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.
No but what he and his saw fit to put out as news helped shape the world view here in the US.
I never said you were a communist. But what we learn as children for good or ill colors our world view forever unless we replace it with something else. Unless your parents taught you differently about the history you learned in school how could you even begin to separate the fact from the fiction?
Maybe I am wrong. Maybe your parents taught you Irish history in detail. Did they?
I can't think of two more funloving and compatible groups than the Irish and the Poles.
It's what made Chicago great!
Why haven't you answered the question?
So the kind of things that you were saying earlier were taught to you in school?
You haven't responded to any of my posts since, either!!
I'm still waiting for an explanation, no, sorry an apology for calling me a liar!!
And you can consider yourself taken off my Ireland Ping list!!!
I will not have IRA supporters on my ping list!
but I can also imagine their desperation of being under the brutal boots of the invaders.
This is what you were taught about what is happening in NI?
You were taught that the people living there who voted to stay in the UK and should they ever want out all they have to do is vote and leave are under the boot of brutal oppressors?
You were taught that the people who have been living there for 900 years aren't native?
What then is native? And who are the brutal oppressors? Those who allow you to leave with a simple vote or those who state that they will kill you unless you join them?
It was, the IRA were using the protesters as human shields.
That is like defending some lout who ran up to a guy eating a burger and beat him to death and then by saying "Just imagine he was eating your sister!"
The cases are not even remotely similar.
The point is that NI is not under the boot of a brutal oppressor. They are enjoying the right of living under their own freely elected government. Well they would enjoy it if the "Join us or die" bunch would leave them alone.
Yes, plus the likes of Hezbollah do the same thing.
Anyway, it's late over here - so goodnight!
I've no doubt! :)
I hope so.
Yeah... politics is complicated here as it is! :P
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