Forums > Social Discussion > maybe moving to Ireland...

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*PiPeR*stranger
38 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
I just heard the other day that after I finish VCE (next year) I could be moving to Ireland... just for the year, but still, it's huuuuge in my mind! Speaking of minds, I can't really make mine up.

I'm terribly excited because it'd be a wonderful adventure, new people, new places and all the rest, and those wonderful irish accents (yum!). On the other hand... I know nothing about the place, at the end of the year I'd just be thrown back into Australia to pick up life again, and it's kinda overwhelming... redface

I guess I'm just asking for some advice, not convincing me to go, my decision is signed, stamped, sealed and delivered: yes!!! But any tips on what to expect, or what ireland's like would be lovely and very much appreciated. thankx

By the way, what's the twirling scenario over there? weavesmiley

~*PiPeR*~


SkulduggeryGOLD Member
Pirate Pixie Crew Captain
8,428 posts
Location: Wales


Posted:
Slap my thigh and call me stupid, but what's VCE?

I've only been to Ireland once (it was february and everything was closed). The people were friendly, welcoming and always ready for a chat. Just remember to take all weather clothes and you'll be fine. Many locals told me, "if you don't like the weather just wait 10 mins" and indeed they were right. The weather is very changeable, unlike Wales where it rains all year except for 3 days in july ubblol

Good luck and good travelling. hug

Feed me Chocolate!!! Feed me NOW!


_Clare_BRONZE Member
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)


Posted:
Hello, hello.



Good luck with whatever decision you make. hug



If you do come over, what'll you be doing here and whereabouts will you live?



There's a huge juggling scene in Ireland, but unfortunately not so much firedancing.



However, thanks to this website, over the last few months a group of us have started getting together. There's one or two in Belfast, a few in Dublin and a couple in Cork. But we meet up fairly often for a spin. weavesmiley Most of us do poi, but Aidan (ado-p) does staff. And we're all friendly and lovely and stuff smile



It'll be lovely to meet you and we don't bite, unless you ask us nicely biggrin



Take care, and check out the Irish dancing thread in the events section for meetings and suchlike, if you do come over.



Take care

Clare xx

Getting to the other side smile


*PiPeR*stranger
38 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
redface silly me, forgot that it's only a tiny part of Australia that has VCE... sorry! - it's the last 2 years of high school (Yr 11 and 12 in Australia) and it's the years that count towards your final mark. I'm 17 and (nearly!) at the end of Yr 11 now... So basically, once school is over and done with, I'm off... Scary, but exciting!

Thanks smile I have heard quite a bit about the friendly people, so that's encouraging... ubbrollsmile

~*PiPeR*~


*PiPeR*stranger
38 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
...thanks clare smile I can't remember the name of the place where I'd be living, but I think I remember someone saying it's a 'university town'... don't think that narrows it down though...

If I go, I'll probably work and travel, and hit university when I get back to Australia. I have an uncle in Germany and some friends in England, and a few other rellies somewhere in Island itself, so there's a few trips... I just want to make the most of the year and fit in as much a possible really. bounce That's about the extent of the plan at the moment, because I really know very little about Ireland to decide. hehe

~*PiPeR*~


KatBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
2,211 posts
Location: London, Wales (UK)


Posted:
Hi Piper - it being a University town does narrow it down - could be Maynooth? Other Uni's in Ireland are in the West - Dublin (Capital), Cork, Galway, Limerick! With a University near by there will be lots of people to socialise with and will have a great time - especially if you are going to Galway (has a University and tho a city is really more like a town) The weather is pants but the atmosphere is always sizzling and the Guinness is tasty - hop and a bus and you can be in the beautiful barren countryside in no time!
Things to expect: Currency - euros's, main language spoken: English - you may find some of the accents and slang a bit strange at first,but you'll soon get used to it.
Lesson 1
'How's the form' Translation - 'how are you'
'Grand thanks, and yerself' (good thank you, and you?'
'Ah sure, not a bother' (fine, thank you)
Irish obsessions: Gaelic football (certainly at the moment as the All Ireland finals are looming), Drink, Weather

There's tons of stuff for you to get involved in depending on whether you are interested in for e.g history, sport, fishing, botany, architecture, paganism, catholicism, music, dance, beer. Provincial nightclubs are pretty rubbish once the novelty wears off, but if you are in one of the bigger cities you will have more choice so you might not be fed a music diet of Meatloafs greatest hits and dance versions of Irish folk songs!

