The differences are becoming less and less as the economy of the island becomes more intertwined. If you do go up north, Belfast has become a beautiful vibrant city. My son goes to uni there and is now doing an internship in Dublin.
When I left the North to go to uni in England in the late 80s, I planned to be there for three years, then straight back to Calgary. I never dreamt I would end up meeting someone who would mean so much to me that I would leave that path.
Even more so, I never in a million years thought I would have a son move in the opposite direction I took, who now sees his future in Ireland. It isn’t perfect by any measure, but it makes me feel so good to see how Ireland, and in particular, the north has moved on.
That said, for me, Galway, Donegal and the north Antrim coast are my favourite parts of Ireland. I’ve never been and still aren’t a huge fan of Dublin, but thankfully, my son is liking it there.
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