House sitting in Ireland may be a dream come true for you: you can have a truly authentic Irish experience, for free! Through house sitting, you can live in a real Irish home whilst the homeowners go on holiday. In return for looking after their house and pets for free, you receive free accommodation and more, put simply it's a free exchange of services where everyone wins - especially the pets! If you're thinking about house sitting in Ireland, here is a blog post about how to find house sits in Ireland, what to expect when you do your sit, and my own personal experiences house sitting in Ireland (to paint a picture of what it could be like for you):
House sitting in Ireland: What to Expect?
1. It rains a lot in Ireland
You must be used to that, I hear you cry, you're from England! Yes. And the difference between the weather in Ireland and the weather in England is that Ireland's weather is better. Sorry Anglophiles. In England, it will drizzle for days and be grey skied af. In Ireland you can have all four seasons in one day: I went for a two-hour walk and experienced rain (of course), stunning sunshine, hail (!), more rain, more sunshine etc. Yes, it rains in Ireland, but give it five minutes and it will be doing something else.
2. You might be house-sitting an eco-house
Or some kind of house that you might not be used to. There might be some kind of weird something - especially if you're out in the sticks, like a sewage system that stays on-site, a wind turbine, an outside privy, solar panels, or (very common in the sticks) not a lot of internet. In my experience with eco houses, they're great to house sit: they're beautiful and they're the kind of house I want to live in in the future, but for newbie sitters, make sure you know how to reset the electricity if it goes off, how to work the hot water etc. etc.
3. There might be a lot of livestock
Ireland is a country that's devoid of people but full of livestock. As a house sitter, this means that your homeowners might have chickens for you to look after, or you might find the abundance of cattle a pain when you're walking the dog / trying to drive on the road etc. Ask your homeowners in advance if you can borrow their wellies, hello cowpats. [Further reading: tips for travelling vegan in Ireland]
4. Everyone knows everyone in Ireland
In Ireland (or at least in the countryside anyway), random people will say hi to you just because they recognise the home owner's car or dog or know that you're staying at "the McNamara" house. People leave their doors unlocked and people genuinely look out for each other. Some house sitters have told me that they don't like feeling 'spied on' when they house sit: e.g. they don't like it when neighbours or family of the homeowner pop around to 'see if everything is alright'. If you are one of those house sitters, be warned you are guaranteed to be 'spied on' in Ireland. But don't worry, it's not about trying to dob you in, it's generally about being friendly!
House Sitting in Ireland: My Personal Experience
The dog was an absolute dream to look after, one of the most intelligent dogs I've ever met and super cuddly. With plenty of land for her to run around in, her brain and body were content and she didn't really need walking (nevertheless I generally took her up to Granny's). She did not like being walked in the rain (thank God) but loved cuddling up on the sofa with me in front of the fire. Dream dog.
The cats were both super cute, one was pretty shy and the other was very friendly. Both got on really well with the dog and they were a gorgeous little unit. Like cuddling up in a pile in front of the fire kind of gorgeous. The chickens were easy: let them out in the morning, shut them in at night and make sure they have food and water. They were also cute.
Wrap Up: House Sitting Jobs in Ireland
I have done multiple house sitting jobs across ten countries and three continents, but where do I find these house sitting jobs? Through TrustedHousesitters. They are the biggest house sitting website out there, and bigger, in this case, means better - there are an abundance of house sitting jobs waiting for you, including in Ireland. Currently, there are 29 house sits in Ireland alone, with more popping up each day. Membership lasts for a whole year, which means you would have the opportunity to branch out and house sit in London, or Europe or maybe go even further abroad. So let me know if you have any questions about house sitting! We have also made this video for newcomers to housesitting, enjoy :)
ABOUTME
We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.
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