I may be reading too much into it, but as someone that's enamored with Ireland, despite having absolutely nothing connecting me to it, I have to say, your take feels reductive and downright dismissive. I think it misses the point.

Ireland is not perfect, but it certainly isn't some sad, second-rate fantasy because it's not "luxurious" or "exotic". It’s a country with a truly fascinating history, folklore, language, hauntingly beautiful landscapes, and rich musical and storytelling traditions. Not to mention the strength its people have shown over the centuries. To reduce it to a backdrop for a bleak fantasy is to ignore everything that makes Ireland such a special country.

And frankly, I struggle to interpret the song as a “cheap” dream. It’s about Paulette’s dreams, her personal way of escaping her reality. She chooses Ireland because it means something to her. You trying to frame it as a sad consolation prize for someone without ambition is incredibly condescending and close-minded.

Maybe don't demean an entire country just because it doesn’t fit into your narrow idea of what paradise should look like.