Oh, that Irish island life! Smelling the Atlantic every day, incredible landscapes, amazing beaches. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?
Ireland is home to many gorgeous islands. Achill Island with its marvellous cliffs, Inishmore with those famous stone walls, Clare Island offering endless views, to name just a few.
Now imagine living in a place like that. That’s the dream, isn’t it? It probably is. For a while? Forever? That’s most likely a personal decision. However, there is another side to island life that doesn’t always get addressed.
We’re looking at five reasons why living on an Irish island might be harder than you think.
5. Isolation – a real problem, especially in winter
Islands are usually seasonal tourist spots. Once the tourists leave, it gets quiet. Winter is especially hard in these places.
There’s limited daylight, hardly any visitors. It helps to be part of the local community, but you shouldn’t underestimate that it’s not easy throughout the darker months.
It’s also a fact that some locals might leave in winter, meaning the island population is even smaller.
Winter isolation might be intense, but you can enjoy and use the quiet. Or what about bingo? Quiz nights? Live music? Be part of the community. They’ll have your back.
4. $$$ – it’s not cheap
Let’s be real – island living doesn’t come cheap. It’s not just about getting there. It’s about everything else getting there, too. Food, building materials, even your car – it all needs to be brought over to the island.
However, get creative. Maybe grow your own vegetables. Isn’t that part of the ideal of living on an island?
While you might not have everything there right away, you have possibilities. You can have a bit of property with your own garden. Thinking about it – could you do that in the city?
3. Getting a job – limited opportunities
Many island jobs are tied to tourism: running or working at a hostel, restaurants, being a tour guide on the island, and more.
Now remember, tourism is seasonal there. That means your job is seasonal as well. That can be tough, especially considering the high island prices.
However, there is another side to consider. Freelancing and remote work opportunities would be perfect if you choose to live on an island.
As long as you have your laptop and internet, you can work. Bonus points: Seasonality wouldn’t apply to you.
2. Healthcare access – available, but also limited
How many islands have hospitals? Or dentists? Let’s face it, most of them don’t have all the healthcare options available that you’re used to.
They do have doctors, of course, but there are still many treatments that would require you to travel to the mainland.
Access to healthcare might become even more of an issue as you get older. Emergencies can be more complicated.
It’s not like you can just call an ambulance as you do on the mainland, but helicopters might be an option. However, island communities look after each other and help.
You wouldn’t need to go through this alone. We’re always stronger in numbers, aren’t we?
1. Weather – it can cut you off
Ireland is known for its very unpredictable weather. Now imagine island weather. It’s taking the unpredictability up a notch.
Especially in winter, the storms can cut you off for days if there’s no bridge connection to the mainland. So you need to be prepared: food, water, generators for electricity, blankets to keep warm, and more.
The other side of the weather coin is rather beautiful, though. Have you ever seen a rainbow off the Irish island coast? Your jaw will drop. Or imagine waves crashing into the coast. You get to experience the power of nature in all its best and worst ways.
So, what do you say? Is island life for you? It’s probably a bit of a trade-off. You get the idealized version with the hardships.
There’s only one way to find out. Come to Ireland, pick your dream island (that are some of the best in the world), and give it a try, even if it’s just for a week. And who knows, maybe you’ll fall in love with that way of living.
