Moving to Ireland a done deal for Fred

People go on holiday to Wexford – and somehow never leave. SANDRA O'CONNELLfinds out what makes them stay

SWEDE Fred Karlsson came to Ireland in 1997 with a view to working his way around the world. He’s been here more or less ever since, moving to Wexford in 2004 to be close to his wife Geraldine’s parents. The following year they set up Donedeal.ie, a consumer trading site.

“I love Wexford. I’m from a similar-sized town in Sweden so it feels familiar to me, and I especially love the three-minute commute to work,” said Karlsson.

The climate was a factor too. “Although I’d say it is not so much the sunny south east as the less rainy south east,” he laughs.

“That said, we’ve had some great summers down here.”

Last year the couple bought a three-bedroom house, built years ago for the managers of a German owned manufacturing plant.

“As a result, it has a nice middle European feel to it that I like. In Ireland everybody focuses on how many bedrooms you have.

“In Europe it’s much more about the size and number of reception rooms and this house suits us for that reason.

“It’s great for entertaining and it has a good-sized garden for our two dogs,” he says.

“Being a Swede I love the outdoor life and that is another part of the appeal of Wexford, though I have to say things are much more closed off here than they are in Sweden in terms of rights of access.

“Still, I love being near the beaches and I love the Irish attitude – it’s a very friendly town.”