In early 2010 The Irish Timesasked five people to record their fortunes over 12 months in recession-hit Ireland. CARL O'BRIENfinds out how they're doing two years later
Seán Brennan
Hardware shop owner
“The past year was tough. There’s no other way of saying it. We just chipped away at whatever we owed, kept plugging away at work.
“Thankfully, the locals here have been fantastic in supporting us. You have to adapt. We’ve been working longer hours and doing free home delivery. If someone wants a few tins of paint, a key cut, whatever, we’ll deliver it.
“People are buying less, but at least they’re sticking with us. The attitude to work is also going back to what it was in the 1970s: working hard until the work is done. Overtime? Bonuses? Not a bit of it. It’s all about going the extra mile.
“We got away for a short holiday in Kerry this year. It was the first time in about five years. A friend had some accommodation down there. That was great.
“As for the year ahead, we’ll just keep doing what we’re doing. I’m happy to say we’re paying off our creditors and keeping the business going. I just hope the banks and financial institutions will be more accommodating for businesses in trouble. They need all the support they can get. I’ve seen some terrible tragedies and deaths linked to people in debt and seeing their business close. Everyone needs a chance.”
Ann Elizabeth Guan
Care assistant, 54
“I’m here around eight years now, but this has been a very challenging one. I’m working as a carer and, like many people, am on close to the minimum wage. The money for these kinds of jobs used to be much better, but, like so much else, the pay has gone down.
“It makes it much more difficult to save enough money to send to my family in the Philippines. I have four children at home who live with my mother, who is in her 80s. The money I send is for their education, for food, but also to pay the mortgage on the house and help care for my mother. There isn’t the kind of social safety net at home that there is in Europe, so you have to pay for everything. I managed to get home last year to see everyone, which was lovely. But I wasn’t able to go out and socialise like I might have done in the past. Everything is about saving money and keeping costs down.
“Here in Ireland, I hand-wash most of the laundry, to save money on using the washing machine, and turn off any unnecessary lights. It all makes a difference. I don’t buy much for myself. I plan to stay here as long as there is work for me. There isn’t work available at home. When I do return home eventually, my own children will then take care of me.
“As for the year ahead, it’s important to be hopeful and to think things will get better. These things tend to come in cycles.”
Maura O’Keeffe
Widower, 66
“My health has got worse over the past year. During the harsh winter earlier in the year I slipped on ice and dislocated my shoulder. Now I’m left with a poor arm. It affects me in lots of ways. I’m not able to reach up to put things in the press, that kind of thing. Still, it could have been worse.
“For older people, things are tougher than ever. The budget didn’t cut the pension or social welfare, but the hikes and charges all add up. The VAT increase and the reduction in the fuel allowance, for example, will make it more expensive to heat the house. I try to save money, just heating one room. Or if I boil the kettle, I’ll put extra water in a Thermos flask to use later. You need to save what you can. I wonder how many more cuts people can put up with. The cost cutting is dismantling vital services like public nursing homes and health services. At the same time, some Government advisers are getting big pay increases. That’s not fair.
“Where will it all end? It’s hard to see things getting any better. In the 1980s it also felt very bleak, and we got through that. This time around it’s different, because so many people are in debt with mortgages. But I’ve no doubt we will get through this as a country, in time, and come out the other side.”
Niall McAllister
Former managing director, 45
“I’m still looking for work. It’s now two years, three months and 14 days since I was working. You begin to feel institutionalised after a while, taking money from the State. There’s no point complaining: I’m one of the 500,000 others doing the same. I still believe in the future of this country, but I’m scared of the consequences of a double-dip. It would set us back even further.
“I’ll be pushing 50, so if the economy doesn’t recover, it’ll be harder and harder to find work. That said, I’m doing everything I can. I’ve applied for Fás courses; I’m dressing up in my suit, going to interviews. I’ve tried volunteering. The only problem is it’s so hard to get a job or even a course. I’m often told I’m ‘overqualified’.
“Life on €188 isn’t easy: once you take out rent, electricity and phone credit, there isn’t much left. You just have to adjust. Cuts to things like fuel allowance really do hit hard. These are things I would never have worried about before.
“My hope for the year ahead? The best way forward is for everyone to stick together, to get through this and help each other out. One day, this will all pass. There are lots of people out there like me who just want to work. And I’ll be ready when the opportunities come.”
Ashling O’Regan
Student social worker, 24
“The biggest change for me over the past year has been going back to college. I was working in social care but decided to do a master’s degree and become a social worker.
Unlike being in full-time work, you don’t really have free evenings; there’s always an assignment that needs to be done or an exam to prepare for.
“But I’m lucky. This is one of the few areas where people are still being hired, so quite a lot of my friends are working. Hopefully, they’ll still be hiring people by the time I graduate. Why social work? I think that, like others, I want to make a difference and help people who are in difficulty. The coming year will be about working hard in college, passing my exams and completing my master’s degree.
"The other big thing in my life at the moment is the pantomime: I'm choreographing and on the production team of Cinderellawhich is due to take place at the Clasac theatre in Fairview. It's on from January 18th to the 21st, so time is running out to get everything ready. But it's great fun. I absolutely love it. The kids are all working hard. You make great friends, and it's a nice change from everything."
