At 15, I embarked on an adventure of a lifetime when my dad’s job reassigned him from Chicago to Dublin.
After completing secondary school, I decided to stay in Ireland and go to college while my parents returned to the US after my dad’s assignment was finished.
After graduating from college at 21, I knew what I’d found in Ireland was special and that I should try to hold onto it as long as I could. I stayed, and immersing myself in the way of the Irish has benefited my life in so many ways, even though living here isn’t perfect.
After all, Ireland is one of the most expensive countries to live in in 2024, ranked just under the US. Life’s not always easy here, as Ireland goes through a cost of living and housing crisis.
Even so, I believe my quality of life here is much better than it would be if I’d stayed in the US.
Here are a few of my favorite parts of living here.
The Irish culture and people are unmatched
The Irish people have a great reputation and are pretty loved around the world for a reason.
In my experience, many Irish folks are willing to stop and ask tourists if they need help if they look lost, give advice from across bus seats if they overhear a conversation, or just talk someone’s ear off in a pub.
Locals I’ve met are animated storytellers who always leave me hanging on the edge of my seat, before I nearly fall off of it laughing.
But one of the things I love about the Irish is the pride they have for their country, culture, and history. Since I’ve lived here, Irish locals have always been happy to educate me and allow me to actively participate in their culture.
The quality of food and drink — both out and about and at home — is truly incredible
Beyond Ireland’s drinking culture lies an innovative and exciting nightlife, especially with Dublin’s growing cocktail scene. Bars all over Dublin experiment with spirits in new ways.
Pubs and bars are beyond just places to drink — they are social beacons, places where people congregate after a long day to spend time with one another.
And with a budding nightlife comes a bustling restaurant scene. I’ve found there’s at least one excellent restaurant on every street in the city center if you’re willing to shell out a good few quid.
But, part of what makes the drinking and eating culture so vibrant in Ireland is the quality of the food and drink here.
Ireland is ranked as the second country in the world with the best access to food. We have strict produce laws and regulations, and our produce is labeled with what country it comes from if it’s grown outside of Ireland. There’s also plenty of Irish homegrown beef.
Plus, it’s cheaper for me to shop for fresh produce in Ireland than it ever was in the US. I can get carrots, celery, leeks, onions, and leafy greens for under €1, and find a dozen apples or bag of oranges for less than €4.
Four years of college here cost the same as one year at a school I’d wanted to attend in the US
It was way cheaper for me to attend an Irish university than it would’ve been to attend a popular one in the US, even with international fees applied.
Before moving to Ireland, I wanted to go to New York University — which would’ve cost me over $76,000 a year in 2018. At University College Dublin (UCD), I paid about €72,000, or about $78,000, for all four years of school and received a bachelor’s degree in English.
And, with Ireland and The United States having great relations, I was eligible to use federal student aid for my degree in Ireland.
My education was invaluable, and I got to study at the same university as famous writers such as James Joyce, Roddy Doyle, and Mary Lavin.
I wouldn’t trade my decision to study at UCD for anything in the world regardless of how expensive living in Ireland is.
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