{"id":706,"date":"2010-11-27T22:34:12","date_gmt":"2010-11-27T22:34:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markstephensarchitects.com\/?p=706"},"modified":"2010-11-27T22:34:12","modified_gmt":"2010-11-27T22:34:12","slug":"10-great-things-about-the-west-of-ireland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markstephensarchitects.com\/10-great-things-about-the-west-of-ireland\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Great Things about the West of Ireland…"},"content":{"rendered":"
A non-architectural post for the weekend!<\/p>\n
With the current economic disaster in Ireland it got me thinking about the things that drew me here in the first place and the things that Ireland has that you won’t getter anywhere else in the world. Obviously this list is completely personal and is my honest experience of moving and living in the West of Ireland. So here it is, the top 10 best of West Ireland list:<\/p>\n
1. The People<\/p>\n
As a non-national (I’m from the UK, although somebody today thought I was Eastern European), the people of Ireland have welcomed me and accepted me into their country. With the country rapidly going down the tubes; what can you say about a population that stands together, is proud of their heritage and is adamant they can find a way out of the mess. Is there a greater race in the world that has a better sense of humour, the love of the craic and will welcome any nationality into its arms?<\/p>\n
2. The Education System<\/p>\n
We frequently hear of parents in the UK wanting their children to get into the best primary and secondary schools; some even moving house for this to be possible. I feel Ireland has one of the best education systems in the world; from primary, to secondary and onto tertiary education. The teachers care and what the best for their pupils – there’s no need to move house here; all schools and colleges are of an equally high standard.<\/p>\n
Another advantage that Ireland has is its multiple ways of achieving an end result; there are numerous ways for example of becoming an architect – either through the standard architectural colleges in ireland or through stepping stone courses such as Architectural Technology. <\/p>\n
3. The weather<\/p>\n
Now bear with me – there is no better country to understand the seasons than Ireland. Where else can you experience all of the seasons in one day !<\/p>\n
4. The Late Late Toy Show<\/p>\n
If there was one thing I think I’d miss if I had to leave Ireland it would be the Late Late Toy Show. For the uninitiated, here’s the Wikepedia link that explains the national institution that is RTE’s flag ship programme at Christmas (it was shown yesterday incidentally):<\/p>\n