Clare

Fun fact: Born in 1841, John Philip Holland who invented the submarine, was from Liscannor, Co Clare

THE famous refrain from the Ralph McTell song is that ‘it’s a long, long way from Clare to here,’ but it is a long, long time since Clare has been far away from anywhere given that Shannon Airport has been in existence since 1939 and has grown to be a major international airport.

This may be a moot point, however, as it’s entirely possible that you won’t want to leave a county that can reasonably boast that it has everything. From beautiful, often epic, scenery to ideal surfing conditions; from a music scene that draws visitors from all over the world to a thriving literary culture; Clare delivers for locals and visitors alike.

A casual glance at the websites of any Irish recruitment agency quickly reveals that Clare offers a wide range of opportunities across a variety of sectors and career stages.  The med-tech sector is thriving in Clare, with operations like clinical diagnostics company Beckman Coulter always looking for world class talent, and there is a growing aviation cluster in Shannon. Lufthansa Technik, GECAS, Magellan Aviation, Avocent and Digital River are just some of the major international companies with operations in Clare. To see what jobs are available to suit your skills check out WesternJobs.ie.

Clare continues to be a very affordable place to live – with the national average Irish House price standing at €308,497. The average price of a house in Clare per Daft latest housing report for Q1 of 2023 is €234,058. As a result, people on relatively average incomes can afford to purchase their own homes, a situation that is far from being the case in other parts of the country. The average rent in Clare as per Daft’s Rental Price Report Q1 2023, is €1,239 – up 11.7% from the previous year. A rental supply shortage has seen rents across the entire island of Ireland  increase, however Clare provides value for money when compared to the national average of €1,750.

Wherever you live in Ireland, paying for childcare is a serious budgetary consideration, but those parents who live in Clare have a bit more money left for themselves than their counterparts in many other counties. According to data collected by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in November 2019, average weekly full-time childcare fees in Clare come to €165.37, considerably less than the €246.03 forked out by parents in Dublin Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown or the €207.40 cost of childcare in Dublin city.

Clare can cater to all tastes from its breathtaking scenic views to lively towns! The coastal village of Lahinch is a must-visit for keen surfers and casual walkers, and it also boasts one of the largest indoor aquariums in Ireland for rainy-day visitors. Gus O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin and the legendary Durty Nelly’s in Bunratty are just two of any number of fine pubs worth visiting – both of which are offering takeaway pints and outdoor dining options during the pandemic. If these don’t take your fancy, we’d highly recommend visiting the Cliffs of Moher – trailing from Liscannor to Doolin!

The quality of life for people who live and work in Clare is greatly enhanced by the ease of commuting. Those relocating from the east coast will not know themselves as they enjoy simple and straightforward journeys to work or on the school run. According to the most recent Census figures, which were released in 2017, commuters in Clare have an average travel time of only 24.5 minutes, just under 10 minutes less time per journey than is faced by commuters in Meath and Wicklow. With great employment options in Ennis and Shannon, people in Clare can easily opt for rural or town living secure in the knowledge they won’t face much of a commute.

Clare hosts a campus in Ennis for Limerick Institute of Technology and students from the county are also close to two of the country’s leading universities – University of Limerick and National University of Ireland Galway. The county also has a wide variety of primary and secondary school options without the hindrance of the pressure on numbers and access that can limit educational options in counties like Dublin.