New to the Parish

A series about new arrivals who have made Ireland their home

Photo: N/A, License: N/A

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?’

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

Tayan Gaedi at the Countess Markievicz Statue on Townsend Street, Dublin 2: “I tell people now I’m Irish-Kurdish.” Photograph: Cyril Byrne

‘I’m as proud to be Irish as I am Kurdish’

New to the Parish: Tayan Gaedi arrived from Iraqi Kurdistan in 2005

Senthil Kumar Ramasamy in Waterford City: “I became interested in Irish politics when I came here and that’s why I wanted to learn about the Irish legal system.” Picture: Patrick Browne

‘At least everyone has the basics in Ireland. That’s why I’m living here’

New to the Parish: Senthil Kumar Ramasamy arrived in Waterford from India in 2000

Rosemary Kunene: “There are a lot of people who are depressed and don’t want to get involved in anything. I don’t blame them for that. The duration of stay in these centres is too long and I wish I could know what really causes the delays.” Photograph: Tom O’Hanlon

‘People in direct provision are liars and thieves – that belief is part of Irish society’

New to the Parish: Rosemary Kunene arrived from Swaziland in 2014

José Muñoz: “Living the rest of my life in El Salvador is not an option. We all know the situation isn’t going to change there, we want a better life.” Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill

‘I wanted to start a new life. I was sick of the situation in El Salvador’

New to the Parish: José Muñoz arrived in Ireland in 2016

Tunisian Houda Zghidi moved to Ireland four years ago. She works for a tech company. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw

‘Irish people would ask: ‘You’re Arab? Why don’t you have a veil?’’

New to the Parish: Houda Zghidi arrived from Tunisia in 2014

Imani Tutu at the Free Bird sculpture in Cavan. Imani came to Ireland with his family in 2014 from Tanzania as UNHCR-sponsored refugees. Photograph: Lorraine Teevan

‘In Ireland, I was scared to say hi to people on the street’

New to the Parish: Imani Tutu arrived from Tanzania in 2014

Osama Abou Hajar recently got Irish citizenship. He is pictured with his newly signed document.

‘The Irish people gave me justice, liberty, humanity and support’

New to the Parish: Osama Abou Hajar arrived from Syria via Lebanon in 2014

1
2
3
4
5
Next ›

Connect on Facebook

Most Read in Life & Style

The adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels. Photograph: AFP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/Getty Images

‘Where the F**K IS MY LUGGAGE!?’: Stormy Daniels lets fly at Aer Lingus

Richard “Ricky” McDonnell: “At the beginning I was silent out of fear, and then it was out of respect.” Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons/The Irish Times

I was Ann Lovett’s boyfriend: The award-winning article

Amy Huberman and Brian O’Driscoll’s home: 1 Larchfield Road, Goatstown, Dublin 14

Brian O’Driscoll and Amy Huberman selling their D14 home for €1.4m

As a teenager, it is natural your son is interested in drinking, in the social life that goes with it and how to look and be cool when out with peers. Photograph: iStock

My teenage son was drinking and I’m angry at his best friend’s family for allowing it

Joyce Hickey’s tarragon chicken

Easy, last minute chicken, tarragon and mushroom pasta sauce

14A Garville Road Rathgar Dublin 6

And a shower for the dog: No muddy floors in Rathgar Victorian

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?

Tony Ward with his running guide, Darragh McDaid. According to Ward, ‘I’m lucky in that I’m stubborn and I have a great network of family and friends around me who row in behind my stubbornness and help me to do these things.’

Tony Ward: Living life to the full

Tesco Veggie Steak: “It does not taste bad but nor does it taste good”

The vegan steak has arrived, but what does it taste like?

Ferdia MacAonghusa: “When I’m at my lowest, I feel a desperate, suffocating sense of being trapped in a ‘bad’ life.”

‘I know that I’m not bad or broken for experiencing depression’

Real news has value

Subscribe on iTunes

Follow on Soundcloud

Listen on Stitcher

Subscribe on iTunes

Follow on Soundcloud

Listen on Stitcher

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