Archive for March, 2007
« Previous EntriesDrogheda exhibition looks at lives of US undocumented
Wednesday, March 28th, 2007The lives of the undocumented Irish in the US are explored in a new photo exhibition opening at the Highlanes Gallery in Drogheda. “Far from home: A chronicle of the undocumented Irish in the United States” is a collection of images by Drogheda-born, New York-based photographer Seán McPhail. The exhbition is sponsored by the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform.
It runs from March 30 to April 27.
See more at the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform website.
Visit the Highlanes Gallery.
Calling returning emigrant children
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007Children and Irish return migration form the subject of a new research project being conducted in the Department of Geography, University College Cork, by researcher Dr. Caitríona Ní Laoire. The project focuses on the experiences of children and young people who have moved to Ireland in recent years with their return migrant parent(s).
Previous research on return migration conducted by Caitríona and her colleagues found that many return migrants moved back to Ireland partly in order to bring up their children there. This new research aims to explore this phenomenon from the perspectives of the children themselves. Caitríona hopes to talk to return migrant parents and their children, using participative research methods such as photography, drawing and diaries with the children and young people. She is also conducting interviews with adults who moved to Ireland with their families when they were younger.
She would be delighted to have the cooperation of Éan members who might be able to help her to make contact with families who have returned to Ireland.
For further information on how you might be able to help, please contact Dr. Caitríona Ní Laoire at the Department of Geography, UCC,Cork, 021-4903656, c.nilaoire@ucc.ie.
For more information see:
Emigrant perceptions featured on radio programme
Tuesday, March 27th, 2007Radio presenter Ryan Tubridy recently focused on emigrants’ perceptions of Ireland in his daily morning radio show. Reflecting Ireland’s emerging status as an immigrant nation, Tubridy referred to the Irish emigrant as “that most rare of creatures”.
He spoke to Paris-based journalist Greg Delaney, London writer Joe Ambrose, and New York journalist Niall Stanage. The men, all successful media professionals, shared the perception that Ireland’s smallness had led them to choose to emigrate. They commented on such issues as the Irish communities around them, the drive toward multiculturalism in Ireland and the perceptions of Ireland held by people in their host countries.
The discussion prompted a number of comments from listeners.
Boston Globe articles highlight changing migration patterns
Tuesday, March 20th, 2007The Boston Globe has run a two-part series of articles focusing on the experiences of the Irish in Boston. By Kevin Cullen, the series opens with a description of a new version of the “American Wake” – a goodbye held in Quincy pub for an undocumented couple as they prepare to head home for Ireland, giving up their Boston lives after seven years. The article describes how the Irish immigrant experience has changed dramatically as the community shrinks and enforcement increases.
The second article in the series describes the experiences of those who have conm home, and how returning emigrants are coping with the changes that have taken place in the last few years.
Read the series:
“Wave of Irish immigration to Boston begins to slow“.
“Going full circle: Native land’s new prosperity has many reversing their exodus”
Australia celebrates Paddy’s Day – without a government representative
Friday, March 16th, 2007The Irish in Australia will not be hosting a government minister this Saint Patrick’s Day. First Secretary Aidan Cronin of the Irish Embassy in Canberra said, “This year, for a variety of reasons, it has not been possible to send a minister to represent the Government. We would expect that there would be ministerial representation in future years”.
One country that will be celebrating St Patrick’s Day in style will be China – Shanghai, the largest city, has been hosting a major week-long festival. Events include the largest exhibition of contemporary Irish art ever held in China as well as Shanghai’s first St Patrick’s Day parade.
President McAleese pays tribute to emigrant heritage in speech to British Council
Thursday, March 15th, 2007President Mary McAleese has paid tribute to Ireland’s emigrants and immigrants in a speech to the British Council, entitled “The Changing Faces of Ireland – Migration and Multiculturalism”.
In her speech she noted the contribution of Ireland’s emigrants, from the past through to today:
The Irish know better than many other races how valuable the emigrants to our shores are. We know these things because of our own extensive history of being emigrants. We are proud of the contribution our emigrants made wherever they went and though the Irish word for exile ‘deoraíocht’ comes from the Irish word for tears, we have lived long enough to see our emigrants and their offspring power their way into every sphere of civic life around the world, first-rate ambassadors for Ireland and effective bridges between Ireland and so many countries and peoples. The success of our emigrants in politics, business, education and the arts inspired our self-belief at home through very fallow periods and their remittances of hard-earned shillings and dollars helped lift the quality of life of their families left at home. In every generation they too have filled the wells of Ireland’s cultural heritage, bringing huge dynamism and fresh imagination – in this generation I think of Thomas Kenneally in Australia, author of Schindler’s List, Tony award-winning playwright Martin Mc Donagh in London, dancer-choreographer extraordinaire Michael Flatley in Chicago and a list that would wrap itself around Ireland several times.
President McAleese also noted the challenges inherent in developing a vision for a diverse society, but noted that Ireland’s heritage as an emigrant nation would be an asset:
As one of the world’s great exporters of people, as a culture steeped in the emigrant experience, we have both the challenge now, and the chance, to make the emigrant experience in Ireland something to be truly proud of. We have a written constitution which pledges us to assure the dignity and freedom of the individual. It guides and informs us in formulating the vision we have for our country, a place where it is possible to love Poland, China, Latvia, Nigeria, Somalia and to love Ireland too, to be at home though far from home, to live comfortably within Irish culture and yet be free to showcase and express your own culture, for ultimately these are the great gifts each newcomer brings – the gift of difference and of curiosity. Our gift in return is our welcome for the otherness of others and our acceptance of each as our equal.
Read the entire speech on the Aras an Uachtarain website.
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