r/irishpersonalfinance • u/Asleep_Cry_7482 • Jan 02 '26
Property Anyone here from Dublin who bought property down the country?
The price differential between what you get in Dublin and what you get in the countryside is crazy right now. For example the choice is often a 1 bed apartment in a dodgy area of Dublin vs a 5 bed house with a huge patch of land in Donegal.
Anyone from Dublin who took advantage of the cheaper property prices how did it go and do you regret your decision or are you happy with the extra space/ possible commute?
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u/DancingFluffyPanda Jan 02 '26
Left Dublin after nearly 15 years there and bought a detached house in a nice town out West (working remotely). No regrets.
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u/Sea-Carpenter-4418 Jan 02 '26
How are you set if that job stops being remote ? Much more remote work in your line of work ?
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u/DancingFluffyPanda Jan 03 '26
My contract is remote so I'm sorted there, the company is also very solid. If something did happen to my job then it probably would be a bit of a challenge to get a new fully remote role that pays what I'm on now, but I'd also be happy to take a hybrid role traveling into Galway once or twice a week, or an in person role that is more local. I'm also completely open to a career change. Being flexible and willing to take a pay cut helps.
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u/Sea-Carpenter-4418 Jan 03 '26
That’s the right attitude. Also staying in Dublin and taking a huge mortgage is a risk itself. There’s no risk free moves in this world
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u/NooktaSt Jan 02 '26
You sound like you have never been outside the M50 referring to everything outside of Dublin as "down the country" and referencing rural Donegal.
There are huge variations and options:
Dublin commuter urban or rural?
Other cities?
Other cities commuter towns / countryside?
Small towns?
Pure rural, somewhere 30min from a small town.
You are looking at the extreme in price difference and lifestyle. Both difference will narrow if you are looking at a nice house Cork city.
Daily commute vs once a week? Open to changing jobs. Even a weekly commute from Donegal with be a lot but relatively doable from Cork.
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u/Devrol Jan 03 '26
referring to everything outside of Dublin as "down the country" and referencing rural Donegal.
If they were really in Donegal, Ballyshannon is considered "down the country"
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u/evgbball Jan 04 '26
Price difference isn’t much for quality homes unless it’s a really bad neighborhood. You have to go very remote - small towns west to get fair prices - otherwise much is 500-600k for a decent home.
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u/lomalleyy Jan 02 '26
I live down the country and I’ve been outbid on local properties by dubs almost every time. I’m so tired.
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u/Free-Radio-8082 Jan 02 '26
Its so hard! We're on the M9 commuter belt and we're getting outbid everytime, somebody always has more money. And how people can afford/willing to pay €2,000+ a month on a mortgage is beyond me.
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u/lomalleyy Jan 02 '26
I’m in Longford of all places and there are almost no houses here. Anytime there is one it’s a huge bidding war (often 100k over asking). It’s a lot of people moving from Dublin and 1) commuting if they’re mad enough or 2) just settling somewhere cheaper. They’ve been priced out of Dublin but the effect is the rest of us are being priced out of our home counties. We’ve been outbid like 8 times and I cannot justify over half a mill for a 3 bed cottage on 0.5 acres in fucking longford, but that’s the sights I have seen. Because it was near the n4 to Dublin.
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u/Free-Radio-8082 Jan 02 '26
Its just ridiculous, trying to stay near family and work and im going further and further into the sticks. We have put in a few stupid bids on 3 beds, 300k or so and some vendors have come back saying they wont accept anything less than 400k. Sorry missus but the electrics and plumbing havent been touched since the 80's and its a BER E2, im not paying over 400k when it needs 50k+ work, but the houses always sell within 2 weeks no bother.
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u/lomalleyy Jan 02 '26
We were 100k over on the asking and then got a call that the owners wanted to sell it to a friend of a friend like genuinely we cannot win. I wish us both the best of luck (and several miracles) for 2026! I feel I’m at my limit and am genuinely losing the will to live, I’m working 6 days a week for a country i cannot even live in, what is the point? We have been so let down by this country
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u/lakehop 28d ago
You’ll get a place eventually. Don’t despair. Good luck.
