When I arrived in Australia from Blackrock in Cork with a backpack and a yearning for adventure, I had no idea what lay ahead. I never imagined I’d still be here 13 years later with an Australian wife, two daughters (with another baby on the way), a business of my own and calling the Blue Mountains home.
Last year was probably the biggest of my life. My business partner and I left our secure jobs to launch our own construction recruitment business. At the same time, my wife and I bought a house in the Blue Mountains which, as it turned out, needed a lot more work than we’d expected.
In impeccable timing, I tore my anterior cruciate ligament during the first week of the business. So I had a new business, a new mortgage, a renovation project, two kids and one useless leg. Thankfully, my wife has the patience of a saint, as does my business partner.
As well as forcing me to finally hang up my football boots, it’s given me pause to reflect on some of the main things I’ve learned since moving from Ireland to Australia.
READ MORE
First, I don’t think people back home appreciate how strong and deep the Irish community is in Australia enough.
During my early days here, I moved to do my regional work in a tiny town in South Australia with a good friend from home, Brian O’Sullivan. Pasty-skinned under the blaring September sun, we did a grain harvest in Kimba with other seasonal visa workers. Along with three lads from Clare, some boys from Mayo and a few UK fellows, we worked the silos and bunkers in the stinking 34-degree heat. In these months we gained two things – the nickname “the bunker rats” and friendships for life. Although we are now scattered, we still catch up to this day.
The Irish are all over this vast country. I’ve had four operations on my knee and my excellent surgeon Dr David Broe is another Irishman who, in true Irish fashion, is an old friend of my uncle’s. You can travel 17,000km across the world and still end up being looked after by someone who knows your family.
Our first employee at Common Good Partners is another example. Eoin is from Togher in Cork, barely 9km from where I grew up. We’d never met before being introduced through someone else, but within minutes we realised we had countless mutual friends. That’s Ireland. You somehow leave home only to find it again on the other side of the world.
Construction is full of stories like that. We work with some of Australia’s biggest contractors and developers, many of which have Irish founders, directors and senior leaders. At the same time, we spend a huge amount of our time helping Irish professionals make the move themselves, from graduates and engineers through to project directors, commercial managers and executives.
Which brings me to my second lesson learned since moving here. Australia isn’t the golden ticket many people think it is. I’ve probably talked as many people out of moving to Australia as I have encouraged.
If someone thinks Australia will magically solve every problem in their life, it won’t. Life here still takes hard work, sacrifice and resilience.
Sydney is an incredible city, but it’s expensive, and nothing comes easy. Housing is hard and raising a family isn’t cheap.
But if you’re prepared to work hard, back yourself and take a few risks, it can also be an unbelievable place to build a life. With the right expectations, there are opportunities here that are difficult to find anywhere else.
My sister was one of those who moved from Ireland this year to start her own Australian adventure. Having family from Ireland here changes everything. Being able to grab a coffee or a quick lunch in Sydney’s central business district without weeks of planning still feels surreal. Watching her build a relationship with my two little girls is something I never thought would happen when I boarded a plane all those years ago.
And having my sister here has reminded me of the third thing I’ve learned since moving to Australia: although Ireland will always be home, the idea of what home is can grow.
My daughters will grow up Australian, but they’ll know where Blackrock is. They’ll know why Cork matters and will hear plenty of stories from home. Whether they like it or not, they’ll probably end up supporting Cork too.
I still miss Ireland and feel the pain of not being there for birthdays and weddings or visits home for a cup of tea with my parents. But I also love the life I have built in Australia. And if anything, living so far away has made me appreciate both places even more.
Steve Guerin is from Blackrock, Cork. He lives in the Blue Mountains area of New South Wales and runs construction recruitment business Common Good Partners.
- Are you Irish and living in another country? Would you like to share your experience in writing or by interview? You can use the form below, or email abroad@irishtimes.com. Irish Times Abroad submission guidelines here.
- Follow us on Instagram to keep up with the latest
- Sign up to The Irish Times Abroad newsletter for Irish-connected people around the world.
