I was working in Ireland until 2011, under the older work permit scheme. The major downside to this scheme was that the permit was tied to the employer - lose your job and you have to start all over. This is what happened to me right as the housing bubble was bursting, so we decided to leave the country rather than try to find a new job and deal with the time, expense and hassle of new paperwork. The Green Card sounds like a nice upgrade. I wish it had been available when I was first applying for my job.

Paperwork aside, Ireland is a fantastically beautiful country. I suggest you leave Dublin and head West to see the postcard Irish countryside. Get off the Motorways and onto the backroads. It will be well worth your while. :)

Still, if you restrict your search to companies that offer sponsorship then you're much more limited than an EU citizen. But I'll take a look at it. Thanks for the tips.

In this regard, Ireland has some exceedingly generous right of return laws. If you have documented lineage from an Irish grandparent, the process of obtaining citizenship is completely painless.

I obtained citizenship by this route in 2004 and was able to live and work in the UK with no visa requirement.