Recruiters will tell you until they run out of breath: there is life outside Dublin! The capital may be the first city most people think of when they start planning a move to Ireland, but does that necessarily make it the best choice? With a much lower cost of living, easy access to the untouched, wild beauty of the Irish countryside and no shortage of supply and services, secondary cities like Limerick, Cork and Galway can offer everything Dublin can, and more.
In this post, I’ll be considering Limerick as a place to live, work and grow.
Limerick is the third largest city in Ireland, with a population of roughly 95,000 people, and stands as the gateway to Ireland’s picturesque south west. Home of Agents of SHIELD actress Ruth Negga and Cowboys and Angels director David Gleeson, Limerick was a front-runner nominee for European Capital of Culture 2020. Home to several huge multinational operations, including Dell and several Johnson and Johnson divisions, Limerick’s economy is driven by primarily by pharmaceutical companies.
Well connected by Shannon International Airport, Limerick is connected by air, rail and bus by hourly services to most of Ireland’s other cities, as well as to major tourist towns. If you’re the outdoor type, the city has a broad range of rugged amenities, from kayaking to rock climbing to long distance trekking.
So why Limerick?
The cost of living in Limerick is significantly lower than Dublin, and with IT companies in the west striving to match salaries in the capital city, you won’t find yourself broke on the day before pay day! Currently, a three bedroom house in Dublin’s west suburbs is roughly €1500 per month (and rising quickly!), while a similar house in Limerick’s up market Raheen suburb is generally a steady €1100.
Limerick offers all of the same high street retail names as Dublin with several malls, including Parkway, Crescent and Jetland. The city has three cinemas and regularly plays host to Funderland, Ireland’s answer to non-crisp-based theme parks.
As the culture capital of the South West, Limerick is steeped in history, from the gallery of art to King John’s castle, and leaving the city for the nearby Ballyhoura mountain range’s untamed heathland and forests, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped on to a Game of Thrones set. The river Shannon is ideal for fishing, bird watching, swimming and more adventurous water sports.
As a student city, the nightlife in Limerick can’t be beaten outside of Dublin, however, if you’re looking to meet likeminded professionals, the city has several technical meetups, including regular meets for .Net, iOS, Drupal, Docker, Networking, QA, Open source contributors and even tech startups!
Tech companies in Limerick centre primarily around Castletroy, the area surrounding the University of Limerick’s main campus. Home of Lero, the national software research centre, Castletroy also hosts 30 major technology companies, from home-grown Irish former start-ups to multinationals.
Solas Consulting works with a number of clients in Limerick, and are proud to support some of the most progressive, innovative and welcoming companies in Ireland in building their teams. If you’re looking for something specific, or just more information, please don’t hesitate to call us on 01 2449520
