is it there. i would really like to live in northern ireland and i just wanted to hear some things from people instead of websites and books. please do share.
Other - Ireland - 6 Answers
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1 :
Lots of nice places to live here. I live in Limavady. Old market town where Danny Boy was written to the tune of the Derry Air (written here too - not Derry!). Armagh, Enniskillen, Newry, Magherafelt etc all good places. Lots of great scenery, decent pubs, plenty of walking too.
2 :
It all depends where are you from. In Ireland there are 2 different communities. The Irish and the non Irish. Even if you are Italian, German, Swedish.... you are still considered as a foreigner and you must be treated as a second class citizens. Plus the Irish avoid to make friends with foreigners cause they wanna keep their culture only for themselves. I know this is a completely different picture comparing to what you see in the web pages and advertisements. Before to come in Ireland I thought the same... oh what a friendly place, nice people... but after a few years I found exactly the opposite. They have a very strong nationalistic attitude which is hard to brake it. Their vision is "Ireland for the Irish without foreigners" A couple of times I see graphiti like this in the train stations.... The most of my friends were Americans, Australians and they all got back or found another country. I actually tried to do everything to be accepted from the Irish, I changed myself in a lot of things but no Irish friend. The weather is bad, it rains all the time. The winters are dark and wet. There are a few sunny days although. The services are bad,(public transports, hospitals) close to 3rd world standards. The west coast of the country is very beautiful and there are nice places to live, but it's not multicultural at all. I am sorry for disheartened you but the Irish don't like us We have to leave...
3 :
Voldemord, we're not all like that. It's a shame you personally have had such bad experiences, but not all Irish people are like that. Even in our small Yahoo! Answers community, a number of us are married to foreigners and live properly intercultural lives. I appreciate that some Irish are insular but not ALL of us are like that. Kari, I live in the Republic, not Northern Ireland so I can't give you a lot of insight. I have friends in Antrim and have visited there lots. It is certainly different to where I live in Tipperary. People are more cautious in a way, but are also very warm and welcoming. The old hurts seem to be healing. It's a beautiful place, on a clear day you can see as far as Scotland.
4 :
no valdermord ireland is far from 3rd world standards dont be so ridiculus ireland is a very beautiful country north or the republic there is excellent transport luas(tram) busses coaches and trains, if it was really that poor why does it have all this and every 2nd car is a taxi on the street im irish and im from dublin i have also lived in belfast co. antrim and the people are warm and friendly, and we do accept forigners as long as the do not take the piss out of the economy. yeah maybe it is a bit dull when it comes to weather wise but live with oit its ireland, im disgusted that you would talk about the place in that prospective. and for you hun if you want lo live in n ireland live in belfast co antrim its absolutly amazing i would go back tomorro.
5 :
voldermod sees a problem with a country .but i live here and its not like he says.may be hes the problem .when you come to a new country you must accept its laws and customs
6 :
I am English and moved to Northern Ireland about 5 years ago. I live in County Down with the river at the front of my home and Slieve Croob mountains at the back and the Mournes just a little further, but can be viewed from my house. Like any place there are good and bad things. The best is the beautiful countryside and the people. The country is like a concentrated England, Scotland and Wales, with the sea 20 mins from my door, mountains 5 mins, Belfast 30 mins away, lots of lovely individual towns and with shops you don't see in the rest of the UK. The people, well the people are just great they are warm and friendly and I have to say nosey, they want to know all your business. I moved in 3 days before Christmas, the electric was cut off and we had snow, the cooker wouldn't work and the central heating didn't either. ( I live out in the countryside so not too many neighbours) Within an hour of arriving my only next door neighbour came round along with fresh coffee and scones ( to welcome us and say hello) within two hours I think every person in a ten mile radius knew who we were and they came thick and fast with hotpots and heaters, flasks of hot water, invitations to dinner, the road was cleared by the farmers of snow and more helping hands than we knew what to do with, an electrician( on his way home from xmas shopping) to sort out the cooker, quickly followed after a phone call from him by a central heating man and an oil tanker to fill up our oil, the local shop loaned us their moving trolley (and didn't know us from Adam, but trusted us to return it) so we could move our furniture easily. I was just overwhelmed but that is just how they are. I believe because of the 'troubles' since the late 60s until the 90s communities stick together and they still do to a certain extent and they are nosey because they have needed to be for their own protection, so you are generally asked three questions every time you meet someone new: 1 What is your name ( so they can tell if you are Catholic or Protestant) 2 What school do/did you attend( so they can tell if you are Catholic or Protestant) 3 What church do you attend( so they can tell if you are Catholic or Protestant) You get used to it and it is getting better with peace here. The weather, it rains, Oh and then it rains and rains! But you don't get lovely green pastures without rain and without them it wouldn't be Ireland...sorry Northern Ireland and its great for the complexion (so they tell me) They speak English, well of a sort, there are so many words that make no sense at all, however I am used to them now and understand them. Everything is done at half pace and that is something you just get used to, there is no rush at all! Great as long as you except it/when you accept it as a way of life and just slowwwwwwwwwwwwwww downnnnnnnnnn. Utilities, well you have no choices, they are more expensive than 'across the water' Gas has not long arrived, but only in Belfast and some larger places, the sewage system leave a lot to be desired and most homes don't have main sewage ( you have a tank which needs emptying) out in the sticks our water is cut off rregularlywithout first being told or can come out of the tap looking like milk or brown - hense why the NI water charges are being fought so hard not to be imposed. Insurance is not too bad now, but most UK companies won't insure you unless they are based here. Adverts for things/goods on TV, always say NOT AVAILABLE IN NORTHERN IRELAND-really pisses me off! UK suppliers ALWAYS add extra postage to things you buy, yet we are Royal Mail and part of the UK.....pisses me off! Too many jobs are funded, temporary positions so there is little cconsistencywith work and lots of community type jobs are given to ex paramilitary persons rather than the best person for the job.(PS I do know about this one-so if any of you say this is not so, you are lying, guessing or just don't know) There are large communities of Portuguese, Chinese and Polish and many do get a hard time, when I arrived I never saw any Blacks or Indians although I see then now and I know there are many foreigners arriving which does bring changes that some people don't like, much as it did in the 70s in England. Although most NI are happy if they contribute to the society rather than scrounge off it. One bug bear I do have- their driving is rubbish, (what a sweeping statement) some don't drive well (thats better) some don't understand how to use traffic islands and you see people getting cut up and accidents at them all the time (never an accident in 20 years then twice within three months someone drove into me on a traffic island and both in the wrong)-maybe because you drive from the city into the country in seconds, from a country road onto the motorway without realsiing and some just shouldn't be on the roads and driving! Very few road speed cameras, although they are arriving quickly now and the police hand helds are everywhere. The police are not as respectful to people as in the rest of the UK and can be a little heavy handed ( something to do with the troubles I would suspect and their job then) i was stopped 17 times in the first month I was here, but now they know the car/me I haven't been stopped since. Schools/Education-the best! More like private UK education and the N Irish are a very well educated people....don't let them fool you as they are also very modest! .......and I could go on, but all in all it is a lovely place to be and I am very proud to live here.
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