Accommodation

One of the biggest problems of living in Ireland is expensive accommodation. Renting an apartment or a house can be from 1,200 euro upwards (www.daft.ie is a very reliable housing website). We came across trustworthy landlords and we were very happy with the houses we stayed in. Agreements are transparent and adhered to by both the landlord and the person renting.

Cost of Living in Ireland

The cost of living in Ireland is seen as quite high compared to other European countries but compares reasonably with that of Romania. Everything from clothes, shoes, perfumes and 80% of food prices are lower in Ireland.

One of the challenges, when living in Ireland, was that we had a habit of converting prices from euro to our own currency, at first everything seemed outrageously expensive but we soon realised after the conversions were done that we could actually purchase more and our money was going further.

Irish people

What we loved most about living in Ireland was the people. Irish are friendly and willing to help everybody with smiles. We lived in the suburbs and soon got to know lots of people and Irish habits. It was common to greet people as you pass by on the street, with a simple “Hello” or “Lovely Day” and usually a reference to the weather was made!

We also learnt about the “craic”, the pub culture and about socialising. A pub is a place where you go with your family to have a nice meal, where you bring your Mum on Mother’s Day and also a lively place where you meet your friends in the evening. I like to call it a home away from home.

The Weather

Weather is always included in conversation in Ireland. This country does not have the greatest weather in Europe but the air is so fresh and clear! Highest temperatures during summer will reach 24 degrees and it often rains a lot. However, winter never gets too cold because of Ireland’s position along the gulf stream with lowest temperatures of 3 degrees at its coldest. Resulting in the beautiful green grass and plants grow in Ireland all year around.

Travel within Europe

With one of the largest aviation industries and it’s quite close to other European countries which is easy to travel within Europe. I remember how crazy the idea of travelling to the Canary Islands in January sounded to me back then and how natural it then became. Living in Ireland made me understand that you can have many breaks during the year making it easy to spend a weekend or taking longer holidays around European countries. Having this on our doorstep allowed us to travel more and made me realise that the more you travel the more you discover yourself and learn new things.

There are direct flights from Romania to the Dublin airport 4 times a week and prices are reasonable if you book in advance.

We made a “grand” decision of moving and living in Ireland. We knew that we could adapt anywhere and we were not afraid of any new adventures. We hope to pass this confidence to other people who are not sure they could make it.

April 2019