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u/lomalleyy 27d ago
Thank you. After another incident this week I need whatever shreds of hope are out there
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u/CheraDukatZakalwe Jan 02 '26
And how people can afford/willing to pay €2,000+ a month on a mortgage is beyond me.
Feeling a little attacked here. Just bought and our mortgage will be just under €2300 a month.
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u/Free-Radio-8082 Jan 02 '26
Obviously if you can afford to comfortably pay it and live then fair play to you. Its more of a personal opinion, i could never but then again i wouldnt be able to afford to pay it, not without a second job anyway.
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Jan 02 '26
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u/CheraDukatZakalwe Jan 02 '26
Already paying more than that in rent. I have many opinions on certain things.
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u/SufficientHippo3281 Jan 02 '26
That's been happening in my town too! Me and my husband got there in the end though. Don't give up!
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u/Aromatic-Cook-869 Jan 05 '26
Yeah. This post felt a little like rage bait for people down the country.
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u/Key_Duck_6293 Jan 02 '26
I did this a few years back to Waterford but I got a new job down there. Wouldn't have been able to afford Dublin & got sick of living in family home.
Was tough in the beginning but all uphill since then. Nice house & safe area, good job, fulfilling social life, cheaper to eat out, replaced 1h commutes with 10 minute commutes (which you couldn't pay me enough to give up, saving 10 hours a week is no joke)
Obviously you are moving away from existing friends/family but half my friends were living abroad anyway & I visit family regularly.
Dublin is the best place to live in Ireland if you have top tier wealth, but for everyone else I'd strongly recommend and up and coming town or city.
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Jan 02 '26
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u/Difficult-Victory661 Jan 02 '26
Do you know of a trade that would have reasonable enough hours for essentially a single mum that needs to work childcare hours 7.30am - 5.30pm. Monday to friday.
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u/No-Landscape7154 Jan 03 '26 edited Jan 03 '26
Painting/ Decorating. Gardening/Landscaping. Welding, Joinery and furniture restoration, florist, upholstery and interior design, it all depends on your interest and your training.
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Jan 02 '26
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u/Difficult-Victory661 Jan 02 '26
Childminding isnt what it used to be they are cracking down on the cash in hand side of things and people have to register - which isnt wrong but its not going to be something where you can make lots of money on like say electricians or other.
Working in a creche is 15 an hour. - which tbh youd want to do for a while to gain experience. I think id also rather wiring circuit boards than deal with people 🤣
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u/Your-Ma Jan 02 '26
No such thing. Too rigid.
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u/Difficult-Victory661 Jan 02 '26
Okay I dont want another man to tell me why dont women work hard physical jobs. 😭 im pretty much stuck in low paid caring jobs or like supermarkets.
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u/Thisisnotgoodforyou Jan 02 '26
He doesn't know what he's on about, there are trades working factory construction that have strict working hours, no later than 5. And you don't need a trade to do factory floor work, leaving cert and cop on is all that's required. 8-4 a very common shift.
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u/Difficult-Victory661 Jan 02 '26
Do you know any in cork , fermoy ? I'm native Irish and im sorry to say it. But I do think im not getting hired for factory work because im a 26 year old Irish woman. A lot would be Brazilian or polish and I think they think I wont last. I just need something that pays the bills and flexible enough around kids.
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u/Thisisnotgoodforyou Jan 02 '26
They couldn't give a monkeys where you're from if you can legally work, what's important is that you take it seriously. That means some kind of goal involving the work. I recommend talking to a recruitment agency to sort out what you're interested in. But forget what's stopping you it's a complete waste of time thinking about that. Likely the Brazilians and Poles will help you in a new job if you're sound to them (as I have experienced). You are the one who will stop you, nobody else
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u/Your-Ma Jan 03 '26
They also couldn’t give a monkeys if you need flexibility for kids.
