What's it like for a Canadian living in Ireland?

Question

I'm a dual citizen growing weary of some of the changes I see happening in Canada.

I'm an ESL teacher/aspiring novelist and I'm wondering what kind of work opportunites there would be in Ireland for me. Also: my wife is Korean. Would there be any issues of race discrimination to worry about?

Answer 1

The pace of living outside of the cities is slow. Crime in the rural areas would be quite low. Broadband is still not available in  many areas and dial-up internet is expensive. Discrimination probably exists but I haven't seen it because I don't know anyone with that mentality. The cost of living is high and food and petrol are expensive. Property prices are high, as are rents. Salaries are generally better than UK. We get grey skies and rain frequently, being an island on the edge of the Atlantic. Teachers are very well paid and have good social status, but I don't know anything about job prospects. It would do no harm to come over and rent an apartment for a period of time and see for yourself.

Answer 2

I don't think there is much discrimination. Jobs are hard to get at the moment I think, or at least it is getting harder anyways.

Maybe check online for teaching jobs first, on jobs.ie, monster.ie & irishjobs.ie

Maybe try going for a holiday first and see if you like it.

Answer 3

All the ESL (here we call it EFL) jobs are taken up by Irish people here.

If you are a published novelist, you could apply for tax exemption on your earning from your writing, but only if you have published something and if you have already lived in Ireland for a certain period of time.

I don't think people are generally discriminatory about different races, but you might get a few second glances, what with being a mixed couple.

Ireland is now very expensive to live, so think twice before coming here. Do thorough research.  

Answer 4

Hi Daniel, if you can get accredited as a teacher here, you won't have any problems getting work. Secondary schools are finding it hard to deal with the influx of non-native English speakers and anyone with a degree (any discipline) and a decent ESL teaching certificate can become qualified to teach in state school. Go to www.acels.ie and www.education.ie for more details.

As a Canadian, you won't have many problems with the exception of people thinking you're from the US, but as we hate being confused with the English, people wil be extra nice to you once thay realise they've made a mistake. Say 'eh?' and 'oot' a lot and you'll be grand.

I would hope your wife won't experience any problems, but I couldn't absolutely guarantee it. Most Irish have a natural curiosity about other people, regardless of where they come from, and as long as she doesn't get too annoyed with people constantly asking 'so where are you from?' she should be ok.

If I were you, I'd move to one of the smaller cities in Ireland, as Dublin really is prohibitively expensive. If I didn't have to live out in the sticks with all my animals friends, I would definitely move to Cork. It's got a really welcoming inclusive atmosphere, a vibrant cultural scene and plenty of job opportunities in ESL teaching (in schools, further ed colleges and the universities). It isn't quite as expensive as Dublin, its possible to live in a smaller town in the (very pretty) surrounding countryside and commute into the town, and you're close to the sea. The local accent is a bit mad, but it doesn't take long to get used to it.

In terms of the changes happening in Canada, you'll probably see a lot of the same stuff going on here. A Canadian academic now based in Ireland has written a couple of books about some of the societal changes in Ireland over the past 15 years, if you're interested (Collision Culture and Cosmopolitan Ireland - her name is something Kuhling). It's not all doom and gloom though. Small town life is still pretty good. If you make an effort to get to know people (through local sports clubs or the pub) and be persistant, you'll be adopted by the locals fairly quickly. This is easier in smaller communities than in cities or commuter towns, although ESL schools are usually pretty good at providing support networks for their employees.

I hope this helps. Maybe come for an extended holiday before you make a decision?