After eight years of living in London, I made the move back to Ireland shortly after turning 30 when I had to weigh up where was better to raise a family, and below is a glimpse into my experience
Believe it or not, this picture was not taken in Ireland, where a clear blue sky is rare(Image: Liam McInerney/Reach PLC)
The year was 2017, my college (universiaty) exams in Dublin were complete and I had two ambitions — move to London and put my degree to some use by making a living as a journalist.
Part one was straightforward, given my girlfriend had already made the plunge a few months before, and the second part was achieved after I got a job at a local newspaper not too long after touching down in Gatwick.
As for why living in London was so high on my to-do list, I had been going on trips across the Irish Sea since I was a kid, predominantly to watch my childhood heroes like Robbie Keane score at the old White Hart Lane before rushing back to catch a flight to Dublin Airport hours after the final whistle.
So, the dream had been fulfilled and over the years I got a season ticket which took me to Wembley and the plush new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. When I wasn’t watching Mauricio Pochettino’s men take us agonisingly close to glory, I had become a national reporter.
However, fast forward to 2023, and suddenly the dream wasn’t what it once was.
My partner and I had had our first child — and we were living in a tiny one-bedroom flat in Greenwich, south-east London.
We loved the apartment, it was small, but we had been there for a few years. However, add a baby girl into the mix, and things were suddenly much more challenging.
Our families were both based in Ireland, so we had to make a choice — either pay more to rent somewhere bigger, while also forking out fortunes for childcare in London, or move back to Ireland.
After a memorable few years in London, where we hold so many great memories including one year of raising our daughter there, we had to move home, as so many Irish eventually do after exploring different countries in their youth.
We have now been back for a couple of years, and below are three things that I miss about the UK.
1) Public Transport
My parents live in County Meath and my partner’s parents live in County Cavan — and we now live between both of our childhood homes.
Although having free childcare on hand is a game changer (we have since had kid number two), the main thing we miss about London is the public transport.
Whatever I was doing in London, there were numerous ways I could get home again, be it the underground, the DLR, the bus, the trains or simply walking.
In Ireland, particularly if you are not living in Dublin, driving is essential.
There is no train station near me, and if I didn’t want to get stuck in traffic driving into Dublin City Centre, I would have to rely on Bus Eireann.
I have used the service three times since I’ve been back, on each occasion the bus was over 30 minutes late, and twice there was overcrowding, with some passengers being forced to stand, which was far from safe or comfortable.
Even once you get to Dublin, the public transport is incomparable to London. Frankly, any Londoners who find themselves overly complaining about things like delays or strikes, you have no idea how good you have it.
2) Sporting Events
Another miss is going to sporting events, and I now have to settle with watching Spurs on the TV, although given we now struggle to draw matches let alone win, perhaps that’s not a bad thing.
But it wasn’t just the football, it was the old pubs on Tottenham High Road, and meeting up with pals before and after the games.
Football aside, there was also Wimbledon, where you could just go and enjoy the sunshine and tennis on Henman Hill.
Another big one was martial arts. I remember seeing George Groves in Wembley Arena and also UFC London events at The O2 which was within walking distance of my flat. For years, professional boxing bouts in Ireland didn’t happen, and you may want to read about my experience at the Regency Hotel shooting to understand why.
There is plenty of sport to enjoy in Ireland, and although I’m a casual GAA and rugby fan, there’s still nothing like having Premier League action at your doorstep, and some of my favourite adventures were the away days, be it Arsenal, Fulham or Manchester United.
3) Weather
This isn’t something that can be helped, so there is little point moaning about it for long, but the weather in London compared to home is much different.
London was generally warmer and it rained less, and any rare bit of sun we get in Ireland, you will hear people firing up their lawn mowers, because everyone knows the opportunity to cut the grass is limited.
No regrets
Having said all that, you may be thinking that I regret moving back home, and still pine for my old life in London.
However, this isn’t the case, and the switch has given my family a better quality of life.
My daughter turns three next month and she is thriving — and is close to all of her grandparents who get to see her and her baby brother often. This also gives us a chance to get a break, something that wasn’t possible without family support in London.
We’ve also managed to buy our first home, something that would have been impossible for us in the English capital, where getting on the property ladder wasn’t even worth dreaming about. Having said that, there is also a huge housing crisis in Ireland, and we were one of the lucky ones.
And although I don’t have White Hart Lane on my doorstep, raising a family in Ireland is hard to beat for several reasons which I can get into another day. If we had stayed, we wouldn’t have been able to welcome a second child, who is already being brainwashed into supporting a certain London club like his sister.
Despite my concerns about the public transport and the live sport, life is now calmer. I now do Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes three times a week, which has been far better for my mental and physical health than watching the club I love which is destined for the Championship.
And one thing England will never beat Ireland on is a pint of Guinness down the local.
So having said all that — Sláinte!
