Ireland

Ireland? 🇮🇪 How Did I End Up There?

Flying Easterner 2025-11-25160Ireland

Since mid-October, when I first started writing this blog (and officially launched it on January 1, 2025), I had one clear goal in mind — to go abroad and try a new life. I knew I wanted to move to an English-speaking country. The options on the table? The USA, the UK, Australia, New Zealand… and eventually, Ireland.

Ireland quickly caught my attention for several reasons. It’s a country within the European Union, so as a Slovak citizen, I can live and work there legally without needing a visa — a huge advantage compared to other English-speaking countries. For me, it was like a “safe bet” — far from home, but still within Europe.

While browsing online, I came across an agency called CoolAgent, which helps people find jobs specifically in Ireland. I sent them my resume, and after a few weeks, the first interviews rolled in — most of them happening in late November and early December. In the end, I picked the offer that seemed like the best fit and, without overthinking it, booked my one-way ticket to Dublin.

But of course… not everything went according to plan. The agency even sent me a bus ticket (arranged through another partner agency they work with in Ireland) via FlixBus — but little did I know, FlixBus doesn’t even operate in Ireland. And that’s where my very first Irish adventure began…

Turns out, FlixBus simply doesn’t run in Ireland, and it took a cheerful bus driver to tell me — with a smirk — that this was a “classic scam” still floating around the internet. And just like that, my Irish story officially kicked off.

December 16th – the day of my flight. I was supposed to start work on December 19th, so I figured I’d give myself a short acclimatization break. My flight was in the evening, so I booked a room at the Radisson Blu Hotel right at Dublin Airport — cost me around €150 for one night, which hit my budget pretty hard, but I told myself: “After a long day, I deserve some real rest.”

The next day at 11:40 AM, I was supposed to catch a bus from the airport to Carrick-on-Shannon. But it took me quite a while to figure out where exactly the bus leaves from, since the FlixBus app was showing a completely different location than the actual stop. In the end, I found it — it was Expressway route 13 heading to Sligo, departing from outside Terminal 1.

When I showed the driver my digital ticket, he just smiled and said:
“This ticket’s invalid, but since you paid, I’ll take you.”
So I made it on board after all. That’s when I learned my first real Irish lesson:
Not everything that works in Europe… actually works in Europe. 😅

After a few hours of driving, I finally arrived in Carrick-on-Shannon, where a taxi was supposed to be waiting to take me to the hotel where I’d be working. Sure enough, the driver who showed up wasn’t the one I was expecting — but thankfully, he took me anyway.

He dropped me off right at the hotel reception, where I checked in as a new staff member.
And then… they gave me lunch. I went for the classic: Fish and Chips. 🐟🍟

Settling in: new room, new housemates, new life

Everything went smoothly. I waited for the manager, who showed me around and took me to my accommodation. I got a private room in a shared house, where I shared the kitchen, living room, and bathroom with other colleagues. Let’s just say it wasn’t luxury — but after Sardinia, it was way better than I expected, especially having some privacy. The room wasn’t anything special, but I slowly made it my own, added a few personal touches, and started feeling at home. Now? We’ve even turned the living room into a home gym.

I had a day or two off before starting work, so I used the time to get to know my housemates. They gave me some great survival tips for living in Ireland — like the fact that groceries are quite expensive, and it’s actually cheaper (and more convenient) to order online from Tesco, which delivers straight to your door. That really surprised me — the Irish have life figured out pretty well.
There was just one catch — I needed an Irish SIM card, so one of them lent me theirs until I got my own.

They even took me out for my first grocery run, just to show me around and help me get the basics. Everything went smoothly, the system worked, and people were nice… in short, Ireland welcomed me with open arms.

As for the job itself — it was alright! Took me a little while to get used to their accent and style of communication, but after a few days, I got the hang of it. It was a bit different from Slovakia or Italy, but manageable.

The day before I started working, I took a walk around the hotel grounds, which were part of a historic castle complex. There were gardens, a park, and even a castle — I walked through it all and honestly felt like I was in a movie with knights and royalty. I swear, I felt like a king who just got his castle built. 😄

First days off: discovering stones and sleepy towns

The next day I already started working, but when my first day off came around, I went out to explore the surroundings. One of the first things I found was this strange-looking stone — like an altar or some kind of stone chair. You’ve got to see it to believe it (you’ll find the photo below). It honestly looked fascinating.

The closest town to where I live is called Mohill – a small, quiet place about 4 kilometers from my workplace. It used to be the main town in the area, but today that title belongs to Carrick-on-Shannon.
Mohill has only around a thousand residents, but you’ll find everything you need there – a small grocery store, two pubs, a post office, a bank, and a bus stop (even if the bus only runs a few times a day – still better than nothing!).

It’s your classic Irish countryside town – peaceful, green, and with that calm atmosphere that makes you just want to slow down and breathe.

A gingerbread town and Christmas alone

The hotel where I worked had this amazing winter decoration – a full gingerbread town, complete with little houses, trees, and twinkling lights. It looked like something out of a fairy tale and created a truly magical Christmas atmosphere. Every day when I walked into work, it was the first thing that greeted me – and even though I was far from home, it brought a little warmth to my heart.

That year, I experienced Christmas Eve completely alone for the first time. I made myself a simple dinner – kind of an Irish-Slovak fusion meal – and realized that this, too, is part of life. On December 24th, I still had to work, because in Ireland, the public holiday is on the 25th, and that’s the only day of the year when the hotel is completely closed.

This experience taught me a lot. I realized that in life, nothing comes for free – and if you want to achieve something, you have to work hard every single day, even when it’s not easy. But it’s exactly those moments that shape who we are.

If you want to follow more of my Irish adventures, don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter and follow me on Instagram, so you don’t miss the next chapter of The Wandering Eastener in the “land of rain and green.” 🍀

Cross your boundaries – that’s where the treasure you’re seeking is hidden.

Flying Easterner

Follow me on Instagram!