Baking Creative Bread on Ireland's Beara Peninsula

If you live on Beara Peninsula in the very southwest of Ireland, creative inspiration can be found right outside your door. Take a walk along Coulagh Bay. Smell the sea. Hear the song of the seagulls crying for their supper. Watch a majestic sunset or a storm sweeping in. It's enough to get the creative juices flowing.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the stories of Ireland come alive here and all you have to do is open your eyes. Legends aren't the only inspiration for creative endeavors. Due to the tapestry of wonder that can be found on Beara, any number of artists - be they painters, poets, actors, novelists, musicians, potters... (pick an artform) - live in, or travel to, Beara to discover the magic for their art. 

As a for instance: I live on the Main Street in the village of Eyeries. Just down the road, Alex Barclay puts pen to paper (or more likely, fingers to laptop) as she creates her many wonderful novels (check Alex out on Goodreads). Up the road in the other direction, actor Dermot Crowley resides in a fine home which he's lived in for many years. 

The area has an active poets society as well as any number of creative writing groups. Painters (like my good friends Mary Maddison and Boss the Painter) are inspired by the light, the seascapes, industries including fishing and farming, wild critters and farm animals, and the people of the area. Ditto behind the amazing photography of my late friend John Eagle and the oh-so-very-active and talented work of Sue Swansborough. 

The very light itself draws creative types to the area. My good friend, filmmaker Liam O'Neill, called the summer sunsets and twilight 'the magic hour'. And so it is. The receding sunlight paints the area in a sheen of mystery, glinting off high clouds, the sea, and the surrounding landscape. Is it any wonder that we've had so many films shot in the area?

Supporting the Wonder of Artistry

What's nice is that the local people here do what they can to support artistic activities. As a for  instance: every year (with the exception of these horrid Covid times), Eyeries residents hold the Windows on Eyeries Art Trail as part of our Summer Family Festival. Homeowners volunteer to display the paintings and photography of local artists in the windows of their homes. For a few weeks the village becomes a walking art gallery as we saunter around, gazing at these artistic wonders and often purchasing a few for our own living rooms.

What I love most, however, is watching people from afar visiting our area to practice their own art. Usually during the summer months, but often year-round, I'll see painters in front of their easels eyeing a sunset over Coulagh Bay, or framing a still-life of wild plants or our colorful houses in the village. I'll see them walking, art supplies slung over arms, across hill and dale  as they search for the perfect landscape. 

How to Enjoy the Magic for Yourself

You don't have to be a resident to tap into the inspiration of Beara Peninsula. We've many fine Bed & Breakfasts here (check out  Booking .com or Google Eyeries Bed & Breakfast for a comprehensive list). Stay in Glamping or - by all means, stay with us at our Solas Mor Tent Camping site (you'll love the view!) Maybe rent the cozy coastal Creativity Cabin from my friend Anne, just across the bay. 

Or do you want something even more magical? Then try Anam Cara Writer's and Artist's Retreat. The owner and manager, Sue, has created something very special for artists of all kinds. For instance, book a week's stay and pad around the house with other residents, sharing ideas and finding a bit of creative space. My good friend, American artist Ann Tracy, uses this hide-away as a bakery for her creative ideas with stunning results.

By the way: about fifteen years ago I stayed with Sue to write a project. It's how I discovered Eyeries. So be careful. If you visit you might yearn to stay here just as I have.

Whatever type of art you practice; however you get here or where you stay; I hope you can enjoy the wonder of Beara just as I do. There's nothing quite like it as a place to bake your creative bread.

Dolphin Song is Available for Presale on Amazon

Tom Richards' debut novel for adult readers is available Now on Amazon in all markets for presales (Amazon.com, Amazon. co. uk and all other locations). Launching on 21 September 2021, this story combines romantic fantasy with Irish legend and the magic of dolphins. Readers say: "…spiritually uplifting. A thought-provoking, inspiring and intriguing story" and "a story for our times". 