Have a great time

Come faeries, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame.

- W B Yeats


FabergéGOLD Member
veteran
1,459 posts
Location: Dublin, Ireland


Posted:
hi piper!

just go for it. or as nike says 'just do it'. how bad can it be? if you don't like it you can always go home, no big deal....

i can't really vouch for the craic or scene anywhere but dublin or galway, as i seldom make it to other parts of the country. you will not get bored in dublin, but it is rather expensive. galway is just as much, if not more fun, and it's a little less expensive than dublin.

the weather is crap, everywhere, most of the time. that's just fact, but don't let it deter you.

as mentioned above, we've been doing our best to get a fire scene together, and we haven't been doing too bad either, though i reckon it's still on a much smaller scale than oz or the uk or us. but that's not so bad coz it means we all kinda know each other, which makes for a nice big wierd & wonderful warm family biggrin

if there's anything else specific you'd like to know, just post here, or pm me and i'll try and get you any info you need. hopefully i won't be here next year, but i can point you towards people who are smile

take care hug

Lisa

My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely smile


Motaddict
666 posts
Location: Netherlands


Posted:
I'm gonna vouch for galway aswell, lovely town, and it has a uni. But most of all it does have quite a few spinners and contact jugglers, loads of interesting peeps. If you end up going there I can point you at a few good poi heads. And as an extended lingo thing, if someone should ask "hows she cuttin?" you say "like a lawnmower" And you will once again have aknowledged that you are indeed fine. Have a great time there....
Mot.

Come forth and thou shalt win enternal happiness. but he came fifth so he won an electric toatser.


*PiPeR*stranger
38 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
This is great, there's a wonderful group of inspired twirlers getting a fantastic fire scene all ready in time for when i get there... clap Hehe, sounds like the fire future of Ireland is in good hands.

Um, this is wierd, but i swear I am serious when I ask this... what animals do you have in Ireland?

Thanks guys, for the time i'd be 'grand thanks, not a bother!'
biggrin - am I allowed to mush those two phrases together? Thank-you all for your comments and tips hug

~*PiPeR*~


Motaddict
666 posts
Location: Netherlands


Posted:
loads and loads of sheep

Come forth and thou shalt win enternal happiness. but he came fifth so he won an electric toatser.


*PiPeR*stranger
38 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
ha, sounds like New Zealand... only other place I've been overseas. Loved it, mind you! Gonna go work on a bungy jumping rig one day...
Nice friendly sheep in green meadows bleeting happily to themselves, or vicious wild killer sheep that force the locals to lock their doors at night?

~*PiPeR*~


FabergéGOLD Member
veteran
1,459 posts
Location: Dublin, Ireland


Posted:
Written by: *PiPeR*


Um, this is wierd, but i swear I am serious when I ask this... what animals do you have in Ireland?




had to try my best not to laugh at that one, sorry, but i do love your honesty ubblol

in truth, much the same as the rest of western europe. there aren't really many wild animals, at least, nothing that's really large enough to eat/attack you.

deer, foxes, badgers, squirrels, otters, weasels, rabbits, & the like can be found in the countryside. and there have been killer whales spotted off the coast of west cork.

apart from that there are cattle, horses & sheep and most other farm animals. we do not have any marsupials.

we also have no snakes.

orthodox catholics attribute this to saint patrick, who was said to have rid ireland of all serpents. scientists however say that ireland was isolated during the last ice age by glaciation, killing off all snakes (and many other species) which never found their way back again across the irish sea from the british isles.

whichever story one chooses to embrace, the fact remains that there are no snakes in ireland

(i've also heard that there are no snakes in Newfoundland or New Zealand, but i'm not sure if there's any truth in this. could anyone back this up for me? cheers!)