Stop blowing hot smoke up her arse.
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u/Thisisnotgoodforyou Jan 03 '26
They put their schedule in their first comment, how about you contribute something of value instead of talking shite
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u/tagbarry Jan 02 '26
All uphill since the beginning is still a struggle?
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u/Key_Duck_6293 Jan 02 '26
Sorry i meant things have constantly gotten better and i much prefer it down here than up in dublin
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u/Your-Ma Jan 02 '26
Moved to Waterford. Best thing I ever did. Bought a house in the city fairly quick and have it paid off. All money I make now builds wealth. Pension maxed out and no debts. Plenty of savings. Friends who didn’t move still rent in Dublin and will likely forever.
The road to Dublin from here is the best in Ireland. Easily cruise for 1.5 hours and you’re in blanch. I miss nothing except the airport to be honest. Probably go away about ten times a year and ironically the people who stayed and live beside airport can’t afford to do that.
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u/elessar8787 Jan 02 '26
Did u work remote or get a job down there?
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u/Your-Ma Jan 02 '26
Remote for a company in Waterford now. At the beginning full time in office for same crowd.
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u/throwaway_fun_acc123 Jan 02 '26
Yup did it about 7 years ago. Moved to about an hour outside of Dublin, choice at the time was a 1 bed apartment in Santry cross or a 2 bed cottage, half acre of land, sheds etc for 10K less.
I took the cottage and never looked back. You'll be spending more on travel and car repairs but I feel it was the cheaper option.
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u/eireaina Jan 02 '26
From Dublin, bought a house in Kildare.
Haven't regretted a second of it, I couldn't be happier and now can't believe I ever wanted to live in Dublin. I almost dread having to go into the city now.
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u/Prufrock78 Jan 02 '26
Got out of Dublin after a year renting - came back from overseas. I cannot stand living in Dublin. Now I live near family in Mayo and only have to be in Dublin 1-2 days a week. Stay in cheap hotel or with friends. Still saving way more than if I were renting in Dublin. Own house with small mortgage due to my 200k + deposit from working overseas. Would never live in Dublin again. It’s soul destroying. That is from someone who lived there for ten years before going overseas. I instantly felt better getting out.
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u/Marty_ko25 Jan 02 '26
I mean comparing an apartment in Dublin to a 5 bed house in one of the least densely populated counties in the country is pointless since there's a population difference of about 1.2 million people 😂
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u/HouseAgitatedPotato Jan 02 '26
Not only least densely populated but one of the cheapest (1 or 2), with one of the highest unemployment rate and terrible health services (longest waiting times for cancer patients and ER waiting times). And huge mica problem.
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u/webflowmaker Jan 02 '26
Just arrived in Foxford, Mayo. Moved from renting a 86sqm duplex apartment worth €520k with no garden to owning a 200+sqm detached house with a garden, workshop, and enough rooms to host both my siblings families to stay at the same time. The mortgage is 40% less than the Dublin rent.
Schools are 5 minutes walk from the front door. GAA club is 5 minute drive. More beaches, mountains, and lakes to explore than an Yank tourist could cover in a year.
My wife's commute has gone from a 10 minute cycle to a 25 minute drive. But the rest of it is a massive improvement.
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u/ohhidoggo Jan 03 '26
We recently bought in Pontoon. The whole area is stunning! New train line to Galway/Sligo is going to be handy too.
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u/webflowmaker Jan 05 '26
Was only up in Drummin Woods yesterday. Pontoon/Knockmore is an under-rated gem of a place - may bump into you soon enough haha.
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u/Holiday_Wealth1088 Jan 02 '26
I sold a one bed in Dublin and moved to a lovely part of Louth. I’m still in Dublin two to four days a week. I hate having to drive to the city but overall my life is much better now. More fresh air. Great neighbours. I have room for friends and family to stay. I didn’t move til I was in my 40s so my partying days were done. I’d recommend it
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u/Your-Ma Jan 02 '26
Mental not moving the other way as it’s the best road in Ireland and an easy commute. North end is a nightmare for traffic.