For details about Dolphin Song, follow Tom on his Facebook's author page or his Goodreads Author's Profile. 

Visit and Discover the Mystery of Irish Legends

As Ireland continues to reopen (and yes, that really is going to happen. Our esteemed government has indicated that international travel restrictions will be lifted in two weeks' time - which, of course, is subject to change), many American friends of mine have shared their plans to visit this lovely country. Their usual itinerary goes something like this: a visit to Dublin and the Guinness Hop Store or similar tourist attractions, a drive to the west coast to perhaps take in Dingle or the Kerry Way, and maybe a visit to Blarney to kiss the famous stone and inherit the Gift of the Gab. 

When they list these usual tourist sites, I'll often frown and shake my head. My thinking goes: "Why visit a place thronged by visitors when so much other magic is available and often forgotten?"

So, if they ask me for advice I tell 'em straight: Stay off the tourist trail and find the mystery of Ireland for yourself. And nothing better sums up that mystery than the wonders of Irish Legend. Often, these destinations are well off the tourist trail. So, while you're learning about Irish lore, you can take a breath of fresh air at the same time. And, there's so much to learn...

From the Salmon of Knowledge to the Legend of the Banshee; the mischievous Puca to the mystery of Tir na nOg; the Hag of Beara to the Cattle Raid of Cooley - Ireland is imbued with a deep well of stories that will make your skin tingle. And what's quite fun is you can often visit the very locations that make these stories come alive. 

Allihies and the Children of Lir

I'll start by pointing out a village just down the road from where I live. Allihies, located at the very western tip of Beara Peninsula, is an isolated little spot with some of the most stunning views in all of Ireland. On a clear day, the Skellig Islands rise like a fleet of invading warriors from a wild Atlantic ocean. Take a walk through the village and you'll soon learn that it is the site of one of Ireland's oldest copper mines. But look closer and you'll find the magic of Irish Legend.

The Children of Lir is an ancient tale involving romance, betrayal, transformation and banishment. It is a fairly long legend but the short version goes something like this: the second wife of Lir was jealous of his four children, born to him from a previous marriage. In a pique of rage, she transformed the children into four swans, banishing them for nine-hundred years. For the last three-hundred years, the children were forced to fly above the Atlantic, never touching land.

The spell ended only when Saint Patrick came to Ireland, bringing Christianity with him. Upon hearing a holy bell toll across the barren waters, the children flew to the remote village of Allihies. There, they were blessed by a monk and transformed back into human beings. But of course, and as many legends do, the tale ends in tragedy because they immediately perished and were then buried.

The question remains, however: where are Lir's four children interred?

Many places across the country claim the Children of Lir as their own. But in Allihies, locals believe that Lir's four children are buried at a site not far from the sea. Allihies is, therefore, the true location of their resting place.

And what makes it even more interesting is: you can visit the place. It's simple to do.

Drive to Allihies and start looking for the sign: Children of Lir Mythical Site. Park, and after a short walk, you'll stumble on the white stone which marks their grave. Say a prayer, however, because you might be transformed into a white swan, too!

The Beara: a Place of Legends

Living in Eyeries as I do, and as a resident of Beara Peninsula, I can look out my back door to find an endless source of legends. It is part of the tapestry of living here; of the rich fabric that I'm fortunate enough to find myself in. As Ireland gets back to business, and as visitors again flock to these shores, I hope you'll discover the legends for yourself. 

Can I help?

If you have questions about Ireland - where to go, how to get a job here, how to get a visa, or similar... or if you just want to say hello, feel free to drop me an email:

tomjrichards@gmail.com. 

I may not have the answers but I'll try to point you in the right direction. And if I don't get back it just means that I'm overwhelmed.... and apologies if that happens.  Slan!

The 2021 - and Final! - Edition of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland
is Now Available on Amazon!