My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely smile


FabergéGOLD Member
veteran
1,459 posts
Location: Dublin, Ireland


Posted:
Written by: Mot


loads and loads of sheep




ubblol yeah, loads, but not quite as many as wales ! ubblol

My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely smile


*PiPeR*stranger
38 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
redface hehe, I had to ask biggrin

Wow, in Australia foxes and rabbits are the BIGGEST pest, you kinda forget that they are actually native to somewhere and fit in properly with the ecosystem.

No snakes? Wohoo, bare feet, here I come!!! Yeah, you're right Lisa, there are no snakes in NZ either, but don't go around in bare feet because the 'midgie's' (little sandfly thingo's) will bite you, and they itch sooo bad!

But I can hack snakes. I can't hack spiders...
eek

~*PiPeR*~


_Clare_BRONZE Member
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)


Posted:
We have nothing poisonous, which is nice.

More cows than sheep (if you're in the north, this is prounced Koi)

No snakes... some (non-biting) spiders (not very big, though)...

Lots of wild, but not very exciting birds.

That's about it.

X

Getting to the other side smile


*PiPeR*stranger
38 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
what's pronounced Koi? the sheep or the cows? Or am I completely off track?

~*PiPeR*~


Motaddict
666 posts
Location: Netherlands


Posted:
Theres also a 40 square mile section of endangered flowers and rocks that can be incrediable beautiful if it's not pissing rain. The Burrin, on the west side near galway.

Come forth and thou shalt win enternal happiness. but he came fifth so he won an electric toatser.


_Clare_BRONZE Member
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)


Posted:
Cow = Koi (apparently)

Getting to the other side smile


*PiPeR*stranger
38 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
oh! thanks, now i get it. (about the koi/cow bit) Is that a completely different word or on account of the accents?

Do the beaches have rocks (like NZ) or sand (like, I dunno... Brazil? Never been there but don't they have nice beaches?) I know I couldn't swim there due to weather, but twirling on sand near the water is so much fun. But rocks are nice too, take a photo, cut it up and voila! Your very own incredibly difficult 1000 piece puzzle!

~*PiPeR*~


Motaddict
666 posts
Location: Netherlands


Posted:
Little sandy patches i guess, theres very little beach weather though. There is this cool beach near a place called "fenore" that has a very freindly dolphin that'll come and swim beside you. Shes not shy for humans at all.

Come forth and thou shalt win enternal happiness. but he came fifth so he won an electric toatser.


KatBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
2,211 posts
Location: London, Wales (UK)


Posted:
Like a lawnmower! Tssk cityboy! Round our neck of the woods its 'like a chainsaw' ; )

Plus believe it or now when something is great 'now you're suckin diesel!

Piper, excellent usage of the lingo! Going barefoot is not advisable as A) its too bloody cold B) grassy patches usually have cowdun everywhere (However if you not afraid of getting a bit of cow [censored] all over you, driving full speed on a quadbike through a field is reaaaaaaaaally fun!!!)

Lots of pretty lakes and rivers in Ireland as well for you to spin by! In fact are there are any spinners from Castlepollard (Westmeath) on here! I ask cause last time I was home I was talking to a girl who told me there were jugglers and stilt walkers galore in the pretty village there! Meanwhile a few miles away in the main town, people think a wee bit of poi is strange!

You may be leaving the surf behind - but lots of lovely horseriding trails in Eire

Come faeries, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame.

- W B Yeats


FabergéGOLD Member
veteran
1,459 posts
Location: Dublin, Ireland


Posted:
u don't have to leave the surf behind you either. Donegal, namely Bundoran has some fantastic surf. they've even held the European championships there. see here .

it is quite cold though,surfing without a wetsuit is a no-no.

