1.  Response Why should Winter in Ireland – Ideas for Places to Stay during Covid 

The COVID pandemic means remote working is here to stay. For those who want to mix business with travel Ireland offers great opportunities in the off season and digital nomads and many others will choose an area to suit them for the winter months.  The beauty of the countryside, the lack of pollution and the fresh Atlantic air mean that many parts of Ireland make ideal bases for Workcationers or Digital nomads.

Ireland is a favoured location for many of the world’s leading high tech companies which means that we are used to technology and its benefits. Companies such as Apple, Google, Mircosoft, Dell, EMC,  Paypal, Facebook and Linkedin  are  based in Ireland with a Security Digital Hub in Cork. There are also many  international pharmaceutical companies based around the country. Broadband quality is good in most parts of Ireland but we will only recommend places where it can be guaranteed.

Remote working in Ireland increased quickly with the the onset of the pandemic in 2020. A Labour Force Survey by the CSO                     (Central Statistics Office) in Ireland in 2020 prior to the pandemic found that 5.4% of workers were home based, by mid 2020  40% were remote working and by the end of 2020 Ireland had the 4th highest level of remote working in the EU. During the pandemic a third (34%) of the Irish working population started working from home . A survey carried out by the Whitaker Institute  NUIG (National University Ireland Galway) in May 2021 found that 95% of working people in Ireland want to continue some level of remote working after the pandemic is over.

Each address in Ireland has a postcode  which makes it easy for courier companies to find your location if you want to send belongings or office equipment ahead.   Ireland is small country but motorways are limited and the pace of driving  in Ireland on other roads is quite slow. We suggest making a list of what you want to do in Ireland – such as visiting an old family homestead, and what you would like to do such as visiting castles or ancient sites such as Newgrange, Co Meath. Make a wish list to start with and then decide on what parts of the country to visit. 

2.   Benefits of Workcation in Ireland

Why Choose Ireland

• There are lots of properties available in rural locations for the winter months. 
• There are good links with EU countries and both Aer Lingus and Ryanair provide flights from Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock and Kerry Airports. 
• Flights to more distant destinations are mostly from Dublin Airport, with links to UK, Amsterdam or Paris to Cork or Belfast airports. 
• A friendly warm, English speaking population who welcome visitors into the community. 
• A wide range of activities for people to enjoy at weekends during the off-season.
• Ireland’s population is over 94% vaccinated and Covid Certification is required to get into restaurants, hotels and cinemas. 
• Ireland has a mild temperate oceanic climate with soft gentle rain. We occasionally have snow and icy roads in the winter months of December to February, particularly in northern areas. We dress for the weather and it does not stop us getting outdoors.
  

  

• Good quality broadband is available in most parts of Ireland and there are many digital hubs where you can hot desk or hire a space for a number of weeks if broadband is less reliable.
• or months in rural Ireland and a house where you can turn a room into an office is an advantage. Make sure they have a desk to work from and some may have an office chair and printer available as well.
• Many heritage sites are open all year round and can be visited in the quiet months.
• A good health service with a General Practitioner Sructure – so it’s best for families to base themselves in a particular area to sign up with a GP 

3.   Is Ireland Safe To Visit

The Irish Population has embraced vaccination with over 90% of adults vaccinated and the Government is constantly updating the information on Covid entry requirements. Many businesses have Covid-19 safety certification, self-catering and glamping allows you to stay in family pods and outdoor activities are safest. Details on the latest Covid rules on Travelling to IReland, Exceptions from Testing , Passenger LOcaltor Forms, arriving from Northern Ireland and other details on the Government links

4. Best Type of Accommodation

There is a lot of good quality accommodation in rural areas, with great mountain scenery and beaches to admire and to enjoy walks  on.  The best value for a Workcation is a self-catering house and many have vacancies over the winter months. 

You can choose to stay at one base for 1 to 6 months or move to a different property and region each month. Contact the owners for a direct contract for renting as it’s cheaper and some owners may be willing to offer roll over rental from month to month. 

The busiest times of the year for self-catering are normally from mid-March to  the end of October, and sometimes Christmas and New Year. Be aware of this and  you might agree to the property for one of the occasions and visit another part of Ireland or the EU on a holiday.

Hotels are available but many close for the months of January and February, and are not ideal for quiet workcationers. There are some with award winning golf courses on site or nearby which are ideal for short breaks, especially good value mid-week. 

Contact ActivityDays for details of Self-Catering properties which may be available for longer rentals in winter months. 

5.  Regions to Stay in Ireland

Ireland is divided into 5 tourism regions, each with its own character. 

A. The Wild Atlantic Way –

It is over 2,500km long and will take about 10 days to drive  comfortably.

It stretches along the west coast of Ireland from Cork in the south to Donegal on the north coast and includes the counties of :

• Cork with beautiful scenery  and attractive small villages and towns in the west 
• Kerry with the drives of the Ring of Kerry, Dingle with its music and culture and Killarney.  
• Clare has the Cliffs of Moher, surfing and music in Doolin and other villages 
• Galway with the vibrant city having music and great food while Connemara to the west has gorgeous scenery and many self-catering homes. Visit Kylemore Abbey, the Aran Islands or Connemara National Park.  
• Mayo is more remote with Achill Island, the towns of Westport, Ballina, and Castlebar. You can climb Croagh Patrick, visit one of the small islands or one of the many empty beaches.

