Encouragingly for any CAs who might be considering a move to the Emerald Isle, there is good news on the way for the Irish economy. The EU predicts GDP growth of 1.2% in 2024, tripling to a rise of 3.6% next year. According to Irish think-tank, the Economic and Social Research Institute, there is a “positive outlook for Ireland’s economy in 2024 and 2025, with a robust labour market and declining inflation”.

And that labour market has plenty of potential employers to choose from. Ireland’s capital is a draw for some of the world’s best-known multinationals. The big accountancy firms are all here, as are tech behemoths Google, Microsoft and Meta, financial giants such as AXA Insurance, Mastercard and PayPal and an ever-growing number of Irish-headquartered multinationals.

Damien Kieran CA is already experiencing the benefits of living and working in Ireland. Kieran, an international-taxation specialist, joined Transaction Network Services two years ago, following another Dublin-based role, with Primark.

A Glaswegian, Kieran trained with Grant Thornton in his hometown. But he has an Irish connection via one of his parents and his wife, who is from Belfast. After stints in Glasgow and, latterly, London, the couple decided to move to Ireland six years ago with their young family, drawn by the opportunity to work with global businesses in a smaller, more community-oriented setting.

“We always saw ourselves ending up in Ireland. My wife and I both work in international roles, and after eight years in London, we knew we weren’t going to stay there forever. Ireland ticked all the boxes for me, career-wise, for international tax opportunities. If you’re deciding to leave London for elsewhere in the British Isles, then Dublin is probably the only city that could compete, with the volume of multinational businesses based here.

“Dublin has the advantage that, while it’s a large and exciting city, it’s still quite small, compact and ‘liveable’. London, to me, is a sprawling collection of large towns that have kind of grown into each other whereas Dublin has more of that traditional city centre feel. We live only a few kilometres from the centre, we’re very close to the beach and have plenty of green space – a combination we didn’t have when we lived in Glasgow or London. Dublin is also closer to family in Belfast and Glasgow and easier for travelling to see them. Other benefits on the non-professional side, for me and my family, include the availability of sport and other activities on our doorstep and the feeling that we live in our own community.

“One of the main differences between Dublin and London is that the latter has a more transient population. You meet some great people [in London], but you or your neighbour might move on within a year or so and then there’s new neighbours to get to know and the cycle repeats – in my eight years, I moved four times. Whereas in Ireland you feel very much part of an established community. There’s always lots going on, everyone knows everyone and we’ve found you can build a support network, even as newcomers to the neighbourhood. Everyone has been very friendly and welcoming.

“I have a better work-life balance in Dublin than previously. I’ve worked for two different companies here, and both would compare favourably with my experience of working in London.”

Cradle to grave

“I took the decision at the start of my CA career to specialise in tax. I moved into a corporate tax role with Grant Thornton right at the start of my training contract. Since taking the decision to be an in-house tax professional rather than one with an accountancy firm, all my roles have been ‘cradle to grave’. You look after the entire gamut of tax issues. You get to understand the business.