Essentials to live in Ireland

I have since moved out of Ireland back to my home country Canada. 

But when I moved out to Galway, Ireland for a job, I was staying in a fully furnished apartment.  Clothing is generally quite cheap, if you are buying from those discount stores.  You can find pretty much the basic necessities, but if you are asian, asian groceries are a little more difficult to find, but there are some stores that carry these items.

As Ireland can be a little confusing to navigate around in the first couple of weeks (GPS is pretty much useless in rural areas), its best to bring along with the move, a stock of basic items like tooth brush, tooth paste, towels, basic kitchen utensils, writing materials, enough clothing to get you through a couple of weeks, and basic first aid medication.

You just have to ask around for the typical places people shop for their groceries and basic necessities. 

Ireland is not the easiest of places to move to.  Confusing regulations for getting driver's license, visas, setting up bank accts, setting up utilities...etc...  it will take a couple of weeks to just try to figure out how things work there... its a whole different world  out there...  A rural like country trying to be modern and contemporary as well... more so in the rural cities like Galway, Cork... less so in Dublin...

I disagree on organizing your life in Ireland, I think it's very easy and quick with bank account, getting sim card, going to a doctor, setting up an electricity account, etc.  By the way, if you need a consultant doctor like dermatologist, try Polish health centers as this is where you can see them straight away.

I advise to bring windproof jacket, no matter what season, waterproof is good too unless you will use an umbrella. Shoes that don't get soaked easily, as it rains a lot. I lived in Dublin and it's pretty easy to get products from different countries there, including Asia, Eastern Europe, I saw a Swedish shop too.

Cheap grocery stores include German Aldi and Lidl and Polish Polonez. For low cost non-grocery items check 2 Euro stores, and in Dublin Ilac Centre and Capel Street.

Eating out is more expensive than in other countries. Cocktail bars are pricey too.

All services are expensive, so make sure that before you come you have your shoes repaired and hair done.

When I lived in Ireland there was honestly nothing I missed or thought I should have brought! You can get furniture and big/small appliances from Argos or Ikea, there's Penneys (Primark) for cheap clothes, PC World/Curries for electronics/computers, good ol' Boots for toiletries, medicine etc.

If you're willing to pay there are also excellent dentists and hairdressers in the country. I know a few ex colleagues that preferred to fly to Germany to get this done but I could never fault anything I had done in Dublin.

So in short: just bring very personal things, everything else can be bought here relatively cheap! Unless you're a smoker - then you should bring as many packs or cartons as you are allowed because it will cost you dearly on the island (one of the reasons why I quit!)