Design A Basement

Why are basements uncommon in Irish homes?

I've noticed that most Irish homes don't have basements adn I was wondering why that is. Is it zoning or just standards?Is it difficult to get planning permission for basements? I should add that I live in Seattle, so I understand the concerns about rain and being close to sea level, but that doesn't seem to deter anyone here from adding basements.

Public Comments

I think it may be too damp and at sea level in many areas.
It's the leprechauns. They mine for gold and steal anything worth value in your house.
I thought it was the whole of the UK.. I'm in Northern Ireland..we have an attic for our storage..the overspill goes in our shed outside or the garage..
for god sake we had famines, risings and 800 years of opression by the english do you really think that we had time to put basements in our homes??? if you want a basement build a house and put one in!!!!
It's most of the UK I think. I don't know anyone that has a basement in their house. My Nan has a cellar in her house because her house is old and some older houses were built with them but newer houses don't usually have them.
I think it is because there are to many stones in the ground to remove and if you dig something up and it is really old, Then the gov takes over and does and archaeological dig site that could tie up your house for who knows when. besides, who needs one a cellar does well enough.
you don't say where you come from..but I'm gonna guess the USA ,,here in not only Ireland but in the UK and most of Europe we just don't have them ..that's it ..but it would add a considerable cost to a new build to install them
maybe the houses are old , and like in france they did lay any foundations down before they built the walls therefore impossible to have a basement
The water table can be quite high, in fact my brother-in-law was telling me about a swimming pool that was built in central Belfast ( Inst) the contractors dug out the hole , and it filled up with water, so they had to obtain huge blocks of concrete and anchor the pool using ship's anchor cable to prevent the swimming pool from floating when empty !!
we get the whole planets rainfall here, we don't need basements'.