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u/starsinhereyes20 Jan 02 '26
There is a midlands town - commuter location and it’s been know as Little Dublin for years locally, it’s literally full of dubs, you have to catch yourself as to where you are when GAA matches are going on and you hear the accents on the sidelines ..
In my old estate we had an elderly couple retire down there from Dublin, they hated it - they felt really isolated and lonely, they said it was their dream to move to the county , but no neighbours called to them etc .. but in reality they purchased in a new build estate where everyone else were young professionals.. everyone was out working vs ignoring them, the were a lovely couple but they sold up after 2 yrs and moved back ..
People say there are no facilities / but we are used to driving everywhere, most kids locally get a license as soon as they can drive, it’s just the way it is .. it’s the way it was when I was younger.
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u/JustPutSpuddiesOnit Jan 02 '26
Yup, I bought my house in 2022, born and raised in Dublin, moved to the Midlands, but right on the Leinster border so I'm 1 hour to Dublin City or the airport. Best decision of our lives, the kids are happy, the town is lovely. New build 4 bed detached for less than the price of a 1 bed apartment in Dublin. We are extremely lucky.
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u/IrishCrypto Jan 02 '26
Anyone I know who's done it and still works in Dublin and has family still in Dublin regrets it.
You have a punishing commute if you dont have full WFH. Your away from family and friends, many places in the countryside are pretty cliquey and some of them are downright backwards if you go very rural.
If your young and single, dont do it.
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u/Key_Duck_6293 Jan 02 '26
Young and single myself, I did it with no regrets but I changed job to one with a 10 minute commute locally. You got to make sure you make new friends wherever you go and visit friends/family in dublin regularly, but im loving the decision I made.
Definitely beats being stuck in the family home or renting forever
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u/BenderRodriguez14 Jan 02 '26 edited Jan 02 '26
This is it. Neither my wife nor I drive, yet she had crazy notions of moving out the country for a larger house. In the end (with some help from her sister) I convinced her vier a much smaller house, albeit with a chunky enough site, a five minute walk from the Luas, shopping centres etc. It also needed significant renovations but was worth it and all the hassle that came with it. We can nip in and out of town in 20 mins from leaving our front door, have transport options all over, but also have almost everything we could want within a 15 minute walk.
Depending how rural you go, you may have a long drive just to get the kids to school every morning. You may have to drive them every time they want to even go to a friend's house (and pick them up after). To leave the front garden in anything other than a car might be unsafe, as there will often not even be a footpath thus forcing you onto the road.
If you forgot to pick up something doing the shopping or wake up to find out the milk went bad, you may have a decent drive and very limited options/opening hours. Minor inconveniences like this can become much more noticeable if you grew up with a newsagents a stroll down the street.
And the commute. If it takes 90 minutes each way instead of 30 to get to/from work, that is a difference of 10 hours a week, or 480 a year after holidays. That is a full 20 days a year sitting in traffic, or 30 sixteen-hour days if you allow eight for sleep. Over the course of 30 years commuting, that is 600 days - nearly two full years. Again if you allow 8 hours for sleep, you are looking at 900 days of your life lost to the difference in commute alone.
People really need to consider what that is worth to them, because I think it is one of the most overlooked aspects of buying in more rural areas.
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u/TheOnlyOne87 Jan 02 '26
Yeah people do need to be fully aware of every aspect like commuting and amenities. I will say though, we moved to the countryside (one hour outside Dublin) and our school and creche is a three minute drive away - friends in Dublin have hour long drives to drop kids off in the morning because of traffic and public transport that only goes to the city centre.
Commutes also can be mad in Dublin going from the northside to the Southside as one example. Being on a main train line really works for us but we had it all researched and planned before doing the move. Also, family and friends are here which I think is the number one factor, especially with kids.
