New to the Parish

A series about new arrivals who have made Ireland their home

Photo: N/A, License: N/A

Ghaythaa Abdualdahab in Mosney Provision Centre in Co Louth: “What I want now is for my children to learn the language and integrate into Irish society.” Photograph: James Forde

‘I was weak and lost all my hair. My one wish was to see my daughter before I died’

New to the Parish: Ghaythaa Abdualdahab arrived in Ireland from Syria, via Greece, in 2018

Dalal Alshohaib, from Saudi Arabia, and her new partner, Erik Van der Veken, from Belgium. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

Forced marriage: ‘That man had more rights over my body than I did’

New to the Parish: Dalal Alshohaib arrived from Saudi Arabia in 2015

Agape Deng with her husband Tim Wang in Newmarket, Dublin. Photograph: Dave Meehan

‘I love how Irish people talk. It’s like a soap opera with the banter and puns’

New to the Parish: Born in Taiwan, Agape Deng arrived in Ireland from the US

Iwa and Krzysiek Wisniewski with their children Helena (5), Dorota (4), Zuzka (11) and Franek (19). Photograph: Patrick Browne

‘I love Ireland, my life here is calm, but sometimes it is very hard’

New to the Parish: Krzysiek and Iwa Wisniewski arrived from Poland in 2006

Adolphe Ndagijimana, his wife, Joy, and their two daughters, Jaissah (18 months) and Janice (3). Photograph: Liam Burke/Press 22

‘Ireland is not a typical European country. It's more like Africa’

New to the Parish: Rwandan who arrived in 2013 is grateful to Ireland

Evgeny Shtorn: “It’s about public understanding. So many people don’t even know direct provision exists but they are paying for it.” Photograph: Andrew Downes/xposure

‘I’m 35 years old and I feel like my life is turning into nothing’

New to the Parish: Evgeny Shtorn arrived from Russia in 2018

Miriam Kaczor: “Arriving into a new place where you see people having fun but you can’t join in was really tough. You go from being a really good student to getting bad grades. It was a lonely time.” Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

‘I was asked to play the national anthem on my flute. I felt honoured’

New to the Parish: Miriam Kaczor arrived from Poland in 2008

HaiYing Huang: “For the foreseeable future Ireland is my home.” Photograph: Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

My first thoughts on Dublin: Are we really in a developed country?

New to the Parish: HaiYing Huang arrived from China in 2002

Filip Klubicka joined the Irish a capella group Ardú shortly after moving to Dublin in August 2017. Photograph: Enda O’Dowd/The Irish Times

‘People in Ireland are very, let’s say, lax with time commitments’

New to the Parish: Filip Klubicka arrived in Ireland in August 2017

Daniela Kocis-Fitzgerald: “I’ve always been quite ambitious and adventurous.” Photograph: Tom Honan

‘When I said I’m Romanian, she literally stepped away from me’

New to the Parish: Daniela Kocis-Fitzgerald arrived from Romania in 2009

Daniela Vindisova: “It feels good here. I have never felt like I’m in some kind of minority.” Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

‘The worst thing about Ireland? Dublin Bus!’

New to the Parish: Daniela Vindisova from Slovakia came to Ireland in 2016

New to the Parish: Swathi Sasidharan with her husband, Sajeevan Achuthan, and children, seven-year-old Aadvika and four-year-old Anwita. Photograph: Tom O’Hanlon

‘In the car from Dublin Airport I asked, Is this a dead country?’

Stories of 2018: New to the Parish, Swathi Sasidharan arrived from India in 2005

Norbert Nkengurutse in the Crawford Gallery, Cork. “Direct provision is not a bad system but it’s a poorly organised system.” Photograph: Daragh McSweeney/Provision

‘I came to Ireland to save my family. Why is it taking so long?’

