I'll be moving to Ireland next year and I'm really considering doing my PhD instead of working. I'm interested in doing work on an Education degree. I complete my MA in Ed. next April.

From the few posts about Ireland that I've read on the forum, I'm getting the impression that Ireland (Republic) is not well-regarded as a destination for post-grad studies. From the weather, to the cost, to how it stacks up against the UK, for example...

Does anyone have insight about the funding opportunities and the university culture in Ireland? Do they "advertise" positions? During my research I seem to remember seeing positions at some European universities advertised. I don't quite understand how that works, because I've never seen these adverts in Canada.

I should probably also mention that I'm not an EU citizen (so I'll be international), but I don't need a visa to enter Ireland.