Though the world is a poorer place right now, we still look to the horizon with hope. If you're dreaming of living and working in - or traveling to - Ireland, this book might be for you. At over 90,000 words, A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland, 2021, gives readers an insight of what it's like to immigrate to this beautiful country: of how to become a citizen, how to get a job and work visa, how to enjoy a perfect pint of Guinness, and the amazing tapestry that is Ireland. 

For more information, visit Amazon and A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland, 2021 Edition. 

Ireland's Slow Reopening: One Careful Step at a Time

Since last Christmas, Ireland has been closed for business. Except for a few essential services that we could all count on one hand (chemists, most food stores, hardware stores, healthcare facilities), Ireland had been shut down as COVID-19 wreaked havoc on our population.

Clothing and footwear shops, restaurants, pubs, hotels, motor home parks, tent camping sites, construction sites, church services, cafes, museums, sporting venues, football fields, all schools of education - if a location had the potential to attract a crowd of any type, thereby offering the virus an opportunity to breed, it was ordered closed. Period. 

For months, we all had to stick within 5 km of our place of residence. Travel to another Irish county was verboten. Travel abroad, except for extenuating circumstances, was forbidden. Those caught driving to the airport to catch an outbound flight for non-essential reasons were subject to an immediate fine. 

Inbound travel sagged as Ireland imposed additional travel restrictions. Today, and as I noted in a previous blog entry, passengers traveling into Ireland from 'red-flag' countries are subject to mandatory hotel quarantine. Those same travelers are responsible for the cost of their stay.

The strict government intervention came as a reaction to the pre-Christmas 2020 opening of the country. Back then, only a few months ago, the Irish government believed that a careful reopening of the country, enabling people to enjoy Christmas in a manner approaching 'normal', would not only help small businesses, but also provide a bit of breathing space to a weary Irish population.

The only problem was that it didn't work. Within weeks, hospitals around the country were filled to capacity with COVID victims. The day after Christmas, on Saint Stephen's Day, the country was closed tight as the government realised its error and fought back.

We've been closed ever since. 

But as we continued to count the rising number of virus cases and bury our dead, hope lit the horizon in the form of vaccines. That hope spread like wildfire as Ireland's health services rolled out its vaccination programme. AstraZenica, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson are names that roll from everyone's lips. As with many people across the world, we greet each other by asking: "Are you scheduled for your jab, yet? Or did you have it? If you had it, what kind did you get? When are you scheduled for your second jab?"

It is a greeting that now looks toward a brighter future, rather than back at a deadly past. 

As I write this, almost 30 percent of Ireland's adult population has received at least one dose of a vaccine. We've still a long way to go to ensure full protection. But, the government and our health officials believe that it's enough to start a carefully-considered reopening.

In short, the lights in Ireland are being switched back on.

Those Careful Steps

The reopening of Ireland is happening in planned phases. In April, kids went back to school as the government threw the dice to continue children's education, hoping that the facts where correct and that schools would prove an unlikely place to spread the virus. Fortunately, to date that has paid off. However, college and university on-campus learning is still closed. 

Now, we consider additional steps.

On 10 May 2021:

• All construction reopened
• We can travel between counties as local travel restrictions are lifted
• A few people can gather together in houses to visit friends 
• 15 people can gather together outside
• Hairdressers reopened
• Galleries, museums and libraries can open their doors
• 50 people can attend Mass or other religious services

Yesterday, the 17th of May, all retailers (including non-essential retailers such as clothing stores, boutiques, and similar) could again welcome shoppers.

On June 2nd, the next phase of reopening kicks in as hotels and B&B's can finally open up. However, what are deemed 'higher risk' activities and businesses including pubs, indoor restaurant dining, indoor team sporting matches, and international travel will just have to wait. The government is talking about reopening these activities sometime in July or August. But it is dependent on new infections, monitoring of COVID variants (such as the new variant that is sweeping India), and the continuing success of the vaccination programme.

Until then we must watch our step.

