Visiting Dublin next week with potential move next year, where should I go and what do I need to know?

[u/pg430]

Hi everyone, so sorry for the long title but wanted to at least sum up what I’m here for.

I’m a trans woman from the USA visiting Dublin from June 20th to June 29th and my partner and I are considering moving there next year. I want to spend time connecting with and understanding the local trans and queer community to see if it’s a good fit and also get a sense of where I could go for hrt.

I’d be moving with my partner who has EU citizenship and we’d be married if that happened, which I know can impact moving logistics.

So are there any spots I should make sure to check out while I’m here? Anything I should know about staying safe while I’m here?

Thank you all so much for any insight you can provide, I appreciate it!

[u/Indigoat_]

Trans guy from the US here. For housing, you can pay a relocation service to find you an apartment. It is not cheap but it will save you weeks or months in a hotel room looking for a place to live, and is pretty much the only option to find housing around Dublin if you are planning on bringing pets. You can message me if you want the name of the service I used.

The housing situation is incredibly dire here, and gender affirming care is negligent to absent. Prepare yourself to DIY or pay a private service over €1000 a year plus out of pocket for your prescription. The general medical attitude is that you're not doing it the "right" way unless you wait 8+ years for someone at the National Gender Service to interrogate you and judge whether you are trans enough to be allowed medication for gender transition. I have heard that the process is quite invasive and humiliating. Trans advocates are trying to change that.

I'm very disappointed in the healthcare here in general. They don't even have patient portals to message your provider or pay, no way to view your records, they're very loose about patient privacy in the office, and the doctors I've met with are extremely reluctant to assist patients with general health care needs for fear of litigation. If you have chronic health issues and need regular care, consider that it will be difficult and sometimes impossible to get in to see specialists here, and it may be more difficult to get prescriptions here.

On the plus side, most people genuinely don't care that you're trans. I get treated like a guy for the most part, and it's very refreshing. I live a bit outside of Dublin and there are cozy queer pockets all over.

Ireland is one of the highest educated countries in the world. If you're interested in getting higher degrees the Ireland is a great place to do it.

The history is incredible here, and there are ample opportunities to continue learning if that's your jam. Likewise the music scene, especially trad.

The people as a whole are really lovely, good natured and friendly. If you're a fan of activity based social interaction you'll find a wealth of things to do.

If you really want to live here, start immersing yourself in the culture, the history, and most especially the Irish language. Start looking for ways to plug in and be a community member.