My mind not only wanders, it sometimes leaves completely smile


_Clare_BRONZE Member
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)


Posted:
I have never met any irishman who actually says 'suckin diesel'

I know Colin Murray wants everyone too... but I just haven't met any

Oh well, maybe not just up north

xx
smile

Getting to the other side smile


ado-pGOLD Member
Pirate Ninja
3,882 posts
Location: Galway/Ireland


Posted:
Written by: Firepoise


I have never met any irishman who actually says 'suckin diesel'

I know Colin Murray wants everyone too... but I just haven't met any

Oh well, maybe not just up north

xx
smile




ubblol

Written by: Firepoise


Koi...





ubblol

Those crazy kids up north do speaketh with a strange and alluring lilt.

Then again, I live in cork, where people have not so much an accent but a speech impediment.

To echo Kat, If your near a uni town then you can be sure the craic will be mighty.

We also have lots of grass and trees and stuff. The cows go Moo the Sheep go baaa and the ducks go quack.

Come see, i think you might like it. There is enough of us spread arounf the country that you would see alot and never beg for company.

Best o luck whatever you do.

a

Love is the law.


_Clare_BRONZE Member
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)


Posted:
Lol
ubblol ubblol

says the little leprechaun in the corner

biggrin rolleyes hug

Getting to the other side smile


FräuleinFireotographer on Hiatus
284 posts
Location: Cork, Ireland


Posted:
Hey *PiPeR* , I moved to Cork 6 months ago. Even though I just left Germany and not lovely Australia I can tell you: I really like it over here and didn't regret my decision once!! ubbrollsmile
I guess you would have a wonderful time over here... smile

SARAH

"I see," said the blind man.


pass_the_pigjourneyman
60 posts

Posted:
crazy crazy, but near enough same thing is happening with me. where abouts in ireland you going

I took my harp ta party, but no body asked me to play, so I took harp home again


*PiPeR*stranger
38 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
craic - what's that? umm

I think this biz about more jugglers and stilt walkers could be good... I'll expand my repetoir biggrin

Still dunno where in Island I'll be going... I have a year and 4 months to decide... but god knows it'll go fast. When are you going 'pass_the_pig'? Moving from where?

Leprechaun's, oh, are they irish? Wohoo! I remember something about them and the Irish quidditch team in harry potter... and shamrocks... what are shamrocks? confused

Hey Sarah, where did you live in Germany? I have an uncle near, um, Franfurt? Is that a place? Pretty sure it's there...

~*PiPeR*~


_Clare_BRONZE Member
Still wiggling
5,967 posts
Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)


Posted:
Lol... hours of fun to be had. ubbangel

Another thing to expect in Ireland is that people will take the piss mercilessly.

A leprechaun, as bad Irish myths go, is the little guy all dressed in green with a big red beard who sits at the end of the rainbow with a big pot of gold. He also wanders about the Irish countryside getting up to mischievous things.
Sadly, he doesn't exist.

Shamrock (also known as hop clover or a three-leaved clover) is a clover (kinda like a small green weed) native to Ireland. It grows in the countryside amid the grass and St Patrick used it to illustrate the three divine principles of Christianity (father, son and holy goat).

Craic is the Irish word for Class A drugs. Everyone does it. Makes you laugh a lot, sometimes it's not so good - you can normally get it in pubs.

Have fun ubbangel
Clare xx

ubblolubblol

Getting to the other side smile


FräuleinFireotographer on Hiatus
284 posts
Location: Cork, Ireland


Posted:
Written by: *PiPeR*


Hey Sarah, where did you live in Germany? I have an uncle near, um, Franfurt? Is that a place? Pretty sure it's there...




Am from a town near Cologne. Yep Frankfurt is a big city about a two hours car drive (300km) from my hometown.

"I see," said the blind man.


KatBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
2,211 posts
Location: London, Wales (UK)


Posted:
Co Westmeath is prime 'bogger' county - spend enough time there and you're bound to hear someone 'suckin diesel' at some point or another!

Come faeries, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame.

- W B Yeats


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