Disruptors to Patience

Unfortunately, as we all begin to breathe a bit there are some - both inside and outside this country - who continue to put Ireland's reopening in peril.

A few days ago, the HSE (our national health services administration) experienced a serious breach of its IT systems by criminal gangs. The Wizard Spiders, a Eastern European gang of malicious hackers, infected HSE infrastructure with sophisticated Ransomware. Not only have they encrypted vital data and applications, but the organised group is now demanding a reported €20 million to unlock that information - a ransom the government is apparently refusing to pay.

The malware infection has closed most essential hospital services across the country. Patients who had been scheduled to receive vital treatments or scans have found that their appointments have been cancelled. Fortunately, the IT outage has not disrupted the vaccination rollout. 

But having to cope with international thuggery isn't Ireland's only challenge as it struggles to reopen. Across the country, it has been reported that some shady businesses are ignoring government regulations. These crooks are putting short-term profit above the health and well-being of their customers. From secret home party gatherings to back-of-a-lane Shebeens where the Guinness has never stopped flowing; motor home parks illicitly welcoming caravans of visitors, to shuttered restaurants offering on-the-sly indoor dining... the owners and managers of these establishments forget a vital fact:

Almost five-thousand people have died from COVID-19 in this country. Their illicit, selfish actions only imperil more lives. Instead of considering their neighbours, I gather these eejits have said to themselves: "Feck it, anyway. I've suffered enough. I'll reopen no matter what the government says."

To these unthinking souls I can only say: "We're so close now. We're almost there, only months away from a safe reopening. Don't be an arse. Instead, do as most Irish do. Stay kind and put the lives of others first."

After all, we've made it this far by sticking together. If we stay together, we'll make it out of this dark hole, and live to see another day.

Mind you, I doubt the illegal eejits will ever listen.

The 2021 - and Final! - Edition of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland
is Now Available on Amazon!

Though the world is a poorer place right now, we still look to the horizon with hope. If you're dreaming of living and working in - or traveling to - Ireland, this book might be for you. At over 90,000 words, A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland, 2021, gives readers an insight of what it's like to immigrate to this beautiful country: of how to become a citizen, how to get a job and work visa, how to enjoy a perfect pint of Guinness, and the amazing tapestry that is Ireland. 

For more information, visit Amazon and A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland, 2021 Edition. 

U.S., Canada, France, Italy, Others Join Ireland's Growing Mandatory Quarantine List

The Irish government last night added the United States, France, Italy and thirteen other countries to its growing mandatory quarantine list for inbound travelers. From April 15 2021, people arriving from these countries are subject to mandatory hotel quarantine.

Those subject to quarantine are responsible for the cost of their stay. The rate for the 12 nights is €1875.00. 

Irish news organisations report that, to date, over four-hundred people have been subject to the new quarantine legislation, and are staying in government approved hotels. RTE reports that ten confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been detected through testing at the quarantine hotels since 26 March. 

Those facing quarantine are advised that it is a criminal offence to leave a designated facility without authorisation. A person found guilty of breaking quarantine faces a fine of €2000, one month in prison, or both. 

A total of 59 countries are now on the government's red list. 

The addition of the United States and EU countries comes following terse inter-governmental discussions and arguments. Many legislators cite existing EU freedom of travel laws, as well as the historic relationship with the U.S. as reasons not to expand the list to include these countries.

However, Irish health officials' growing worry about COVID variants, and the effect they would have on Ireland's population and economy, at last resulted in government agreement.

Today marks Ireland's one-hundredth day in lockdown. As of this writing, citizens can only travel 5 kilometers from their homes. Most shops are closed as are church services, concerts, sporting events, and similar public gatherings. While restrictions will ease from next Monday, additional relaxation of COVID guidelines is dependent on the continued roll out and ramping up of vaccinations.

Ireland, as with all EU countries, has seen significant delays in deliveries of many vaccines, in particular the Astra Zeneca jab. The government had hinged the country's recovery on the millions of doses it had expected to receive. 

