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Generation Emigration

Generation Emigration

The Irish Times forum by and for Irish citizens abroad

Monthly Archives: January 2012

clyde-and-elma-at-the-beach-michael-lee thumb Have your say: emigration and retirement

So far, the Generation Emigration series has focused primarily on young people and families. In this week’s discussion forum, we want to shift the focus to older people.

GaryFinneganFamilyPic thumb Saying au revoir but not goodbye

Gary Finnegan left Ireland for Belgium with his family in 2007, intending the move to be short-term. But after almost five years abroad, have they passed the point of no return?

Philip O'Connor thumb It’s not just Noonan who needs to watch his tongue

Michael Noonan’s clumsy comments last week brought into sharp focus how our politicians talk about our emigrants – but equally, we emigrants must be conscious of how we talk about Ireland in our new countries, writes Philip O’Connor in Stockholm.

Tara Cunningham graduation thumb ‘I want to be part of the recovery’

It’s true that young people are leaving in droves but for some, staying in Ireland to help repair the damage to our economy is a realistic option – and it’s important that their voices are heard, writes Tara Cunningham.

Alan-Barrett- thumb Emigration, return and their effects

Returned emigrants earn more than those who stayed in Ireland, but new research shows that older returnees are more susceptible to social isolation and alcoholism. The psychological and social impact of emigration should not be ignored, writes Alan Barrett (ESRI and TCD).

Fintan Monaghan China thumb Eastern promise

As the Chinese celebrate the New Year this week, Fintan Monaghan and his partner are celebrating a milestone of their own – one year in “the land of opportunity”, he writes from Beijing.

Irish fan thumb News of the week
  • News
  • January 25, 2012, 11:25

Lifestyle choices, avoiding expats, presidential visits and technical shortcomings: this week’s round up of emigration stories from irishtimes.com.

munster3 Low lie the emigrants of Ireland

Michael Noonan and his political counterparts could take a leaf from Munster Rugby’s book and give us something to be proud of, writes Tommy Griffin in Oxford.

Signpost thumb Have your say: How has leaving Ireland changed you?

Have you discovered a different side to yourself or learned something new that has altered your perspective on life? Or have you remained unchanged by your experiences overseas?

The Houses of Parliament When will Ireland grow up?

Political paralysis is causing pervasive negativity and hopelessness in Ireland, and is the reason why Kevin Ruairí won’t be coming back, he writes from London.

Caroline Bowler thumb ‘I didn’t have a mortgage, I was single, it was very easy for me to move’

The streets are safe to walk day and night and there is little toleration of the kind of drunken scenes we are so accustomed at home, says CAROLINE BOWLER in Singapore.

Noonan thumb Have your say: Noonan criticised for remarks about young emigrants

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan described emigration as a “free choice of lifestyle” yesterday. Do you agree, or are his comments an “insult to the thousands of young people who had been forced to leave” as the opposition claim?

liverpool2 thumb Liverpool: Irish Community Care Merseyside

Irish journalist Declan McSweeney, who recently moved to Liverpool, visited the Irish Community Centre Merseyside and found that young Irish are returning in droves to a city with deep rooted Irish connections.

Lonely Planet thumb News of the week
  • News
  • January 18, 2012, 09:24

E-voting machines, 52-week daddies, Muhammad Ali and new jobs initiative: this week’s round up of emigration stories from irishtimes.com.

Office Have your say: How did you find a job?

This week, we want to know how you found a job abroad – in advance through a recruitment agency, online, or through the Irish community or existing contacts? What advice do you have for others?

THe Vagabonds Immigrant song

Irish punk-rock band The Vagabonds (who have just changed their name to TV) left Dublin for London last October. They are rock ‘n’ roll immigrants, not as much living the dream as looking for it in the dustbins down the alleys of north London, writes lead singer David Phelan.

patrick mckenna homesick thumb Persistent Immigration Homesickness (P.I.H.)

Patrick McKenna spent 34 years being homesick in Montreal, but when the option to move back to Ireland finally arose, the nostalgia for Ireland melted away and he finally developed an appreciation for Canada.

James Taplin thumb “I want to find a way to be a 52-week daddy again”

James Taplin’s daughter Cara was seven months old when he moved back to Dubai. Going back to work there was easy – leaving his family here was heartbreaking, he told CIARA KENNY.

Hyangwonjong_thumb Destination in Focus: South Korea

Practical advice on visas, finding a job and a place to live in South Korea, with useful links to Irish organisations, social and business networks and emergency assistance, prepared in collaboration with the Irish Association of Korea.

dole queue thumb News of the week
  • News
  • January 11, 2012, 09:02

Fall in unemployment, Christmas impressions, new green card rules and an initiative to create thousands of jobs: this week’s round up of emigration stories from irishtimes.com.

GAA Have your say: do you seek out or avoid other Irish?

Do you actively engage in Irish activities like GAA where you live, or do you purposely avoid other Irish people? Do you think the support of other Irish is important, or does it hinder integration?

Neil Goodwin thumb Far away fields are greener, but Irishness runs deep

Neil Goodwin, who considers himself as “a nomadic Irishman, indigenous to the world but belonging to Ireland”, has returned to live in the country of his birth after 16 years travelling the world.

television thumb Planning to emigrate and interested in being on telly?
  • News
  • January 9, 2012, 16:20

Generation Emigration have received two media requests in recent days from TV production companies looking to interview Irish people who are preparing to emigrate.

Rachel Healy Vancouver Canada is full of immigrants just like us: Video diary from Vancouver

“My generation is educated, willing to contribute and hard working, but there are no opportunities for us in Ireland” says Rachel Healy in her video diary from Vancouver.

Cara Nig Fhearraigh in Kerry thumb The visiting emigrant’s impression: ‘People weren’t splashing the cash’

Thousands of Irish people living overseas made their way back to Ireland for Christmas. Ciara Kenny spoke to emigrants new and old to see what they thought of the country while here.

New Zealand thumb Destination in Focus: New Zealand

Practical advice on visas, finding a job and a place to live in New Zealand, with useful links to Irish organisations, social and business networks and emergency assistance, prepared in collaboration with the Auckland Irish Society.

Christmas thumb News of the week
  • News
  • January 4, 2012, 12:44

Christmases overseas, emigrants remembered at mass, and a 56% rise in British natoinal insurance numbers issued to Irish people over the past year: this week’s round up of emigration stories from irishtimes.com.

Paul Bradfield outside ICC thumb The lights can be turned back on for emigrants

The government must focus more of its energy into cultivating job creation to keep emerging graduates in Ireland and entice recent emigrants back home, writes Paul Bradfield from The Hague.