New to the Parish: Norbert Nkengurutse arrived from Burundi in 2016

Sibusisiwe (Busie) Mhlophe at the marina in Cork city centre near where she runs with her club Togher AC. Photograph: Clare Keogh

‘I live in Cork. It’s the first time I’ve had white friends’

New to the Parish: Sibusisiwe (Busie) Mhlophe arrived from Zimbabwe in 2017

Hermon Tsegay: “I’m less naive about how the world works.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne

Waiting for asylum: ‘I felt like a shadow that was slowly disappearing’

Hermon Tsegay is happy in Ireland but critical of a system that left her in limbo

Bulelani Mfaco has been living in direct provision for nearly a year. He describes the centres as “ghettos in every sense of the word”. Photograph: Cyril Byrne

Direct provision: ‘It stank. There was no privacy. It was like military camp’

New to the Parish: Bulelani Mfaco arrived from South Africa in 2015

Christian Emmanuel Dirocie: “I didn’t get the ‘in’ jokes with my friends; that made me learn English quicker.” Photograph: Cathy Coughlan/Human Collective

‘When I arrived I didn't have any English and kept asking myself what am I doing here?’

New to the Parish: Christian Dirocie arrived from the Dominican Republic in 2014

Wojciech and Monika Kostka with their children Ewa (8) and Maja (12) in Arklow. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

‘Irish people are very nice and smile a lot but they’re not direct’

Wojciech and Monika Kostka arrived from Poland in 2005 and have settled in Arklow

Anderson Leahy, from Brazil, with his husband James at home in Cabra, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill

‘Brazil is very homophobic. In Dublin I feel like I belong’

Anderson Leahy arrived from Brazil in 2013, and married his Irish boyfriend three years later

Solomon Kong still struggles with the general cost of living in Dublin and was shocked to discover the rate of basic tax when the received his first pay cheque. Photograph: Cyril Byrne

‘I did feel offended when I was refused for being a foreigner. I had to get over it’

New to the Parish: Solomon Kong arrived to study accounting and finance in 2015. Settling in Ireland was not straightforward especially when it came to accommodation

Karen Mukasa (17) from Uganda. She hopes to study health science at university in Ireland but also feels the urge to return to Uganda some day. Photograph: Alan Betson

‘My grandmother sent me to boarding school to protect me. It was a much safer option’

New to the Parish: Karen Mukasa arrived from Uganda in 2015

1
2
3
4
5
Next ›

Connect on Facebook

Most Read in Life & Style

“Dr Google assembled for me an array of reassuring possibilities.” Photograph: Getty

Michael Harding: ‘My indigestion turned out to be a heart attack’

Luquillo Beach in Puerto Rico. Photograph: Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

52 places to go in 2019: Our top destinations to visit this year

Rachel Flaherty on a run

‘My habits, whether good or bad, have ultimately led to my weight loss’

BMW X5 30d M Sport

Still a bit bling but the best driving SUV in its class

Planning a move to Canada? Here’s everything you need to know

Mary Dillon, Greg Kennedy and Marie Galvin. Photograph: Tom Honan

The returned missionaries: ‘I’m more African than I am Irish’

Caleb asleep in Enda’s arms.

My husband’s pain is fixed by his grandson’s million-dollar smile

Gluten-free bread now looks the part and tastes good too, though it is expensive. So is that because it is worth it? Is it a better product? Photograph: iStock

What's really in gluten-free bread?

Tralee Town park run in Co Kerry. Young and not so young from around the area participate in the weekly 2km junior park run which starts at 9.30am on a Sunday. Photograph: Domnick Walsh

Make small changes for a healthier family life, and don’t give up when things go wrong

Why your muscles feel sore a day or two after exercise, and what to do about it

Real news has value

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Google Podcasts

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Google Podcasts

Something For The Weekend

Something For The Weekend

Sign up to receive our email sent every Friday featuring offers, competitions and a preview of what’s coming up in the weekend edition.

Sign In

Forgot Password?

Sign Out