  

• Sligo is known for walking and surfing, and is called Yeats Country. Lough Gill has lovely scenery with Parke’s Castle and there are many wild open beaches. 
• Donegal is stunning and wild with great walking, driving routes and many heritage sites such as Donegal Castle and Donegal National Park. West Donegal has an airport and the region is Irish speaking with music and song as part of the culture. 

   

   

  B.  Hidden Heartlands – 

  in the centre of Ireland is based around the river Shannon which runs through it.  
• Limerick city on the Shannon is rich in history and is famous for the artisan food at the Milk Market, Munster Rugby and King John’s Castle.

  

• Tipperary has many country houses, quaint villages and the Rock of Cashel.  
• Westmeath in the centre of Ireland is on the Shannon with boat hire and Ireland’s oldest pub in Athlone. 
• Offaly is famous for Clonmacnoise on the River Shannon, one of IRelands most famous monstic sites, and BIrr Castle and Lough Boora Discovery Park where there are loop walks and outdoor sculptures on the route.  
• Roscommon has lakes and Lough Key Forest Park has a lot of activity. Arigna Mining Experience tells of the life of the miners and Strokestown House and Rathcroghan Visitors Centre tell of history and heritage
• Cavan  is famous for its many fishing lakes, horse riding and water sports.  There is less accommodation in this area for winter rentals.  

   

• C.  Ancient East

  

• – this covers the eastern side of Ireland from Co Louth and Meath in the north, to Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford and East Cork. Visit the ancient sites of the Boyne valley such as Newgrange and the Hill of Tara in a day. In Wicklow climb the hills or visit the stunning valley of Glendalough

   

   

• D.  Dublin

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    The Dublin city and county area is heavily populated and not suited to Workcationers, but plan to spend time here visiting museums, galleries, literature,  shopping and enjoying general cultural activity during your stay. Blogs on What to Do in Dublin give details of what can be done over a few days.
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  E. Walking with Giants –

  • Northern Ireland is famous for the city of Belfast with its Titanic Centre, Mourne Mountains for walking and Giant’s Causeway on the north coast. Game of Thrones was filmed here, with guided tours of the filming areas and in 2022 a Game of Thrones Centre opening to visitors.

6.   Places to Visit

Castles and country houses are scattered throughout Ireland from Blarney Castle in Cork to Bunratty Castle in Clare or country houses to stay in at weekends.

Killarney is a famous tourism town with great views round the region. Walk the hills or one of the many other walks on the Ring of Kerry. Take a drive to Kenmare and the Ring of Beara. 

There are many heritage sites throughout Ireland and we recommend getting a Heritage Card, which gives free access to the top heritage sites if you plan to stay in Ireland for a few months.

There are greenways in various parts of Ireland and these are most suited to cycling, with the Waterford Greenway and Great Western Greenway in Mayo being the best known. 

Let us know your particular interest and we can recommend the best area of the country for this activity.  Films are being shot in Ireland all year round, with Achill Island  being the setting for The Banshees of Inisherin starring Irish actors Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.

7.   Make it about Food and Drink.

Ireland is world famous for its food and drink and is the home of Kerrygold Butter, Guinness, Baileys and Jameson Whiskey. Coffee shops and ….. for food are found throughout the country, with the Hungry Heron near Leenane in Connemara winning one of the best in the world. The English Market in Cork is world famous as the home of artisan foods in Ireland, with food tours each week and private tours by arrangement here or in other towns.

On Saturdays visit the food markets of the Milk Market in Limerick or Belfast’s George’s Market. Many country towns  have farmers’ markets weekly with Midleton and Bantry in Co Cork being two of the best known.  You may want to do a cookery course, a foraging trip or a cheese tour, all are possible in Ireland where fresh food is available in many villages. Local supermarkets offer local and international produce. 

Dublin’s Guinness Brewery has a famous visitor centre with views over the city. Dublin also offers whiskey distillery tours and Midleton in Cork is the home of  the Jameson Brewery. There are many smaller distillers from Dingle in Kerry, to Bushmills in North Antrim, all which can be visited at leisure during your stay in Ireland. There are numerous small breweries producing beers and  traditional stout.  Every village has a pub offering a wide range of drinks.

8. Family Friendly

Education in Ireland is free at primary and secondary level with the school year running from September to June at primary level and to the end of May at second level. Textbooks and designated uniforms need to be paid for by parents.  Pre-schools are available in most villages and are privately run. Primary schools are found in most villages while secondary schools are usually in bigger villages and towns. There are options in some areas for primary education through Irish, for multi-denominational education and there are a few fee-paying Steiner schools. Some second level schools take EU students during the winter months to learn  English or Irish. 

If you wish to bring children of school going age to Ireland they need to have school reports  before the end of May or June for the following September. Students need to be pre-booked into a school arriving before the end of September. Contact ActivityDays for more details. Third Level education is also available but needs to be organised by January of the academic year, or come to Ireland as part of an Erasmus student exchange. 

9. Get Planning

Ireland does not have a history of  Workcationers staying for  longterm rental. Contact ActivityDays.ie with a request for more information on the best areas to stay in.

A form will request details of the party, your interests and what you require during your stay in Ireland. Give details of the region you want to base yourself in and we can come up with options and prices.

Activity weekends where you can meet other Workactioners in Ireland and recommend trips you can take from Ireland to other EU countries.

A week in another EU Capotol  is great with easy access from Ireland, if staying for   a 3-6 months stay. Use the Island of Ireland as a base in Europe, for easy travel. Read the blogs we have here and get planning your Workcation for the winter of 2022. 

Look at the other blogs we have here on Travel in IReland to help with organising trip – we will be delighed to have you on a Workcation in Ireland.