These Irish Islands Will Pay You over $86,000 to Move There
Take one glimpse at Ireland’s rolling green hills and jaw-dropping oceanside cliffs, and it’s not hard to understand why so many travelers find themselves daydreaming about packing their bags and moving to the Emerald Isle full-time.
Well, as it turns out, achieving that dream might be a little bit more realistic than you think … as long as you’re OK with living off the beaten path. The Irish government has announced a 10-year initiative known as the “Our Living Islands” policy, in which people could get paid more than €80,000 (roughly the equivalent of $86,400) to move to one of the country’s remote islands and join its offshore community full-time.
“Our offshore islands and their communities are an integral part of the fabric of rural Ireland,” Heather Humphreys, Ireland’s Minister for Rural and Community Development, said in a June 2023 statement. “The islands are also home to some of our most vibrant and culturally distinctive communities … the aim of this policy is to ensure that sustainable, vibrant communities continue to live — and thrive — on the offshore islands for many years to come.”
The “Our Living Islands” policy covers 23 smaller islands that are disconnected from the mainland altogether. Naturally, there is a bit of a catch: You won’t receive this money simply for relocation purposes. Instead, you’ll have to use it to restore (from insulating it to redecorating it) run-down or vacant properties around an island of your choosing.
On top of that, you also need to own property on the island you relocate to that was built before 1993 and has been empty for a minimum of two years. But those views, am I right?
You can learn more about the “Our Living Islands” policy and find out how to get involved here.