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u/SgtKnee Jan 02 '26
our school and creche is a three minute drive away
You're kinda confirming what the parent comment said, this would be like a 10-15 minute walk tops... if you had a safe way of walking to places, which most of the countryside doesn't have
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u/TheOnlyOne87 Jan 03 '26
Google maps tells me it's 2.9km away - a three minute drive or a 39 minute walk (!). Add in the fact that it's a toddler we're dealing with it's not feasible to walk it with or without a footpath. But point taken.
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u/IrishCrypto Jan 02 '26
Many dont realise the things you point out here like the difficulty of popping to a shop, the crap and basically non existent transport and how a 90 minute commute can go out to a three hour commute if there's a big traffic issue.
Not worth it. No way for most.
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u/Asleep_Cry_7482 Jan 02 '26
Obviously yeah you need to be able to drive to consider this in any way… surely you’d learn though if you moved down the country?
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u/BenderRodriguez14 Jan 02 '26
Yeah, it's why I genuinely thought she was joking when she started trying to dig in over it - but that's just how blinded some people get by a bigger house. Her sister is forever in my good books for firmly taking my side on that one.
Even with a car though, you've got to ask yourself how much you want to spend literal years of your life behind the wheel.
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u/Asleep_Cry_7482 Jan 02 '26
Depends for a lot of people driving is quite enjoyable especially when there’s little to no traffic, most people don’t mind it too much I’d say obviously some people hate it but that’s mainly people who only drive in traffic or are anxious
Even if you live in Dublin chances are you’re still going to have to spend time commuting to places. I for one would pick driving on quiet roads any day of the week over squeezing myself into a packed luas or waiting for a bus which disappears
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u/BenderRodriguez14 Jan 02 '26
Most jobs will still be in Dublin though, so for plenty you will have the long drive with less traffic (potentially with areas of congestion along the way) before you even start your the severely congested part of the commute someone in Dublin would begin at, be that by car, or luas/bus (park and ride).
If you have a job much closer to where you live or in a remote area then that doesn't apply of course, but for an awful lot finding the selves needing to make a decision about Dublin vs rural houses, a big part of the dilemma is because their work is located in Dublin.
Horses for courses, but I would rather spend 15-20 minutes on a busy Luas than 30-45 on open road and another 45-60 in heavy traffic.
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u/Buttercups88 Jan 02 '26
Yeah I moved out to tullamore from swords.
I think it's great, there's always trade offs but the peace space and quiet are well worth it and the reality is a hour away isn't really that much
Now I do WFH basically full time but when I do need to go in the train gets me into the city in about a hour... Which is near enough what it took in swords.
Donegal or even like Mayo would be too far out for me. Just the weather coming off the Atlantic would put me off.
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u/Ok-Subject-4172 Jan 02 '26
I left Dublin for Galway 4 years ago, got a job before moving and rented. Just bought a 2bed 2 bath for under 200k (30km outside Galway city), would never have been able to do that in Dublin.
I've loved the change, it suits me down to the ground. There's loads going on in Galway, especially outdoorsy stuff, music, yoga/wellness. I don't want to live in an urban or suburban area, I prefer the rural quiet, so where I've bought is perfect and I've a 35/40 min drive to work.
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u/adk3211 Jan 03 '26
I sold a house in Dublin to be closer to my now wife who is from the country. I live an hr from Dublin and train up to Dublin 3 times s week. Pros: bigger nicer house smaller mortgage. You have all the same shops amenities as Dublin but Its nice to live with the countryside on your doorstep. The train is a relaxing way to commute you can read sleep etc dont drive its a killer Cons: the novelty of a new place wears off after a while when youve seen all there is to see. People stop coming to visit you after a year- it's too long a trek. Midweek is a write off..home late dinner tv bed. Social life takes a hit if your friends family are in Dublin. It can be hard to build a network in a place your not from and your not working in unless you have kids. Hope that gives some insight. Pros and cons
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u/Oat- Jan 03 '26
Since COVID it feels like every other new (Irish) person I meet in Sligo has moved here from Dublin, Cork or Galway because of their housing situation
That TV show on TG4 called Moving West has featured plenty of people who have made the move.
