We've been in Donegal for a bit now... it's a beautiful place with mountains and beaches. If it were warmer, I'd be moving here permanently with no questions asked! And it wouldn't be too hard, either. There are hundreds of houses with scenic views that sit empty; the only signs of life are the "for sale" signs being battered by the wind. All of these houses are the result of a construction boom that was considered part of the Celtic Tiger, a name given to the economic boom that Ireland experienced from the mid-1990s to the very early 2000s. There are multiple theories why the Celtic Tiger ran away with nothing but a scorched tail- a few people we've talked to have said things from the bankruptcy of banks, the falling out of the real estate market, and the outside aid being unaware of European and Irish traditions. (Due to SOPA protests, you won't be getting much more of an overview than that...).
Eventually, Donegal is going to make a come back. Even though a lot of the houses here aren't really beautifully built, there is still a lot that this region has to offer. Liam, my friend that we are staying with, and I were discussing when the best time to buy a house in the region would be. We reckoned that in about 2 years, we'll get the lowest price. From there, the prices will slowly start to rise. While their accession back into glory will be a slow one, Donegal, and the rest of Ireland, won't be in the trenches much longer- especially when compared with the likes of Greece. While Greece didn't have quite the drastic fall that Ireland did, I think that the social parameters and safety nets of the Irish culture and society really aided them to more or less land on their feet. It's true that Ireland as a whole has seen cutbacks due to the recession but you still see more people drinking in pubs than begging on the street (again, this would probably be a bit more informative if SOPA wasn't such a jerk.). A lot of what the Irish really have to watch out for now is keeping their national debt, which every citizen is liable for, in check.
Eventually, Donegal is going to make a come back. Even though a lot of the houses here aren't really beautifully built, there is still a lot that this region has to offer. Liam, my friend that we are staying with, and I were discussing when the best time to buy a house in the region would be. We reckoned that in about 2 years, we'll get the lowest price. From there, the prices will slowly start to rise. While their accession back into glory will be a slow one, Donegal, and the rest of Ireland, won't be in the trenches much longer- especially when compared with the likes of Greece. While Greece didn't have quite the drastic fall that Ireland did, I think that the social parameters and safety nets of the Irish culture and society really aided them to more or less land on their feet. It's true that Ireland as a whole has seen cutbacks due to the recession but you still see more people drinking in pubs than begging on the street (again, this would probably be a bit more informative if SOPA wasn't such a jerk.). A lot of what the Irish really have to watch out for now is keeping their national debt, which every citizen is liable for, in check.
Just adding to this- there's a billboard in Limerick that states there were 5,000 Irish people homeless this Christmas. With a population of about 4.5 million, that's really not half bad.
ReplyDelete