in Cork city during the week, there's no children hanging around corners, no anti-social behaviour, no screeching tyres, traffic noise...So a nice balance between city life and country life I think.
 
Oh dear, I didn't meant to paint a picture of out-and-out misery. It's just most of the posts were leaning in favour of villages and I just wanted to point out that it's not all sunshine and roses for everyone.

There are things that I have here that I'd never have back in town; the space to grow veggies and all kinds of gardening, the privacy, the type of house I have wouldn't be possible in town in either, the walks, cycling etc. etc. are all fab.

Maybe things are more cosmopolitan in other villages but I was not exaggerating about the restrictive list of activities available here (although I did think of bingo and ceomhaltas since). All the things Vanilla mentions are available but back in town, not in the village with the local village people.

The other thing is the roads - great for cycling on, not so great for commuting on. These are minor backroads that are poorly maintained, not gritted in winter, with too much traffic, driving too fast. I didn't realise how bad these road were until I had to drive them every day. I was used to what I though were bad roads but now look back at those with fond memories.

You can't have everything and eventhough I'm 70/30 in favour of town, I don't regret moving. I do plan to live in a bigger town again some day (if I could bear to leave my house & garden). It's a completely subjective question in any case and you won't know for sure what you really think about one or the other until you give it a try.

Rebecca