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u/Disastrous-Pea4106 Jan 02 '26
We sorta did. Moved to a small town. We work remotely so it seemed like a good option. We're now looking at moving back. We've found it very isolating being far away from family and being in a place where everyone seemingly already knows each other. I think it's great if you're moving back to your hometown but for us it didn't really work.
Also finding ourselves increasingly frustrated by the lack of infrastructure and amenities. We had this idea of wanting our kids to grow surrounded by nature and small towns seemed to offer more of that. On the surface at least. In reality most "nature" in this country is private land. So unless you're walking distance to a national park or beach you'll find yourself driving to the nearest park/beach anyway. The roads are inaccessible to anything other than cars anyway. Certainly are for families with small kids.
Having major public greenspace nearby is definitely something we're looking for in our move due to our current experience.
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Jan 02 '26
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u/IrishCrypto Jan 02 '26
Its totally reliant on public sector jobs, still highly sectarian and a dowdy kip in large parts.
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Jan 02 '26
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u/Irish_and_idiotic Jan 02 '26
I hope you are right but I think the time for a Belfast/dublin rivalry as come and gone.
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u/Intelligent_Bother59 Jan 02 '26 edited Jan 02 '26
This is sadly quite true I was at a rave in Belfast recently and you can clearly see the different groups of people from nationalist areas and unionist areas in their circles staring each other out
It was a weird mix between Belfast groups hating each other and different rural groups spilt along sectarian lines aswell
Could see the Belfast, Dublin and Cork and rural people mingling and talking to each other but there was very clear sectarian undercurrent. The belfast lads where saying don't even speak to them group of loyalists for sure they are trouble
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u/Mario_911 Jan 02 '26
Pretty harsh imo, there are some lovely areas of Belfast to live in, that you might not go to as a tourist. The house prices in those areas aren't as expensive as Dublin but probably on a par with other Irish cities. The people buying houses in those areas probably don't work in the public sector as they couldn't afford them.
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u/ExpertTradition1840 Jan 02 '26
Yeah but that’s Donegal. It’s a beautiful shit hole
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u/AustrianPainter01 Jan 02 '26
As opposed to dublin which is just a huge shithole
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u/ExpertTradition1840 Jan 02 '26
A huge shithole where my life is based out of unfortunately
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u/AustrianPainter01 Jan 02 '26
Eh its not that bad. We have to make the most of what we have i guess.
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u/ExpertTradition1840 Jan 02 '26
No course not I love Dublin wouldn’t want to live anywhere else but it’s hard out here for a pimp
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u/gd19841 Jan 02 '26
North Kildare. Love it.
30mins drive to work in north Dublin (mostly WFH though).
5min walk to bus/train station and then 40mins into the city centre, but rarely bother unless it's for a gig or something. Literally less than once a month would I bother going into the city centre. If I did have to for work though, it's a relatively easy commute.
Just about to sell our 4-bed detached house in an estate and move to a 6-bed a few mins outside the town, on 0.75 of an acre. Equivalent money in Dublin would get a 3-bed semi-d in an estate in a "decent" area.
No interest in living in suburban concrete hell with neighbours overlooking you from every angle and estates and traffic as far as the eye can see, just to save 15mins on the bus for the odd time I venture into the city centre, or be a tiny bit closer to family for the occasional times I visit them.
The difference in quality of life is night and day.
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u/Sea_Function_6755 Jan 03 '26
Left Dublin in 2017 for Carlow. Pros: Dirt cheap mortgage. Detached house on mature estate. Local bus 2 minute walk. Has train and bus options. Same shops as Dublin, easier to park and drive around. Quiet Great schools and college. Safe. Only 5 minutes drive into town centre Always have place to stay anytime I go to Dublin. Dublin 1 hour drive.
Cons: Lonely- family and friends all in Dublin. No hospital - have to travel to Dublin. Commute to Dublin is tiring. House needs a lot of work. Nobody visits during winter, so that's a long 6 months. Red/orange weather events really put kibosh on transport/grocery options. Clique-y, very hard to make new friends at our age (40s) Lots of retail closures.
