Tag Archives: Ireland

Stone Fences: Struggle, Sacrifice, and the Expat Life & Legacy

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

For the past week I’ve spent an hour or so every day digging in the garden, preparing a 4-foot by two-foot patch of ground for planting. Ever day, as I pull dozens and dozens of stones from the ground, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Irish Countryside, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Things to See in Ireland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Why Ireland Is Better Than the United States: One Man’s Joy At Not Living Somewhere Slavishly Devoted To ‘The Individual’

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

After nearly three years of living in Ireland, the thrill and curiosity of not living in a superpower has dulled a bit, but still fascinates me. On a daily basis the need not to compete with everyone, and the need … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Health Care, Immigration & Emigration, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Low Corporate Tax Rates & Attracting Foreign Investment: Is Ireland’s Greatest Asset Its Willingness To Be Controlled By Outsiders

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

In a recent post about land “ownership”, I remarked that in a country with few resources, Ireland’s land may be its greatest asset. Since that post I’ve questioned that assumption, and done a great deal of thinking about what Ireland, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bureaucracy, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Irish Economy, Irish Life & Society, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Privilege of Immigration: The Honor of ‘Elsewhere’

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

Earlier this month I went back to the United States for both work and family reasons.  On that trip I was reacquainted with a guilty pleasure available exclusively to immigrants.  When asked where I lived, I must admit that I … Continue reading →

Posted in Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Ruminations On Land: Thoughts On the Value Of The World

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

Walking the dog today, in the first real sunshine we’ve had in weeks, I once again found myself thinking about the country I’d moved to.  It wasn’t the people or the government that troubled me; my mind was on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Attractions, Home & A Sense of Place, Irish Countryside, Irish Economy, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Politics, Things to See in Ireland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Local: Where Are You From

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Glenn Kaufmann

In a country as small as Ireland, where local parish control of life (so called “parish pump politics”) was, and is, still so important, the seat of knowledge, the gathering place (the pub), became known as, “The Local”.  But for … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, Irish Countryside, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Pubs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

We Come Bearing Gifts: Immigrant Contributions to Society

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Glenn Kaufmann

When I wrote about  an incident of racial profiling that my wife and I suffered in Dublin, much of the feedback from Irish locals was along the lines of “Well of course we dislike ‘them’ (immigrants).   They’re taking all the … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration, International Moving, Irish Economy, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Size Matters: The Peaks and Pitfalls Of Downsizing or Supersizing Your Country

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Glenn Kaufmann

It’s safe to say that when we moved from the United States to Ireland, we downshifted to a much smaller country and a much smaller economy.  But, while Ireland may have fewer resources than the U.S., this immigrant uncovered a … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Ireland Is Not One Thing: Why Immigrants Should Travel More

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Glenn Kaufmann

When we moved to Ireland in 2011, my wife and I promised ourselves that we would travel more faithfully in Ireland than we had in the United States.  Though we’ve traveled quite a bit in the U.S., we’d fallen into … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Home & A Sense of Place, Immigration & Emigration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ireland’s Next Big Thing: Where Will Ireland’s Next Financial Boom Come From?

Posted on August 4, 2013 by Glenn Kaufmann

Contrary to the wishes of many who have commented on this blog, I don’t want to “feck off back to America”.  I really like it here.  Ireland has a lot going for it.  But, as someone who spends a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in Dublin Life, Immigration & Emigration, Irish Economy, Irish Life & Society | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments