{"id":3072,"date":"2026-09-06T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=3072"},"modified":"2026-09-04T13:20:06","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T12:20:06","slug":"a-drumcondra-couple-moved-to-kilcormac-and-are-paying-e600-less-a-month-for-twice-the-space","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/a-drumcondra-couple-moved-to-kilcormac-and-are-paying-e600-less-a-month-for-twice-the-space\/","title":{"rendered":"A Drumcondra couple moved to Kilcormac and are paying \u20ac600 less a month for twice the space"},"content":{"rendered":"

They packed their lives into a van<\/strong>, crossed the M6<\/strong>, and found a different rhythm. For Aoife and Mark, life in Dublin<\/strong> had become a monthly calculation of rent<\/strong>, time, and air. Kilcormac wasn\u2019t the first place they considered, but it was the first that felt like a decision<\/strong> rather than a compromise. \u201cWe wanted space<\/strong> to breathe,\u201d Aoife said, \u201cand to stop feeling like we were only ever visiting<\/strong> our own lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t chase a fantasy of acreage<\/strong> and chickens. They chased value<\/strong>. The arithmetic was simple enough: more room, less monthly pressure<\/strong>, better mornings. \u201cPaying about \u20ac600<\/strong> less every month felt like a raise<\/strong>,\u201d Mark laughed. \u201cA raise we gave ourselves<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why they left the city<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

They loved Drumcondra\u2019s caf\u00e9s<\/strong>, quick buses, and evening noise<\/strong>. But living in a one-bed that felt like a corridor<\/strong> started to grind them down. Their lease renewal came with a nudge<\/strong> upward, a familiar letter<\/strong> with unfamiliar numbers.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were constantly editing<\/strong> our lives,\u201d Aoife said. \u201cNo dinner table. No guest room<\/strong>. No place to put a bike<\/strong> without apologising.\u201d When friends had kids<\/strong>, they found it harder to host<\/strong>, harder to be the kind of people they thought they<\/strong> were.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The numbers that changed everything<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

In Offaly, they found a bright three-bed with a garden<\/strong>, south-facing light, and a shed<\/strong> for Mark\u2019s tools. The monthly difference\u2014about \u20ac600<\/strong>\u2014reframed everything: savings, travel, and the quiet confidence<\/strong> of a small buffer.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t just the rent<\/strong>,\u201d Mark said. \u201cInsurance was lower, our gym is cheaper<\/strong>, and we split our weekly shop between a local butcher<\/strong> and the supermarket without feeling like we\u2019re splurging<\/strong>.\u201d The second bedroom became a home<\/strong> office; the third is a studio for Aoife\u2019s ceramics<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

What they gained<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

In practical terms, the move gave them double the square<\/strong> footage and a yard where they can hear blackbirds<\/strong>. In emotional terms, it gave them a steadier pulse<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • A quieter street with neighbours<\/strong> who wave <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • A kitchen big enough for a table<\/strong> and late meals <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • A box room turned workspace<\/strong> with a door that closes <\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • A ten-minute walk to the bog<\/strong> road for Sunday loops<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cWe\u2019re not trying to be Instagram<\/strong> rural,\u201d Aoife added. \u201cWe just wanted our lives to fit<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The commute and connectivity<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Remote work made the idea possible<\/strong>, but not automatic. Mark goes to the office<\/strong> in Dublin once a week; he leaves early, throws a podcast<\/strong> on, and makes it in before rush hour<\/strong>. \u201cDoor-to-door, it\u2019s about 95<\/strong> minutes if traffic is kind,\u201d he said. \u201cBut the days I don\u2019t commute<\/strong> feel like gifts.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Kilcormac\u2019s broadband isn\u2019t the punchline<\/strong> it once was. Fibre arrived on their street<\/strong> last year. \u201cVideo calls are crisp<\/strong>, and we\u2019ve had fewer dropouts than we ever did in our old apartment<\/strong>,\u201d Aoife said. The real win is the separation<\/strong>\u2014work in the small room, life in the big one<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Community, pace, and trade-offs<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The first night was quiet<\/strong>. Too quiet, they thought. By the first weekend<\/strong>, a neighbour had knocked with a bag of apples<\/strong> and a question about bins. \u201cPeople here are gentle<\/strong>, but not nosy,\u201d Aoife said. \u201cThey remember your name<\/strong>, which still surprises me.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    There are trade-offs they don\u2019t romanticise<\/strong>. Fewer late-night options<\/strong>, a bit more planning for cinema<\/strong> trips or gigs, and a reliance on the car<\/strong> they didn\u2019t need in Drumcondra. \u201cWe\u2019ve built new habits<\/strong>,\u201d Mark said. \u201cBatch cooking, earlier walks<\/strong>, and fewer \u2018let\u2019s just pop<\/strong> out\u2019 nights.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    What they gained in return is a different<\/strong> kind of social life: quiz nights at the local, a Saturday market<\/strong>, and the soft obligation<\/strong> to show up because people notice when you don\u2019t<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The texture of everyday<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Morning starts with the kettle and the sound of crows<\/strong> over the line of ash trees<\/strong>. There\u2019s a seat by the back door<\/strong> that gets sunlight by nine. Aoife throws clay on Tuesdays<\/strong>, Mark sands a shelf on Sundays<\/strong>. They bought a second-hand table<\/strong> that actually fits dinner and four friends<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cSmall, good<\/strong> days,\u201d Aoife said. \u201cThat\u2019s the point. Not grand<\/strong> gestures.\u201d On Fridays, they drive to their old neighbourhood<\/strong> for a fix of city energy<\/strong>\u2014coffee, a browse, a fast walk<\/strong> down the canal\u2014and then they come back, headlights curving through the dark<\/strong> to a house that doesn\u2019t need them to shrink to fit<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Advice for anyone tempted<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    They\u2019d tell you to map your week<\/strong>, not your fantasy<\/strong>. Count the boring bits<\/strong>: bins, broadband, backup childcare if you need it<\/strong>. Test the commute at the exact<\/strong> time you\u2019d do it. Talk to someone who lives within three streets<\/strong>, not just an estate agent<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cKnow what you\u2019re not willing<\/strong> to lose,\u201d Mark said. \u201cFor us, that was decent coffee<\/strong>, quick internet, and a sense we weren\u2019t isolated<\/strong>. We found all three\u2014but only after a lot of questions<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    And if the numbers add up, trust the maths<\/strong> and your own pulse<\/strong>. Their move wasn\u2019t dramatic. It was a series of calm<\/strong> choices: a cheaper rent, a room for work, a patch of sky<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s not perfect,\u201d Aoife added, \u201cbut it\u2019s ours<\/strong>\u2014and that makes all the difference every single month<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3072","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\/3072","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=3072"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3072\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3102,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3072\/revisions\/3102"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3072"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3072"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3072"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}