Dreaming of moving to Ireland! Anyone else? Advice needed!

Hi all,

I am new here and am so happy I have found this forum. I am a 24 year old single female living in Toronto. I have been thinking of moving to Ireland as long as I can remember but everytime I thought about it, it gave me a headache! Where to begin?

I have been reading all the topics here and so far, I haven't seen that anyone lives there or wants to move there. Basically, I need to know what to do! How to start? I need to save money first and I am not sure how much I will need to go with. Anyone know the average cost per month to live there? Rent? Food? I am easy with work....right now, I work at the University of Toronto as an Awards Administrator. I have lots of admin experience. Also, I was thinking of going to Dublin but is there a better area to go to in Ireland rather than Dublin (which I believe is expensive?).

Don't really know what to ask right now but hopefully I will get more questions after reading responses here. I would be moving alone but if there's anyone who is also interested in moving there from Canada, I would be more than happy to join forces with you!

Nadia

Hello Nadia,
I guess the first question would be whether you are entitled to work/live in the ROI. In order to live and work there you need to qualify for a visa (spousal, fiancee...) or have a work permit.
I am sure you know this already but just for the record, The Republic of Ireland, where Dublin is, is not part of the UK. This means that the requirements to live there are different and seperate from Northern Ireland which is part of the UK. Here is a link to the Dept. of Foriegn Affairs in Ireland. It should answer some of the legal questions.
http://foreignaffairs.gov.ie/services/v ... lt.asp?m=s

I don't actually live in Ireland (I'm in Scotland) so I couldn't answer the other questions about cost of living, job availabilty and that type thing but this site is excellent for information like that:
http://www.amireland.com/move/movepage/overview.html

I don't know if you have been there at all but I really recommend a visit again even if you have. I think it helps to research the areas that seem interesting to you then go and stay in them and see what you think from a lifestyle point of view.
Good luck with whatever you do. Moving abroad is exciting but is also one of the hardest things you'll ever do, especially going it alone.
Michelle

Thanks so much for responding! Yes, I realize that Ireland is not part of the UK. I didn't see a forum for Ireland alone so I thought this would be the closest forum that applies.

Thank you for the websites. I know that as a Canadian, I don't need a visa to visit but yes, for working there I should look into that first.

I have never been to Ireland but what I was figuring was this...I can take a year long leave of absence from my job. So I thought of saving up, taking the leave of absence and going to Ireland. If it works out, I stay. If not, I come back to Toronto and I still have my old job. That way, I would be killing two birds with one stone instead of paying a whole lot of money just for a visit.

Thanks again for the websites, I will be sure to check them out. If you think of anything else, you can email me and post here again.

Ireland obviously has its own culture and "feel" but, as far as day to day life goes, you will find many similarities with the UK i.e. in many ways the differences between Canada and the UK will be the same as those between Canada and Ireland.

Before you make any firm plans, you should clearly establish whether you are likely to be eligible for any kind of visa - don't take it for granted you will be - and very often visas are more easily arranged while still in country of origin.

You may also want to consider Northern Ireland, in which case you should make enquiries through the British Consulate.

Dublin is insanely expensive. Rent anywhere near the city centre is going set you back at least 400 euro a month and you won't get much. I won't even tell you how a much a pint in Temple Bar costs. If you're looking for an urban area Cork, Galway or Belfast woud be more reasonable options. I live in Belfast. I share a two-bedroom flat near the city centre and pay £250/month. From my experience, Belfast is a good spot. It can be dodgy at times, but so can anywhere. If you have any more specific questions, I'll be happy to try and answer them.

hi there! i live in toronto too and have been considering moving to ireland as well!! i dont know where to start, i feel so clueless right now so maybe you could fill me in on some stuff you found out? write me back.. if you msn or yahoo maybe we could talk on there about it:)
shylah

If you look into whether you would qualify for the UK Ancestry Visa, then maybe you will find out, as I did, that you have a grandparent born either in Northern Ireland or Ireland, then you would be a citizen of Ireland and you would be able to live there and work there. That's my situation, but I am still in London and am being told NOT to go to Ireland, even though I have Irish citizenship. If you don't qualify for Irish citizenship, it can still be easier to find a job in Dublin than in London for a Canadian. The kinds of jobs that hire "just anybody," for that is what we are, "overseas," foreigners, aliens, whatever; are more plentiful in Dublin and harder to find in London. Also the competition is more fierce for those jobs in London.

Who's advising you not to go to Ireland?

[quote="Brenda"]Who's advising you not to go to Ireland?[/quote]

Good question, Ireland is lovely.

Nadia, Shylah, I am also looking to move to Ireland in April of 2005 email me and let's share notes.

k.