Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - OT: Possible relo to DUBLIN!

I just got off the phone with my boss about a possible position in DUBLIN, IRELAND! :thumb: I'm so excited, I can't even tell you--I've wanted to live in Ireland as long as I can remember!

So now that my dream is becoming a reality, I realize that there are gaping holes in my knowledge of Dublin. For example:
We have 2 45lb dogs. Is it dog friendly?
I hope to live car-free. Is this possible?
In the US, we have 110 or 120 volt 60 hertz electricity. Can we take any of our electronics with us (without starting a fire?)

The best news ever, of course, comes with all that nervous excitement. Has anyone relocated internationally? Any advice? What about any folks who currently live in Ireland?

You'll need converters for your electronics.

You can survive car-free pretty well, especially with a bike. My fiancee was there for 3 weeks on business a couple years ago, and even needing a walker to get around, she was OK with it. That's usually how I judge it: If the chick with a walker can do it, then anyone on a bike can.

About the dogs... typically taking dogs overseas means that they'll have to endure the trauma of a quarantine kennel for a couple months before you're allowed to have them back. The sad truth about these places is that many perfectly healthy animals die because they're housed and share food/water with others who are sick. A quarantine kennel isn't a 5-star $1000/week dog-spa that the Hollywood elite send their precious to when they're off on location. It's more like a holding cell prison. Ask your re-lo people about the process for animals, and if they must spend time in quarantine.

I've never been there so this is just a bunch of links found via google.

http://www.dublin.ie/home.htm

http://www.dublin.ie/transport/cycling-walking.htm

dublin cycling campaign - http://home.connect.ie/dcc/

Good luck and hope the move goes smoothly.

I just got off the phone with my boss about a possible position in DUBLIN, IRELAND! :thumb: I'm so excited, I can't even tell you--I've wanted to live in Ireland as long as I can remember!

So now that my dream is becoming a reality, I realize that there are gaping holes in my knowledge of Dublin. For example:
We have 2 45lb dogs. Is it dog friendly?
I hope to live car-free. Is this possible?
In the US, we have 110 or 120 volt 60 hertz electricity. Can we take any of our electronics with us (without starting a fire?)

The best news ever, of course, comes with all that nervous excitement. Has anyone relocated internationally? Any advice? What about any folks who currently live in Ireland?

As someone else said, your probably better to find a good home for your dogs, perhaps friends or relatives who like your dogs. Animals usually need long quarantine before being allowed into another country. Dublin is in the Republic of Ireland, so you should contact the government of Ireland, like most modern countries they have a web site (http://www.gov.ie).

Most modern electronics fall into three groups, those that have a convertible internal power supply, those that have a non-convertible power supply and those with an external power supply.

Non Convertible internal power supplies, in these devices the power supply is inside the unit, and has a fixed voltage, to use these devices you need a converter when changing from one voltage/Hz to another. A Television is a good example. You need a converter, cheap converters are for low current devices, heavy current devices need either a replacement power supply, or should be replaced in country.

Convertible power supplies, usually have a 110/220 switch, these often have a detachable power cord, and you can order a different cord from the manufacturer. Desktop computers are a good example of convertible power supplies. As plugs can be different in different countries, order a cord for the country you are going to.

External power supplies are power bricks, wall warts, etc. In this case the power supply is separate from the unit, usually you can order a different power supply either from the manufacturer/distributor or a travel speciality place. Laptops usually use external power supplies.

Your first step though should be to find out what visas and other such information you need, don't count on your employer having the right information, instead check the Government of the Republic of Ireland website for contact information for their Immigration department and email them asking if they could send you information. You may need to contact an Irish Immigration lawyer to deal with this for you.

Car free, in Europe gasoline has always been very expensive, , so the car never really took over, like it did in the US. So expect much more transit to be available, and the bicycle to be used much more for transportation.
Although many people in Europe have cars, the car is used for recreational trips, while transit does the heavy lifting, the inverse of the way things are in North America.

I am jealous. I have always wanted to live in Ireland for a spell. Last time I was there was about 17 years ago and I have heard it is a different place. Ireland is(was) the tech hotbed for Europe and their economy had exploded. I have been trying to schedule a family trip there but it keeps falling through. I would love to ride a bike around the country because the scenery is truely breathtaking (I am partial because I am of Irish descent).

Be careful in Dublin, it has it's ghettos like any other major cities. I have heard stories of tourists being pick pocketed frequently and luggage being stolen from their trunks. Although, you will be living there and not a tourist so it prolly doesn't matter.

The Guiness tastes much better in Ireland then here in the states.

For kicks, check out the movie, The Commitments. It is set in Dublin and is pretty damn funny.