Abroad

‘Since my mother died my relationship with my birthplace has changed’

The top stories from Irish Abroad this week and a chance to win a €250 book hamper

Rainbow over the ha’penny bridge in Dublin’s city centre today. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos

Rachel Flaherty's face
Rachel Flaherty
Fri Nov 29 2019 - 18:54

This week we're giving Irish Abroad readers the chance to win a €250 hamper of bestselling books. Enter here before midnight Monday, December 2nd to be in with a chance to win. It will be sent to you wherever you live in the world in time for Christmas.

It's the time of the year when many emigrants often feel homesick for their first home. Our most-read story this week is from Dubliner Hannah Harman Conlon who wrote a heartfelt piece on how she became immune to homesickness after her mother died five years ago: "It's not that Ireland does not make my heart sing," she said. "But since my mother died my relationship with my birthplace has changed."

Our top story today is from Wexford's Emma Cahill on her life in Brazil as a primary school teacher for the last three years. "Ireland is now calling me home. I'm not going to miss hearing 30 kids shout 'Miss, there's a poisonous snake' while on a school trip ... but I will definitely miss the vibrant people, the sugary desserts and the sunshine."

Also popular this week was an article from Irish African Fr Anthony Musaala sharing his experience about being born in Dublin in 1956, growing up in London and moving to Uganda: "My Irish birth certificate was the key to my life," he said.

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Galway woman Ann McKiernan, who runs her own Irish café in Germany specialising in Irish soda bread and cakes, wrote about running a business and life with her family in Gescher: "The Irish breakfast we provide in the cafe is not the real Irish breakfast as a lot of Germans think there is too much meat."

Our Extraordinary Emigrants story this week by Jessica Traynor is about Hollywood actor Maureen O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan, born in Boyle, Co Roscommon, who became an actor, starred as Jane in Tarzan, married director John Farrow and had seven children, including well known actor Mia Farrow.

Dublin man Robin Meredith shares why he loves living in the "relaxed but energetic" Almuñécar in Spain and Carlow's Lora Ellard describes how she originally moved to Rome in 2002 for three months as an au-pair and 17 years later is a resident.

If you would like to contribute by writing your own story, answering a Working Abroad Q&A or sharing your insider's guide to the city where you live for the Welcome To My Place column, you can contact abroad@irishtimes.com.

You'll find plenty more stories by and about the Irish diaspora on irishtimes.com/abroad.

To receive this digest to your inbox each week, you can join the free Irish Times Abroad Network here.

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