I’m excited to write my first newsletter as new editor of The Irish Times Abroad. Travelling to dozens of countries has sparked my curiosity to know the wonders of how others live. But it wasn’t until I lived in Australia in the 2000s that I fully ‘got’ the difference between being a tourist and being an emigrant.
The commute from my tiny Sydney CBD flat (with its window view of a concrete wall) across the majestic Harbour Bridge to my reception job on the North Shore became a familiar routine. But even after months of crossing that iconic bridge by train (the flash of Sydney Harbour’s blue always catching my breath while the Aussies barely looked up at that ever-present sea), it felt like someone else’s place, not ever mine.
Urge to belong somewhere
Instead, I found that feeling of “home” inside the walls of PJ O’Brien’s pub, where my foot would spontaneously tap to Irish trad and my heart would scream (and cry) for the Irish soccer team. It’s easy to be cynical about Irish people embracing culture and gathering with their own when abroad. But for me, it came from an urge deep inside to belong somewhere, if only for an evening.
Tell us your stories, ideas, perspectives
I’d like to bring to the fore experiences and perspectives that matter to Irish readers overseas and the wider diaspora. However, I can’t do this without your help.
Smiling UK cashiers and baby-patting Italians: Do small interactions lift your day?
My Sydney commute taught me the absent emigrant feeling – belonging
Irish abroad: We want to hear your stories of life outside Ireland
From Dublin to Cape Verde: ‘Apart from family and friends the only thing I miss is the odd bag of Tayto crisps’
Your stories have been at the heart of this project since it began as the Generation Emigration blog 14 years ago this month. This writing from Irish readers overseas will remain key.
You don’t have to write to be heard
But if you don’t have the time or inclination to write a long piece we’d also like to hear from you - if you’ve a story, an idea or an opinion. Email us with a topic you’d like us to explore, take part in our ‘have your say’ calls on particular themes, or tell your story to us by interview. Get in touch abroad@irishtimes.com . Read our submission guidelines here. We’ll be posting all of this on our Irish Times Abroad Instagram account.
Have your say
We are looking for short submissions on small social interactions where you live. Do you chat to strangers on the bus, say hello to walkers on the road or tell the barista about your weekend? Tell us in the link above. For food month in November we’d like to hear what favourite food you’ve found in the corner of the world where you live? Send your submissions using this form or email abroad@irishtimes.com.
Voting rights for Irish abroad
Dozens of you responded with views on being unable to vote in the presidential election, with many pointing out how out-of-step the State is when it comes to expat voting. You can find some of the responses here. As French resident Patricia Nolan told us: “I follow Irish news every day and I’m proud of being Irish, so why deprive me of my right to vote?”
Catch-up: Ireland in October
Ireland has a new president: Catherine Connolly was declared the election winner in a landslide at the weekend, but who is Ireland’s president-elect? Harry McGee profiles the Galway native for whom a big question is how she can reconcile her radical anti-establishment politics with a position as first citizen.
Ray D’Arcy’s unexpected RTÉ departure: Anyone who has been in Ireland over the last 30 years will know the broadcaster’s name, from antics with Zig and Zag on The Den, to light banter on Today FM and more recently RTÉ Radio 1. His swift departure from the station this month came as a surprise to many. He told Orla Ryan he was “blindsided” by his “brutal” RTÉ treatment.
Budget windfall (for McDonald’s not middle-earners): The budget unveiled a series of cuts in VAT for the hospitality industry, on energy and on new apartment sales, with little room for a repeat of recent giveaways to middle-income workers. With the VAT rate cut to 9 per cent from next July, we’ve “handed McDonald’s a €20 million windfall”, writes John McManus.
Death of Manchán Magan: Familiar to many readers for his insightful contributions on the Irish language and the natural world, the writer and documentary maker died of cancer this month aged 55. “The Irish language was the pursuit of a lifetime,” his obituary says.
Stripe co-founder on fixing Ireland: John Collison of Stripe’s must-read piece on how Ireland is going backwards and how to get it moving sparked reaction as high up as the Taoiseach’s office. In this opinion piece, Sinéad O’Sullivan writes he is ‘half right’ and Ireland’s problem isn’t just process, it’s psychology.
Why are Americans moving to Ireland?: And finally it’s almost one year since the US election vote which saw Donald Trump sweep to a second term. Jessica Doyle spoke to some Americans about their decision to moving to Ireland for a better life. “Right now we don’t really feel like it’s a safe place for our daughter to be” one mother says. Are you Irish and living in the United States, how has life been for you under the second Trump administration? Has life change and as an emigrant do you still feel as welcome as always? Get in touch abroad@irishtimes.com.