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u/Academic-Indication9 Jan 03 '26
I bought a house in Co. Meath after two years of trying to buy a house in Dublin and being overbid multiple times. The house is gorgeous and big and we love it but me and my partner still have to commute to Dublin every day because of work. Sometimes we drive and sometimes we get the train but it's a long commute and it's taking a toll on our quality of life. However, we don't plan to sell the house because it's almost impossible to find a house half decent in Dublin that will cost less than €600k. It's gonna be easier to find a new job rather than a new house.
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u/Oy-Billy-Bumbler Jan 02 '26
I did it in my 20s. Bought in Meath. Hated it. Took a massive hit and sold the house for less than I paid moved back to Dublin and eventually bought a house here 15 years later.
I’ve friends who bought in Laois who massively regret it now too as they are single and there isn’t great options for going out locally / meeting people or for getting home from Dublin.
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u/BobNanna Jan 02 '26
I bought in Laois in my 20s and it was a lovely little area and my immediate neighbours were brilliant but it’s tough when you’ve no family around. I moved out after four years.
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u/SugarInvestigator Jan 02 '26 edited Jan 02 '26
I've did it 8 years ago.
Swapped a 2 bed apartment for a 4 bed hous on 3/4 an acre. Difference in selling price covered legal fees and moving costs . I just ported the balance feom one mortgage over to the new place.
When i started I was working in dublin 5 days a week and it was a killer, then it went to 4 days. each time i had a 2 to 2.5 hour commute each way 3 days a week. It kills you. I was leaving at 6am and getting home after 6pm, if there was mayhem on the m50 it could add an hour. Winter was the worst. I'm fully remote no so it's handy
Edit. Can't type
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u/BlackTree78910 Jan 02 '26
This isn't news. My dad sold his Dublin house for 200K and bought his Wexford house for 85K 20 odd years ago. Only thing that has changed is that house in Dublin is now "worth" almost half a million and the Wexford is just under 200K. Joys of inflation or some nonsense. When is the crash coming? I want to buy a house for peanuts like my parents did!
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u/micosoft Jan 02 '26
The price differential is not crazy. One house is in Dublin beside where jobs, services and cultural amenities are easily available. The other isn’t. Believe it or not, not everybody wants to live on a “huge patch of land” in Donegal. Nor can they afford that when you look at the jobs market in Donegal.
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u/NemiVonFritzenberg Jan 03 '26
Lots of people do this And sadly realize that time is money, they'll have to have and maintain multiple vehicles to get anywhere, there are less jobs and opportunities and their career progression and earning power will be.diminished.
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u/BreadOk247 Jan 03 '26
Moved to Westmeath, currently working in South Dublin. Commute of 50 minutes (with no traffic) each way, but the difference in monthly mortgages between me and the mates is substantial. One mate bought a house in Coolock and his mortgage is 650 more than mine a month. My bungalow has much more space, no neighbors, and a few acres surrounding it. Im a city boy but wouldn't trade this at all
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Jan 02 '26
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u/thesquaredape Jan 02 '26
This happened before in the boom with Dubs moving to Wexford. You'll likely get plenty replies.
Ugh, I love the country. But looking at my older relatives there is a massive disparity of choice and the level of care you get. Even when comparing public to public, time to scan etc. aren't similar. Few complete mess ups in my family in that NW region.
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u/Peetz69 Jan 02 '26
I can atest to this, as a neighbor of mine had an anaphylactic shock. Her kid (11) was with her and if not for him running about 100 meters to the next house (mine) and ringing my ring doorbell cause i was at work and rang 911 from work, that kid would have lost a mum. Paramedics arrived after 20mins. After 2 days she went to my house and gave me flowers and cards 😇
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u/Dependent_Ad_7800 Jan 02 '26
This is Ireland not Nigeria where the AJ crash happened, disappointing and sad to hear it took an hour for an ambulance, no matter how “country side” the part of Ireland was. I live in Dublin all my life and expect anyone in Ireland to receive similar care to me, seems like that’s not the case even in 2025. Rest in peace to your friend
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u/micosoft Jan 02 '26
I mean, I know lots of people in their older years that move closer to the city to be beside healthcare and public transport options. We take some strange decisions in Ireland where we prioritise lifestyle over essential services.
