Let us all face facts here, money is most definitely tighter today than it has been for a long time. With this in mind, people are settling for travelling to destinations that are much closer to home. And if you are able to catch a flight, without some annoying volcano cancelling it, lately, people are not venturing anything like as far.

One such destination that works extremely well in this regard, is Ireland. In fact, you do not even need to catch a flight to the Emerald Isle, you could choose to get there by travelling across the Irish Sea, by ferry.

Once you have plugged for this beautiful part of the British Isles, you are going to need to get your hands on some Euros; after all, Ireland stopped using their pounds many years ago now. Todays best Euro Exchange Rate can be found on the internet. Under no circumstances should you use your bank - they are only ever out to rip you off and will never offer the best deals. (more...)

For much of the history of the British Isles, Ireland has always been that poor cousin that Great Britain outshone in terms of its economy. Oh my goodness, how times are a changing, my friend!

Today, the economy and general household finances of the Republic of Ireland have definitely seen much worse days. It was almost as though this country had lain dormant for many centuries and that it was waiting for just the right conditions to come along, so that it could quite literally explode into action.

And explode it has! Okay, so Ireland was not completely untouched by the worldwide recession, but it was not jilted as badly as a recession would have in the past. Citizens are still purchasing those big ticket items and Ferienwohnungen Rom would still seem to be a conceivable option. (more...)

Thirty years ago, it is fair to say that very few Irish people could ever even begin to contemplate something like apartments in Rome for their annual holiday. In short, finances were low, especially when compared to the neighbouring United Kingdom.

Today, however, how that proverbial tide has completely changed. Ireland has actually proved itself to be something of a sleeping giant, where its economical capabilities are concerned. It may not exactly be a tiger economy, what with the population still only being some 4.5 million souls, but it could definitely rank as a European Cougar economy.

Surprisingly, Ireland managed to assert its current strengths even further, through the fact that it seems to have rode out the current worldwide recession with far more ease. In contrast, the economy of the United Kingdom and all of the other major European member states have taken what can best be described as a massive blow. (more...)

Have I managed to gain your attention here? I thought so!

The idea of moving to Ireland is not nearly as inconceivable as you may first think. First and foremost, as Ireland are also in the EU, there are a number of EC directives that you are able to rely upon to make international removals to the Emerald Isle so much easier.

The main directive that asserts many of your rights is 2004/38. In this legislation, all European Union Citizens have the right to move and work throughout the community freely. There are no exceptions to this for the first 6 months and after that you could remain in Ireland (or any EU state) indefinitely if you are able to prove that you will not become a financial burden upon the host state. (more...)

If you didn't already know, the economy in Ireland is actually booming at the moment? In fact, financially, this is unprecedented for the Emerald Isle and it would seem that this country are willing to go to any lengths in order to make the most of this.

As the United Kingdom struggled its way through the worst recession in about four millennia (Okay, joking a wee bit here!), Irish banks sneaked their way in and managed to literally poach a large number of savers and borrowers. But then, with the way the banks were and still are behaving in Britain, who can really blame them?

Online sites that dealt with complaints customer reviews were registering record levels of dissatisfaction against these banking institutions that are clearly a law unto themselves. Irish banks were therefore merely offering an alternative to very disgruntled customers. (more...)

The global economic recession has had a profound effect on financial institutions across Europe. The pattern was repeated time and again by banks that made bad loans to risky clients who could not afford to pay them back. Many of these banks were forced to close their doors, while others limped on by dramatically cutting their services to customers. In this article we are going to discuss lending in Ireland.

Like most European countries, Ireland was hit hard by the recession, especially its banks. Those that survived vowed never again to lend to risky clients. In fact, many institutions have put a near freeze on consumer lending. What is a person to do if they are interested in getting a car loan in Ireland?

Fortunately, there are still a few viable financial options for Irish motorists. Probably the most popular one is obtaining a loan through the car dealership. Dealerships are able to offer reasonable rates because the volume of business they do gives them some leverage over lending institutions. As a result, they are able to offer attractive deals on loans and car insurance to potential customers. (more...)

Three short years ago, the economy of Ireland was known as the Celtic Tiger due to its rapid growth and dynamism. But those halcyon days came to a close when the global recession hit.

Because it had expanded so rapidly during the Celtic Tiger years (from 1995-2007), the Emerald Isle was hit especially hard. In just two years, Ireland's GDP fell by 14 percent. Most economists attribute this stunning volte-facie to the decline in the housing market and the billions of pounds in bad loans that were made to new homeowners.

To cut a long story short, the housing market was growing and the banks were handing out cheap loans to just about anyone that applied. But when the recession hit and people could not afford to pay their mortgage bills, the banks were forced to repossess their homes. (more...)

When it was announced that residents of the UK took fewer international flights in 2009, no one was surprised. The sovereign state suffered mightily during the recession and did not return to positive growth until the last quarter of 2009. As a result, people in the UK have been cutting back on luxuries and that includes trips overseas.

One trend that has been especially well covered is the increase in domestic travel. They even have a new name or neologism for them, staycations. These staycations resulted in a four percent increase in travel in the UK in 2009. Of course, that hasn\'t helped the airports, which have reported a decline of around seven percent in arrivals and departures.

When we take a closer look, we find that there is one group that cut back on travel more than any other. Because they receive special deals and are an integral part of the industry, airlines keep a close eye on business travellers. And with a 15 percent drop in business travel, we can safely assume that they don\'t like what they see. What does this mean for UK flights (more...)

There are a few precious years between the children being too young to really appreciate rome apartments and being too old to want to go on a family holiday with mum and dad. Between the ages of around eight and sixteen, they are good company, fun to be with and curious to learn.

Younger than this and they do not really appreciate what is going on and can be quite difficult to travel with especially on the long journeys. Older than sixteen and many youngsters are starting to want different things out of a holiday than going out with their parents.

These precious years allow families to visit different countries as a family unit and to enjoy new experiences together. It is quality family time, a time for bonding and a time to really get to know each other away from the daily grind of school, work and mealtimes. (more...)

Of all the pests you might find in your household, a cockroach infestation is perhaps the one we dread the most. If you find yourself plagued by these leathery, scuttling insects, you should get on the phone to a pest control expert without delay.

In order to ensure that the exterminator has all the details that he or she needs, you will need to take note of a few things. Start by considering the colour of the cockroaches. In some areas, you will find that you are entitled to a government exterminator, but only if your home is infested by a certain species of insect.

The colour of your roaches should help to determine whether you need to engage a private company or not. In addition, you will want to ascertain the size of the cockroaches in your home. (more...)

For all the doom and gloom that seems to permeate in various business media such as the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal, some business experts are forgetting that forex can still provide some returns from investors who know how the world currency markets are moving.

Forex Trading Online is one way for Irish investors and beginners to get involved. There are many ways to enjoy using forex online. Here are a few tools that you should consider getting before you start trading online with forex:

A good computer: Whether you are mad about Macs or you think happy with your HP laptop, you definitely need a computer that can withstand the nonstop nature of the online forex market. A good laptop or desktop will definitely do the trick because by having a strong battery size and the fact it has a tendency to freeze less quickly means you can indulge in your new favourite hobby: online forex trading. (more...)