More Irish families returning home to Ireland than emigrating for first time in nine years
The Central Statistics Office revealed more than 90,300 people moved to Ireland in the year to April 2018 and 28,400 of these were returning Irish nationals
MORE Irish people are returning home to the Emerald Isle than emigrating, for the first time in nine years.
Last week, we told how Irish nationals are flocking back from countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US in favour of a new life back home.
The Central Statistics Office revealed more than 90,300 people moved to Ireland in the year to April 2018 and 28,400 of these were returning Irish nationals.
And of the 56,300 people who left the country in the same period, 28,300 were estimated to be Irish, resulting in an inflow of about 100 Irish people.
CSO statistician James Hegarty said it's encouraging to see more Irish people returning home.
He said: "If that is an indicator the country is going well, then it's certainly what we are seeing."
But after years spent away in sunnier climes, how easy is it to settle in back home?
Here, Niamh Anderson speaks to Irish nationals who made the decision to return.
O'Sullivan family home from US
CLODAGH Read and husband John O’Sullivan moved back to Cork last summer after a 24-year stint in New York City.
The couple lived in Queens along with their sons Jack, ten, Cian, eight, and their dog Lilly. But following the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut, which claimed the lives of 20 school children and six adults, everything changed.
Clodagh, 49, wanted a safer environment for their children to grow up. And despite spending half her life away, they settled into life back home “surprisingly quickly”.
She said: “We moved for the quality of life for them. We’ve gone from living in the middle of New York City to living in the countryside in Cork.
“The pace there was tough for the boys, it’s an easier lifestyle here as a child. They’re safer and there’s an awful lot to be said for it.
“There was a family from our neighbourhood who moved up to Connecticut to be in a safer place and their child was shot dead.
“I didn’t know them personally but I remember thinking that day, ‘I wonder if our school is safe’.
“You can’t take your eyes off your kids for two seconds in New York, but you can here and they’re really enjoying their independence.”
Clodagh and her family packed up their life in the Big Apple last summer and shipped all of their belongings home in a container. And they even flew their much-loved dog Lily back with them.
The family are now readjusting to working life back home. Clodagh has set her own acupuncture business — Clodagh Read Acupunture — and John works for a US company in financial services sales.
The mum-of-two admits it’s proving challenging.
She added: “It’s a big change for John from working in Wall Street to working at home in Cork remotely now, the pace is much different.
“We’re very happy we moved home but one thing that I do miss most is that I left a mature, very active and well-regarded acupuncture practice, and now I’m going through the process of re-establishing that practice here in Cork from scratch.”
Jay Banks and Clare Byrne back from Australia
JAY Banks and partner Clare Byrne had the dream life on Australia’s Gold Coast.
Both had well-paid jobs, a close-knit group of friends and access to some of the world’s most breathtaking beaches.
But when Clare got pregnant last year, the pair decided to leave it all behind.
Along with 16-week-old Alexander, they have been home for four weeks, staying at Clare’s family home in Shankill, Co Dublin.
Revealing they have no regrets so far, Jay, 32, said: “We were living in the Gold Coast for six years and it just took its toll.
“Once we had our son, Alexander, we got homesick and we wanted him to be raised in Ireland.
“Little things like walking around the streets and seeing familiar faces make a difference to us.
"In Australia, you can drive around for months and not recognise anyone and we missed that about home.”
Jay says he was surprised to discover “so many” jobs were available in Dublin when they returned.
He started his new job with Vodafone’s corporate sales division earlier this week.
The young dad said: “In Australia, I got a lot of opportunities from my employer to grow within the company and I got some invaluable experience. I’m able to walk into a decent job here and I didn’t have that before.”
Edel Burke and Mike Kenneally back from Canada
COUPLE Edel Burke and Mike Kenneally swapped vibrant Vancouver for Galway after it became “harder and harder” to say goodbye to loved ones with each return.
The pair decided to call time on Canada this summer and are now settling back into life at home. They are now viewing Ireland with new eyes, having spent eight years abroad.
Edel, 28, said: “We’re loving being home.
"Whenever people found out I was from Galway when I was away, they knew about it or had been and loved it. I had taken it for granted when I left and now I’m seeing it as a tourist and it’s beautiful.
“Everything is so much closer than Canada. You couldn’t hop on a flight in Vancouver for less than €300, whereas you can get to France for as little as €50.”
House prices also played a role in their decision to return home. The average cost of buying an apartment in Vancouver is €434,000.
Edel said: “Vancouver changed so much and got so much more expensive. The chances of us buying a house were slim, so at the start of the year we thought, ‘We have to make a decision now’.”
Edel worked as a communications officer for a hospital in Vancouver, while Mike had a project manager role with luxury athletics brand Lululemon.
Now the pair are on the hunt for similar roles back home. Edel said: “There are definitely less jobs in Galway than we hoped for, so it’s taking longer to settle in, but in the meantime we’re enjoying seeing our friends and family again.”
Danielle and Peter leaving Down Under
DANIELLE Parle is gearing up to make the return journey back to Ireland this October.
The 27-year-old from Wexford is set to come back with her partner, Peter Masi, and their three-year-old child, Bella.
Despite hearing horror stories about rising house prices and a lack of jobs, Danielle is determined to make it work for the sake of their daughter.
She said: “I grew up and went to school in Ireland and my biggest fear was her going to a big school here in Australia and just getting lost in the crowd because the classes are so much bigger.
“You’re not even guaranteed to get into a school, but I’ve called primary schools at home in Wexford and they said there’s no bother getting her into school in two years’ time.
“Having the support of my family is kind of what we need at the moment as well.”
Danielle moved to Australia when she was 19 and only ever intended to stay for a year. But after working her way up the ladder at a security firm in Sydney, and meeting Peter, 12 months turned into eight years.
The couple own a two-bedroom apartment in Sydney which they plan to sell before returning to Wexford. And she reckons they will be better off financially back here.
She said: “Sydney is so expensive, the average home is about Aus$1million (€600,000) and when you’re a parent your perspective changes.
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
“There’s more to go home for now. I’m going back as a mum and we’re possibly going back to buy or build a house. It is quite difficult to build a life in Oz as a small family.”
Danielle also says she won’t take the beauty of Ireland for granted after so long away.
She said: “When I was living at home, I would never do much. I thought ‘I can’t wait to leave’. Sometimes I think you have to leave to appreciate it.”