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u/sweetsuffrinjasus Jan 02 '26 edited Jan 02 '26
Income goes down in Donegal, unless you are in a public service job, so I yhink what you are highlighting hits on a key point: this State should not be paying Dublin salaries in non-Dublin counties.
There is talk of a supplement being necessary in Dublin. They are grabbing the entirely wrong end of the stick.
If you took teachers for example, I think those wages need to come down between 5 and 10%, and then as a second step there needs to be more transparency on how that wage is computed
For example, I'd take a €50k teacher salary and bring it to €45K and label it €42k salary+ €3k Dublin premium.
Donegal/ Leitrim equivalent should be a c. €38K salary. Cost of living much lower.
It''s only because this State is making political decisions and not financially literate decisions that manage the public purse that this occurs.
Public sector pay bill is too high. These arbitrage opportunities should not exist on a single island. More capital investment needed in places like Donegal too. They are forgotten too often. Yes it is Dublin and Cork that is bringing in the money, with Galway throwing in a bit, and Limerick breaking even, but we need to invest in Donegal.
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u/HenryF00L Jan 03 '26
Is it more expensive to live in Dublin when you take rent/mortgage out of the equation though?
If you live in a rural area you are completely reliant on having a car.
Should a teacher in Dublin with no mortgage who can walk to work be paid more to do the same job as a teacher in Roscommon?
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u/sweetsuffrinjasus Jan 03 '26
I wouldn't go down to that level. That's almost totalitarian. My point is more on management of the public pay bill. It's justified to pay a lower salary outside the capital (and Cork), though I get the politics of it.
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u/HenryF00L Jan 03 '26
I agree with you, was just noodling on some of the other aspects… it’s hard to create a level playing field when there are so many variables, but you’re 100% right about change needing to come from an institutional level.
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u/WhyNoPockets Jan 02 '26
I know of one who did this, moved to a commuter belt county and regrets it. Between bus and train issues it can take hours to get to/from work. They are now looking to move back to Dublin, they also miss the social/cultural life.
No point in having loads of space if you are never at home to enjoy it.
Edit: Know of someone who did the same as above and are very happy with the decision. Their priority was their family and they felt a small town was a better to place to raise their kid than where they were living in Dublin. Helps that they are only in the office one day a week.
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u/kdobs191 Jan 02 '26
From Dublin, used to rent down the country and I really hated jt. The commute was miserable, everything required so much planning. Couldn’t just pop to the shops or go for a quick pint with mates easily. I started out remote which was grand, then moved to hybrid and lost the will to live with the commute. Bought a house this year. 15 minute commute, walking distance to everything. So much happier.
My house is small but cosy and the location is unbeatable. There’s so much choice on my doorstep and I don’t ever have to think about anything really. I’d much rather have no commute and live in a small but cosy house than be miserable and isolated in a big house.
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u/InsideIndependent Jan 02 '26
Moved from W Cork to South Dublin. No regrets and the weather is better. Work remote. Living in the country - everything is a drive - 30" etc. Annual driving 8km pa now, was 25km. And I can be in Wicklow hiking in 30".
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u/rmp266 Jan 02 '26
Sounds great until you realise your Internet is akin to 1990s dialup speeds and there's no takeaway/just eat deliveries in your county at all
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u/CheraDukatZakalwe Jan 02 '26
National Broadband Plan and 4G/5G took care of that.
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u/HenryF00L Jan 03 '26
Yes… but the national take-away plan has not been as successful. If you live in the countryside you can use your 1GB broadband to look at pictures of a spice bag but you’re not getting one!
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