Welcome to our newsletter for the month of June. The buzz of Olympic preparations can be felt throughout Paris, as locals and travellers navigate the prospective hurdles and rules that will be set throughout the games’ period. Patricia Killeen, an Irish resident, who secured her Parisian property in 2000, never had the slightest inkling that someday her neighbourhood stadium, Pablo Neruda, would serve as a training ground for Olympic athletes. Despite her delight, Patricia hints at a certain cloudiness concerning the future for Parisians, with work-from-home regulations depending on individual employers, positions and localities. Patricia also foresees the Olympics being a good opportunity for spectators to savour traditional Parisian cuisine, with bouillons Chartier and Art Nouveau Bouillon Julien topping her list.
This month, we bid farewell to columnist Brianna Parkins, who has relocated to Australia after a five-year sojourn in Ireland. Reflecting on her move, she wonders about the legitimacy of her sorrow, considering the myriad Irish people that migrate to Australia without parental support at arrival. She recounts her non-verbal farewell to Dublin’s signature attractions, and acknowledges the transformation she underwent due to Ireland’s characteristics. She claims this country made her gentler and more curious, contrasting her prior resilience.
Catherine Moonan details her visit to Sydney to see her daughters who are currently settling in Australia. “Witnessing the girls was an absolute joy – their absence from home is deeply felt,” she reveals. Catherine speaks up about the pandemic-fuelled setback her daughters’ generation has faced, with a delay of approximately two years in striking out and exploring. Although parting ways was challenging, she takes comfort in the fact that her daughters are now living independently and carving their own paths.
Laura Kennedy, an Irish expat residing in Australia, contrasts this experience to living as an Irish individual in Britain. She argues that while due to our shared history, Britain holds significance for the Irish, the feeling isn’t necessarily mutual. Living in Australia presents a fresh viewpoint, particularly as the nation grapples with its colonial history, mirroring many Western countries in their complicated relationship with their past.
Additionally, an account from Sarah Moran throws light on her life in New York. She elaborates on how not just tolerance, but enthusiasm for Irish immigrants abounds there. Sarah states that the American infatuation with the Irish, despite being warm and laudatory, seems strangely disproportionate to any one nation’s collective capacity for joviality and hospitality. She notes that seemingly, Ireland fares better in America compared to other nations, given how its narrative of resilience resonates with Americans. Astonishingly, declarations of Irish ancestry are common in New York, insists Sarah. It allows individuals to subtly imply their humble background and subsequent rise.
Lastly, Maura Murray takes readers on a nostalgia-filled tour of Galway, exploring her childhood recollections. After spending numerous years as an immigrant in England, she found herself back in Galway visiting her ailing mother in Galway University Hospital, or “The Regional”. Maura reflects on old charm elements of her home town such as the cannons once at the apex of Eyre Square and her memories of dining out in the early ’70s. Yet, despite the sense of familiarity, Galway has changed, with shuttered shops and pubs, and even what appear as open opportunities merely lead to locked doors.