Comments on: Goodbye to loved ones returning abroad

By: Vera Dawber

Vera Dawber — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:23:56 +0000

What lovely letters to read.
Yes I too can identify with all the above re leaving Ireland. but I was in the lucky position to leave in the 60s because I had ”the wander lust”not because I was looking for work. I had no bother getting a job at home or abroad as I was a trained nurse, Trained in Ireland.
Myself & a friend just decided to go to London for ”the craic”& had no intention of staying too long..but the inevitable happened…..First we fell in love with London…Great wonderful city. We always came back to Ireland for Christmas & the summer in Tramore for the races. As like the above, I was always heartbroken saying Farewell to my Mam family & friends, so much so that I used to pretend to her that the train/flight or boat went earlier than it actually did so as not have to say my goodbyes in the morning when she was asleep.!!
But time changes all that. I fell in love with an Englishman, married him & settled down in Lancashire with a family of my own. I still returned home to Tramore as often as I could with my husband & Children,…More frequently now as I am retired & my dear Mother is getting older. I still adore Tramore, there is nothing as beautiful as the strand on a quite peaceful morning, or a walk along Cliff road. The scenery is second to none.
I have noticed though that the cost of living is very high over there. I am amazed at the Health service too…Having to pay for everything. We take the NHS for granted here in UK. I think it is so much cheaper to live in Uk than Ireland
Still I have a real soft spot for my home town & always will…In 40 years I haven’t lost my accent!.
When I am looking out of the aircraft window leaving Tramore I look over my beautiful town , Church spires and all….& a few little tears always defeat me.
Happy New Year to you all.
Vera Dawber.

By: Blah

Blah — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:23:03 +0000

HI Nicola,
What you describe has been synomonous with Ireland and our history, more so before the celtic tiger prevailed. My family and I (Wife & 3 young kids) experience the “goodbye” on a yearly basis whe we return to the Middle East, and we count ourselves lucky to be in a position to return each year.
Speasking from the flip side of the coin as the emigrant, if you can find any comfort in the fact that your brother is probably very happy as you describe, all that is missing is his immediate family.
Having lived abroad with my family for nearly 4 years one realises upon their return that Ireland is a place where ones heart will always remain, and undoubtedly will always be home. The unfortunate truth however is that we have rising unemployment and the financial backbone of the country is in turmoil and the cost of living is exhorbitant. As a result it is very difficult to look optimistically at returning home in the near future.
Considering the fact that we have just experienced the greatest economic boom of any nation the previous decade it is unfortunate to think that such a period has passed and neither the Healthcare system, Education nor Infrastructure 9etc etc) is noticably better. As a nation people were led to believe that they were better off than before, this perception was made even more apparent by the fact that there were not restrictions to loans , mortgages etc. The feel good factor was apparent right up to 2009.
Looking back at the primary motive of our decision to emigrate, it was our inability to save even a shred of money, that was with my wife an I working. We had succumbed to the nice car, house, remortgage etc, essentially living beyond our means. Now thankfully we have a good standard of living and more importantly the stresses associated with financial commitments arent apparent.
Hopefullly you can find some happiness in the fact that he is returning to a life that is not achievable in Ireland at present, hopefully in the not to distant future he will be able to find the same back home. Happy 2010 to you and all your readers.

By: Colleen Adams

Colleen Adams — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:22:39 +0000

Hello Nicola,

Your article really touched a raw nerve in me. My dad left Ireland in the 1930’s and returned for a brief time in the 1950s which is when I first saw Ireland being all of six years old. Those five months there haunted me during my growing up years and by 21 I was back for a visit and got to know my family from an adult point of view. The 1980’s saw me back in Ireland again with two children of my own. We settled in the beautiful town of Tramore and spent 9 happy years there. I made some wonderful friends there and also had another baby. While there we often visited my family in Northern Ireland. Eventually South Africa called once again, so here I am in my birthplace, Johannesburg. I feel I have my feet straddled between the two countries and have often heard that both call you – I have had that feeling. I have Irish parents, but was born here the result being that I am neither S.African or Irish – that is what emigration does. My grandmother saw 4 sons leave Ireland two returned, the other two are burried here – I wonder how she felt?

from Colleen Adams (nee Maguire)