½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Hi Andy,

Have I got news for you!  I'm an ex-pat American who moved to Ireland with my British husband 21 years ago 6 months pregnant.

We chose to live in Killaloe, Co. Clare for all the reasons that you remark on. It's a picturesque, vibrant little village and our key reason was the Raheenwood Steiner School for our anticipated wee one. Alex will be turning 21 next month and both he and I are very happy with the decision about the school.

My husband, Wil, sadly passed away a week after Alex's 7th birthday and people stateside assumed I would fold up my tent and head back. But the camaraderie of the warm, friendly,supportive international families of the school and the surrounding community have kept me firmly here.

The local is a good jumping off point for exploring the world famous Burren (its exotic flora, caves, and the Cliffs of Moher) , or swimming with our resident dolphin Mara at Spanish Point on the Atlantic coast of West Clare. Or go the other direction to the Ring of Kerry, a spectacularly scenic drive towards the west coast of Ireland where you can actually kiss the blarney stone.

Killaloe sits on the banks of Lough Derg, the largest lake in Ireland. You can engage in all the activities one might expect-- sailing, boating, scuba diving, fishing, etc. There's a popular golf course nearby and horse back riding. And there are many festivals & events throughout the year to keep adults & children entertained. Our largest local festival is Iniscealtra which runs the last week of May and first few days of June. There are also wonderful cafés, restaurants & shops.

But don't feel limited to staying local--with the new motorways its a 2hr drive to the major cities of Dublin & Cork and an hour and fifteen minutes to "Galway's Fair City where the girls are so pretty"...

With my best friend having emigrated to Sydney several years ago, and thus being familiar with costs of living there, I think you will find Ireland somewhat refreshing. You can rent a 3BR penthouse on the marina for €700 ()/ or a house & garden for €1500
/ or a 5br house for €800 in Ballina (Killaloe & Ballina are sisters on either side of the bridge over the Shannon Estuary) Here's another stunner:   If you wanted me to ask around I would. I belong to the IWO (International Women's Organization) and some families have rented out their homes when the breadwinner was relocated for a year or they've elected to spend more time at their other homes. I could ask there as well.

If this is too much information, forgive me. As you can see, I love the area and have found it a wonderful place to live, work & play for 21 years.

If you'd like any additional information or there is anything I can do for you please email me on: susanne.mcallister /!\ I AM A STUPID SPAMMER /!\.

Céad mile fáilte,
Susanne
PS Just came across this house listing which I think is owned by my friend Ken Rice. I just sent him a text and will find out more about it. The house is lovely and in a sterling location in a mature development in Ballina near the Lakeside Hotel which has a great health club & pool/jacuzzi/steam room/sauna. Quiet. Crawling distance from all amenities. I'm guessing the rental would be about €1500 a month.

_________________________
Susanne McAllister
Penthouse E18 Harbour Village
Killaloe, Co.Clare, Ireland

Here are some links: discoverkillaloe.com/http://www.killaloe.ie/


newsite.raheenwood.org/ 

PPS Just realized I didn't address the alternative element. The school is a magnet for an international group of 100+ families who are mostly interested in alternative lifestyles. I'd suggest most are interested in organic food (forgot to mention we have a great Sunday market in the village) and some of the parents are bio-dynamic organic gardeners who provide weekly boxes delivered to the school.
And there are scores of artists, musicians, performers of all types. As well as events incorporating all of those that are geared toward families like Earth Song (earthsong.ie/).
³§±ôá²Ô,³§

Hi Andydenise,

I'm looking to retire in Ireland from the US in a couple of years and have been doing a good bit of research on where to retire, so I'll share what I have and hope it is of some value to you.

The cost of living in the bigger cities like Dublin, Cork and Galway is still pretty high. We're not that fond of city living anyway so wanted to find an area which has some city amenities and conveniences without the city hassles.

We're artsy folk who like the outdoors so we wanted some place lovely with quick access to hiking trails, forests, mountains and the sea. Public transportation was another issue, and lastly, we  wanted the mildest temperatures we could find.

We looked at a lot of places to settle. Graystones is on the east coast south of Dublin in the rail line and is a lovely place. We looked at Adare, a very charming village, with thatched cottages close to Limerick. Lastly, we looked in Southwest Cork at Glengarriff and Bantry. Glengarriff is a small village of less than a thousand people, right on Bantry Bay with the sea to the south, mountains to the north and lots of interesting places to explore within a short drive. Fifteen minutes away is Bantry, with many amenities like a movie theatre, shops of all sorts and it has fairly cheap rents, as well,in the 500-700 Euro range for very nice accommodations. It is a market town, which means that every Friday over a hundred vendors bring their wares to town and all sorts of produce and cheeses and whatnots and thingamabobs can be had, clothes,rugs, electronics, you name it. I consider that an added advantage as the prices are competitive and you can haggle a bit on some items, just as you would at a flea market here. The town has a population of only 4,000 but the surrounding area's population is an additional 12,000. Here's a link to their website:bantry.ie/site42/

As to your children's school enrollment, I believe you'll find the information at this web address helpful:citizensinformation.ie/en/moving_country/moving_to_ireland/introduction_to_the_irish_syst

Good luck to you and your family, Ireland is a wonderful place and I wish you a happy transition.

Melissa