Posted on 08/16/2006 10:46:10 AM PDT by lizol
Ireland – a Polish home from home
Even in the most distant parts of Ireland, a country which opened its labour market for new EU citizens only 2 years ago, any Pole will feel at home.
Iwona Lajmen reports
The streets, shops and offices are full of Polish people passing by, opening their businesses or assisting other Poles to help them order a coffee in Polish. This is how numerous Polish immigrants have made their way into a country on the other end of the European Community.
Ireland, one of the few countries which decided to open itself to all EU communities, claims it has taken one of the best decisions ever. When the Celtic Tiger develops and its people get better off there are still too few hands to work. Especially that this island is not among the most densely populated. Out of the 4 million Irish living there now every 10th is an immigrant. According to official statistics about 150 thousand of them are Poles, mainly coming for two or five years, just to make the money to have an easier start back at home. 'I had a job and my boyfriend had one too. I worked in an Atlantic shop with underwear and earned 300 euros a month, now I make 350 a week, so that's a big difference.'
'Yes, it's hard work, but not as much as people think... I guess here's the same like in Poland... not so different, but I still miss the family.'
Like many other young and dynamic Poles in their 20s Karolina followed her boyfriend all the way to Dublin. Now, working in Mc Donald’s and living with several other people in one apartment, she looks very positively into her future:
'I didn't plan this trip... I graduated in 2004. I had some friends here, so it wasn't so bad at the beginning. I applied for a few jobs and still being in Poland had three interviews. Then I came here straight away and had a job after three days.'
It’s not a secret that most of the hands are needed at construction sites and this is where Przemek found his work just within a week after he arrived in Dublin in June this year. Having spent 2 years in the same job in Germany, whose labour market is still closed, he says, that even if he’s further away from home now he feels, in a way, nearer to Poland in Ireland.
Many Polish people intending to emigrate that far away start searching for jobs while still in Poland before they leave. That’s what Szymon did around May 2004. Now he’s changed his job twice climbing up his chosen professional ladder in administration:
Far away from home, having a job, good money, and the craic, (or having fun in Irish) - this is what Marzena and Wojtek do. Running their own graphic company they have come up with the idea of publishing a free guide to Polish speaking places in Dublin, which they distribute at the airport and in the streets. Apart from that, they also edit an ad magazine Anons.ie, which helps those who are making their first steps in Ireland to find their way. Since still not all Polish emigrants speak English, it’s one of the first things they grab to survive, says marrzena Smousz.
'Today we have the second issue. It's every Monday in shops and we really think Poles need it. Yesterday we received a postcard from a guy in Cork who wrote down "Thanks Anons.ie!! I found a job!!"
Before EU enlargement hardly any of the Irish heard anything about Poland. Now the two nations work together and many a times live next door, getting to know each other better and showing a lot of understanding for - all together - similar traditions, religion and history. Even this elderly woman who coincidently stopped by in the street has an opinion about a country at the other end of the EU:
'I think they are very nice. And I listened to Radio4, which is an English radio station, the other day. They were saying that Polish work very hard, they are well respected for whatever work they do -they do it very well. And they are well respected in England and here.'
10 years ago it would have been unprecedented in Ireland, now it’s happening. A fully homogeneous Irish society has opened themselves for foreigners and it seems that Poles have found a common ground and language.
Actually, yes. There are Ogham stones all over Wales, and the Scottish Kingdom of Dal Riada was also an Irish plantation in Britain. Kilts, bagpipes, Gaelic placenames, Scotch whisky, and names with "Mc/Mac" prefixes are all evidence of an ancient Irish conquest of Britain. And don't forget, Saint Patrick (after whom I named my firstborn son) was kidnapped from Britain by Irish slave raiders.
None of that justifies what the British did later. And none of that, in turn, justifies what the IRA terrorists have done in our time, either. As one with both Green (5/8) and Orange (3/16) ancestry, I've studied the history of both sides, so don't waste time trying to convince me to support communist-terrorist scum who speak for neither group's interests.
Well said - there is no point using history as a stick to beat against the present - history is just lessons to be learnt.
Gerry Adams couldn't do likewise.
How dare you. Listen lady or whoever you are, vox_pl is a friend of the Foxhole, yes you can find us on the front page of FR, we have a button to point you to our years of history threads. He is a respected member.
vox_pl is not a troll. He knows his history and he knows it well. Just because some people don't agree with you doesn't mean you can attack them when you please. Debate the issue and be done with it. Not everyone agrees with you about Ireland. Even if the majority do, a few may not and that is allowed here. You've had your say and you say it all the time. I think folks know your views. No need to attack others just because they disagree with your version of history.
Excellent points friend.
Were do you stand on the Irish Question?
I think I'm entitled to make a mistake when people are making moral equivalents of British democracy and a terrorist group like the IRA.
Yes, I apologise for that.
Shame on you. You people don't know who you are talking to. FR doesn't allow name calling and that is basically what you are doing. How about you read YOUR history. Poland doesn NOT have communist masters anymore!
Sorry, you didn't make yourself clear earlier.
Yeah, like Ireland.
Oh please. There are Irish who don't want to be part of Britain. They aren't all terrorists. You can't group them all together for your brand of propaganda.
We may find a time when we Americans become "terrorists" just to get our country back from our own "invaders". Keep that in mind as we are being taken over by multiple groups.
That's ok, I understand.
What are you saying? The IRA are somehow justified in their actions?
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