Heather Leahy and Stephen Martin with their two children in Canada

Last night’s Arrivals documentary on RTÉ followed up with five Irish families and individuals a year after they emigrated to Australia and Canada. 12 months after their departure, most were finding it difficult to integrate and find suitable work in their new homes.

What did you think of Arrivals? An overly grim depiction of live abroad, or an accurate portrayal of the loneliness and hardship experienced by emigrants who never wanted to leave Ireland in the first place?

And has anyone ever been on the Bondi “Party Bus”?

If you missed the programme last night, you can catch up on the RTE Player here.