A New Life: Eamann Cosgrave tells Patricia Weston he could not resist the lure of blustery outdoor Ireland
For Eamann Cosgrave, living and working in Copenhagen became sedentary, tedious and as monotonous as walking a treadmill. So he moved back to his native Ireland to settle in Mayo's blustery and wild Belmullet to take up a physical job and set up a company running courses in outdoor Nordic Walking.
He emigrated to Copenhagen in 1982 where he settled and married. After a few years working he decided to go back to school and gain some qualifications to improve his job prospects. He also learned Danish.
"I had apparently accomplished a lot," he says. "I had a well-paid job, a nice house and a lovely family and became very integrated into the Danish way of life."
But he wasn't happy. Work became wearisome and he began to become critical of the Danes and their way of life. "My job involved sitting at a computer many hours a day and the futility of that began to depress me. I also began to become very critical of Denmark, as a society, something my Danish wife, understandably, didn't take too kindly to. I disliked the Danes' pursuance of material wealth and their illusion of being the greatest nation on earth annoyed me to an increasing extent," he says.
Because of the sedentary nature of his work his muscles began to suffer the stiffening strain of sitting all day. "I began to have problems with my shoulder and neck muscles from sitting at a computer and decided I'd have to do something physical to ease the strain.
"I started to train myself in furniture making, creating things for the family and renovating our house and I started to take an avid interest in architecture. I got immense satisfaction out of these hobbies, in fact to such an extent that I began to consider a career change," he says.
Cosgrave felt that jobs such as those he took up to escape the tedium of the desk were frowned upon in modern society and regarded as menial. "Technological advances are aimed at making life easier when in fact we end up walking a treadmill," he says. "I can now see that the process of creativity combined with manual labour is so fundamental to our well-being."
He discovered contentment in creating things and using his body. "We are physical beings with a basic instinctive need to combine our mental and physical attributes in the creative process," he says.
He also took up the exercise Nordic Walking to relieve the muscular stiffness in his shoulders and neck. "Nordic Walking is derived from the Nordic word 'stavgang' which simply means to walk with poles. It was developed in the Nordic countries where strong skiing traditions have promoted the development of the sport. Compared to traditional walking, Nordic Walking offers a greater workout because it increases oxygen consumption uptake and works the back, shoulder and arm muscles, thereby relieving muscle tension in the neck and shoulders. And there is less impact on ankles, knees and hips joints," Cosgrave explains.
Since moving to Belmullet he has been working on promoting this sport all over the country. "It's a very satisfying way to spend one's time. I get to meet new people and I'm physically active and I'm my own boss," he says.
Choosing to live in a remote part of Ireland and to carry out a more physically demanding job has given him an enormous sense of satisfaction. He adds: "My new life has brought its own challenges. Life is harder physically but that's the way I want it."
He chose Belmullet because his father hailed from a place just outside Ballina. "I have always had a grá for Mayo and the remoteness of the area also took my fancy as did the beauty."
The house he bought is near the sea. So much so, he says, that the windows are constantly covered in a layer of salt from the sea spray and the peacefulness that can be experienced here is uncanny. At the same time the house lies only three miles from Belmullet town, which is always lively and full of friendly people.
He has no intention of ever returning to live in Copenhagen. "Copenhagen is a lovely city by any standards, but it doesn't do a lot for me. However, I do go back to visit my family and friends frequently."
He now feels he belongs in Mayo and had to leave in order to appreciate what he missed. "I now experience such a feeling of belonging after returning. It never occurred to me before I left Ireland how important my roots were to me," he says. He hopes his family will join him soon. His wife Marianne and their three children are still living in Copenhagen.
Eamann can communicate more easily than he could in Copenhagen. Moving to a Gaeltacht area meant having to learn the Irish language, which feels more natural for him.
"Although on the surface I seem to be more isolated now, in actual fact the opposite is the case. The Irish find it easier to communicate. We're a great nation for small talk, but in actual fact that small talk is a very important part of our social interaction improving the quality of life. When we don't have time for that because of careers and what not then we have lost something special."
In Belmullet he has found his home and a career he enjoys. He says, "I am much happier now than I have been for a long time. I am doing many things I like doing and I feel my life has more meaning to it."
For information on Nordic Walking see nordicwalking@ireland.com