Ireland is witnessing a sharp rise in LGBTQ+ couples from the US migrating and buying homes here since Donald Trump was re-elected last year.

After being sworn in as President in January this year, Donald Trump signed hundreds of executive orders, several of which targeted LGBTQ+ rights, especially those of trans and non-binary people. According to several Irish auctioneers, his actions have pushed a lot of US LGBTQ+ couples to look for a home in Ireland, which they consider a safe haven.

US buyers now account for 60% of those purchasing homes in towns or villages in the west of Ireland, one agent told the Irish Independent. Dublin is also a sought-after location, with several Americans relocating here and buying permanent homes. One notable case was comedian Rosie O’Donnell, who has recently moved to Sandymount.

As shown in a recent survey conducted by the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (IPAV), house prices in Ireland have grown by almost 50% in the last five years. This led to the current housing crisis and the need to implement “unprecedented measures” to solve the current situation, said IPAV chief executive Genevieve McGuirk.

As the survey shows, in the first six months of this year, house prices are up by 5.05%, with the average price being €385,998. Moreover, data from the Central Statistics Office highlights that this year the number of people migrating from the US to Ireland almost doubled, being up 96% compared to the previous 12 months.

“Historically, we saw people from the US coming here because they had connections to Ireland. They were looking for holiday homes but that has really changed, particularly in the west of Ireland,” McGuirk told the Irish Independent.

“What has happened in the US has made people nervous. They are nervous about their own money, nervous about going out and their views. Some coming here have a connection to Ireland but not everybody does.”

Founder of MoveHome estate agents, Ronan Crinion, said that he has been sought out by US LGBTQ+ buyers because of his own ties to the queer community in Dublin. “They are looking for a safer haven, a welcoming community, which the LGBTQ+ community is in Ireland. They are looking for a little bit of freedom and security,” Crinion said.

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