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Moving to Ireland

Quick Facts on Living in Ireland

"There's great craic (crack) to be had in Ireland!"

When I first heard those words I thought I was talking to a very loud drug dealer... In actual fact, craic is the word Irish people use to describe great fun. Great fun is indeed to be found in Ireland.

I moved to Dublin in February 1998 from NJ, with my Irish passport (if you are up to 2 generations removed from a native-born Irish person, you automatically are entitled to dual citizenship), not knowing a soul. Within days I found a place to live, a job, and met terrific friends. Irish society is very open to new people, especially people from abroad. Most Irish families have friends and family living in America, so it is on the most part America-friendly. In fact, on September 13, 2001, the Irish government called for a national day of mourning for those who died in September 11th, closing all business for the day.

As Ireland is only a short, inexpensive flight away from Europe, I have done extensive travelling--but I still haven't found a better place to enjoy life. The Irish mentality is to work to live, not live to work. And it is that mentality which ensures most people have an extremely good balance of non-work activities. Yoga, sport, art, concerts, music, travelling, writing and outdoors pursuits are all a part of daily life-not to mention a great nightlife.

The ratio of males to females is about even, the average age to get married is 32, and the average time to come in from a good night out is 2am.

The weather in Ireland is simple... it rains, and it rains a lot. Ireland does not get severe weather, i.e. it does not usually snow, freeze, or hit high or low temperatures. It rains. On the plus side, on a sunny day, there is not a better place on earth to be!

Check out www.local.ie for excellent reviews of Irish cities, nightlife and things to do.

For comprehensive information on moving to Ireland, visit the Irish government's resource Oasis at www.oasis.gov.ie/moving_country

2002 Census
For more information, visit www.cso.ie/census

Population
Population of Ireland according to the 2002 census is 3,917,336

National Pay Average
The national pay average is € 30,073.16 according to the Central Statistics Office, March 2003

Male to Female ratio
1000 females per 986 males
www.cso.ie/census

Dublin is the capital of Ireland and the most expensive city in the country. The other towns are approximately 6% less expensive to live.

Price of a pint (Dublin City Centre)
€ 3.85

Price of gasoline (Dublin City Centre)
€ 1.30 per litre

Average monthly rent (Dublin City Centre)
Visit http://www.daft.ie to get ideas in the areas you are interested in.
Fully furnished 1 bed - € 850 - 1000
Fully furnished 2 bed - € 1000 - 2800

Income Tax Bands
Income tax bands will determine the rate of tax you pay on your income or salary. In the tax year 2003 for example, a single person will pay 20% tax on income up to € 28,000 and 42% on any balance.

Release employees that are re-locating will be assisted to find the most tax-efficient way to be their salary.