 In 1994 he moved to West Cork, Ireland, as a friend offered to lease him a splendid house on the Atlantic coast for a very affordable rent.In 1997 Ransmayr read his short story "Die dritte Luft oder Eine Bühne am Meer", written for this occasion, as a keynote speech for the Salzburg Festival.After his marriage in the Spring of 2006 Ransmayr returned to live in Vienna.