{"id":1025,"date":"2026-05-16T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=1025"},"modified":"2026-05-14T14:13:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T13:13:00","slug":"%ca%bcwe-left-england-for-ireland-in-may-and-never-wanted-to-go-back%ca%bc-this-couple-shares-their-new-life-in-galway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/%ca%bcwe-left-england-for-ireland-in-may-and-never-wanted-to-go-back%ca%bc-this-couple-shares-their-new-life-in-galway\/","title":{"rendered":"\u02bcWe left England for Ireland in May and never wanted to go back\u02bc: this couple shares their new life in Galway"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ferry pulled into the bay under a wet<\/strong> sky, and Emma squeezed Jack\u2019s hand<\/strong>. They had crossed a narrow stretch of water, yet it felt like a continent<\/strong>, a small leap that changed everything<\/strong>. Sitting on a suitcase in the hostel common room, they decided to stay<\/strong>, to build a life where mist meets music<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why Galway called to them<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

They had visited on a long weekend<\/strong>, drifting through Shop Street\u2019s buskers<\/strong> and the quiet curve of the Claddagh<\/strong>, and felt a tug they couldn\u2019t name<\/strong>. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t glamour,\u201d Jack said<\/strong>, \u201cit was the hum<\/strong> of a place that felt awake<\/strong>.\u201d They both worked remotely in design<\/strong> and communications, craving a city that was creative<\/strong> but human<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

On the map it looked small<\/strong>, but the edges spill into the Atlantic<\/strong>, and that sense of horizon<\/strong> became their daily medicine<\/strong>. \u201cGalway doesn\u2019t shout,\u201d Emma added<\/strong>, \u201cit sings<\/strong>, and the note lingers in your bones<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The first weeks: awkward, bright, and salty<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

They found a tiny flat<\/strong> near Salthill, the kind with a stubborn<\/strong> window and a kettle that clicks like a metronome<\/strong>. The landlord handed over keys<\/strong> and a folded list of bus<\/strong> routes, and they learned the wind\u2019s grammar<\/strong> on the Prom<\/strong>. Every evening, they watched locals turn for the Blackrock<\/strong> diving tower, counting steps like a prayer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThe weather is a character<\/strong>, not a backdrop<\/strong>,\u201d Jack laughed, stuffing towels into a backpack<\/strong> after a sudden downpour<\/strong>. They bought layers<\/strong>, seeded herbs on the sill<\/strong>, and learned to start mornings with strong tea<\/strong> and forgiving plans<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Finding a rhythm in a city of listeners<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Community arrived in increments<\/strong>, a borrowed spade<\/strong>, a barista remembering their order<\/strong>, a Thursday session that welcomed a cautious bodhr\u00e1n<\/strong>. \u201cPeople actually listen<\/strong> here,\u201d Emma said, \u201cthey leave rooms<\/strong> of silence so your story can breathe<\/strong>.\u201d In a week, they had three new friends<\/strong>; in a month, they had a choir<\/strong> of names.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

They volunteered at a cleanup<\/strong> by the river, then stayed for chips<\/strong>, watching swans fold themselves into white commas<\/strong>. On mismatched chairs<\/strong>, strangers traded recipes and routes<\/strong> to Connemara\u2019s best bog<\/strong> road at sunset<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Work, money, and the softer clock<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Remote work gave them flexibility<\/strong>, but they still chased Wi\u2011Fi<\/strong> like a pair of pilgrims<\/strong>. They learned which caf\u00e9s had steady signal<\/strong>, which pubs let laptops linger<\/strong> until the first fiddle<\/strong>. \u201cThe cost of living can be spiky<\/strong>,\u201d Jack admitted, \u201cbut the return on time<\/strong> is lavish<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Their workday now breathes<\/strong>: morning emails, a fast walk<\/strong>, lunch by the Long<\/strong> Walk, then an afternoon push<\/strong> before the light slips<\/strong>. They measure days not by traffic<\/strong>, but by the sea\u2019s mood<\/strong>, and a calendar dotted with small joys<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Weather as teacher, landscape as ally<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Storms blew in like drummers<\/strong>, then cleared to blinding silver<\/strong>. They bought practical coats<\/strong> and learned to name clouds<\/strong>, hearing locals talk of the west<\/strong> with protective tenderness<\/strong>. \u201cYou don\u2019t fight the rain<\/strong>,\u201d Emma said, \u201cyou make a truce<\/strong> and keep moving<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Weekends stretch wide<\/strong>: a bus to Roundstone<\/strong>, a shared flask<\/strong> on the Burren\u2019s lunar limestone<\/strong>, or a chilly dip that resets the heart<\/strong>. \u201cConnemara keeps our ego<\/strong> in check,\u201d Jack smiled<\/strong>, \u201cthe mountains are always older<\/strong> and always right<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Trad nights, small rituals, and the art of showing up<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

They stopped chasing the \u201cbest\u201d pub<\/strong> and started showing up at the one with a corner<\/strong> that feels like home<\/strong>. A fiddler nods, the room<\/strong> leans in, and songs with salt<\/strong> on them spill into the night<\/strong>. They walk back along wet cobbles<\/strong>, trading lines of poems<\/strong> they never meant to memorize<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Out of the big-city hurry<\/strong>, they made small rituals<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • A Friday swim at high<\/strong> tide, no matter the mood<\/strong><\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • A monthly train to Dublin<\/strong> to remember the scale<\/strong><\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • A notebook of overheard phrases<\/strong>, saved like seeds<\/strong><\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • One new route<\/strong> each week, even if it\u2019s only a new alley<\/strong><\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    What they miss, and what they don\u2019t<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    They miss late-night takeaways<\/strong>, a particular park<\/strong>, the familiar thrum of friends<\/strong> within twenty minutes<\/strong>. They do not miss the commute<\/strong>, the Tuesday misery<\/strong>, or the sense that their best hours<\/strong> were being spent on nothing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cHere we\u2019re not escaping<\/strong>,\u201d Emma said, \u201cwe\u2019re arriving<\/strong>, again and again<\/strong>.\u201d A gull screams like a critic<\/strong>, the kettle hisses like a polite storm<\/strong>, and they feel oddly grown<\/strong> and newly light<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Advice for the next ferry<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    If you plan to swap one coast for another<\/strong>, they suggest small courage<\/strong> and practical boots<\/strong>. Ask questions<\/strong>, learn how to pronounce Gaillimh<\/strong>, buy a decent map<\/strong>, and tip the first musician who stops your breath<\/strong>. \u201cLet the place teach<\/strong> you,\u201d Jack said, \u201cand don\u2019t rush the hello<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    They didn\u2019t find a perfect life<\/strong>, just a truer cadence<\/strong>, the kind that fits your lungs<\/strong> and lets your days sing<\/strong>. On clear evenings, the light turns liquid<\/strong>, the tide pulls at your ankles<\/strong>, and you remember why you came<\/strong> and how to quietly stay<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1063,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1025"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1025\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1050,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1025\/revisions\/1050"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}