Slashdot Mirror

Ahem, Ireland is part of the Euro Zone...
The UK was EuroSceptic and opted out. But the attitude seems to be changing...
The countries partaking in the Euro:

• Germany
• Ireland
• Norway
• Greece
• France
• Luxemburg
• Austria
• Finland
• Belgium
• Italy
• Portugal
• Spain

The official (non-responding) Euro website: http://www.euro.ecb.int/ ...

So what's the Irish punt worth these days? I seem to remember it being about $1.40.

Go to the European Central Bank site, click on "Daily euro foreign exchange reference rates", and divide the rate by 0.787564. At present, IR£1 = US$1.32

So are the housing prices somewhat even across the nation or are you just quoting Dublin prices?

They are worst in Dublin, but the rest of the country - especially anywhere near a population centre where you would get good work - is not far behind at all.

The weather doesn't bother me much. I suppose if I can live where the temps range from -30 to 43C during the year and can be bone dry one year and downright soggy the next, I should be able to handle Ireland.

But can you handle soggy one year, wet the next, and constant rain on the third? Seriously, it's not quite that bad. One of the advantages of the climate is that it's mild. There is a low range of temperatures - it never really gets hotter than 28C on the hottest summer days, nor colder than -5C on the most bitter winter nights

I don't drink, so beer & pubs are not a concern.

You would be one of the few in the country. Unfortunately, social and community life tends to revolve around the pub. I, too, am (almost) a non-drinker, and it can be a struggle to maintain a connection to the community outside the pubs.

Extremely non ethnically diverse. Depending on your point of view, that can be good or bad....I personally rather have that than a place where anything and everything becomes a racial issue whether is really is or not.

I think what the poster was trying to say, and it's a difficult thing to say, is that the nation is beginning to become more ethnically diverse, and we are beginning to see racism raise it's ugly head. If you are not white, you may find yourself the subject of racist taunting. There is little racist violence, but I think some of us fear that it's on it's way.

Ireland is a nation in transition. We have had a number of pretty bad scandals recently involving all the big pillars of society - Church, State, Banks, etc. We are getting richer, and hence we have been targetted by trafficers in illegal immigrants for the first time in our history - hence some of the growth in racism. We are growing up, and I think, overall, we are growing up quite well.