I don't quite understand the part about Berlin, though - why not raise a family in Berlin (especially if the alternative is not some rural area but other large cities)? I found the side-stab against Ireland a little weird as well, wouldn't have considered Dublin to be "in the middle of nowhere", or was that about attracting developers to join your startup in Dublin being hard? (Never tried that, could well be the case). The last time I was in Amsterdam 10 years ago I thought it would be a nice place to live, but I feel the same about Ireland and I am living in Berlin right now, so ... )
To put it short: I think all 4 cities are worth taking into account and it depends a lot on your particular situation. Seeing startup funds like this pop up is awesome and I hope more places in Europe will follow :°)
[1] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1565375
[2] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2573513 (link-baity title though)