The government is now playing catch up as additional doses are finally being delivered.

For more information, visit the Irish governments mandatory quarantine website. For additional news, go to RTE. 

The 2021 - and Final! - Edition of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland
is Now Available on Amazon!

Though the world is a poorer place right now, we still look to the horizon with hope. If you're dreaming of living and working in - or traveling to - Ireland, this book might be for you. At over 90,000 words, A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland, 2021, gives readers an insight of what it's like to immigrate to this beautiful country: of how to become a citizen, how to get a job and work visa, how to enjoy a perfect pint of Guinness, and the amazing tapestry that is Ireland. 

For more information, visit Amazon and A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland, 2021 Edition. 

 

Ireland Institutes Mandatory Quarantine for Travelers

If you're thinking of traveling to Ireland in the near future, think again. 

This Friday, March 26, 2021, sees the start of mandatory hotel quarantines for most people coming to Ireland. Passengers arriving into the Republic from a list of designated 'Category 2, high risk' countries will be required to stay in a designated hotel for twelve nights.

What's more, those people will have to bear the cost: €1,875 for the period of their stay. 

Category 2 is made up of a list of 33 countries experiencing high levels of COVID-19. Right now that list includes many African nations (including South Africa), a number of South American countries (Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela make the list), as well as Austria and the United Arab Emirates.

But be warned: Countries can be added to this 'danger' list at any time, and at the government's discretion. 

Moreover.... all inbound travelers now require valid proof of a negative PCR test for the virus. If you haven't got a certificate on you, proving that fact, you will also face mandatory quarantine at a daily rate of €150. In other words, if you don't have a valid negative test document, you will be whisked directly from the airport to your quarantine hotel. And don't even think about appealing.

Some people are exempt from the new regulations: aircrews, maritime crews, drivers of heavy goods vehicles transporting items to and from this country, and a few others. And that's it.

But for anyone else? Before you book your next trip to Ireland, make certain that your country of origin hasn't been designated Category 2 by the Irish government or you could be in deep trouble.

Background 

After twelve weeks of lockdown, the people of this country continue to suffer from the third wave of the global pandemic. Over 4,500 are now dead from the virus. Analysis suggests that part of the reason for the continuing spread of COVID in Ireland (particularly new variants) is unregulated inbound arrival of travelers from countries that are suffering from the virus worse than we are. Too, some Irish have also been at fault. A few of Irish travelers have chosen to holiday abroad even during the pandemic. When they came home, they've brought back the unwelcome gift of illness.

For weeks now many people including scientists, politicians, as well as members of the general public, have clamored for travel restrictions to choke off entry points for the virus. With the arrival of mandatory quarantine, it seems the government has finally listened to their demands.

Check Before You Book

You might be reading this from a chair in London or a couch in Florida. At this point, neither the United Kingdom nor the United States is on the Category 2 list. But as I point out above, if I were you...

Before you book your Irish-bound trip, check the list. And also realize that even if you book a trip for the summer right now - thinking everything is okay - but should your country of origin make the list before you depart, you might want to cancel. Or, you could find yourself spending almost 2 weeks in quarantine before you can make your way into the Irish countryside.

For more information:

• Today's The Journal article
• Today's RTE News article
• New Irish Government Mandatory Hotel Website

This Year, Saint Patrick's Day Will Be a Bit Different

In Ireland, Saint Patrick's Day is usually marked with a bit of tradition. While we don't dye our rivers green or eat green bagels, nor quaff green-coloured beer (which is considered a sin - why would anyone in their right mind ruin a perfectly good pint by poisoning it with pigment of unknown origin?), we do have a few activities which make the day fun and interesting.

Most Saint Patrick's Days, the weather is intolerable. March 17 isn't summer, of course, but our kids will insist we walk down to town to watch the parade. We'll stand at the side of the road, shivering as the rain sheets down, holding the kids high on our shoulders so they can watch the tractors pulling their floats, and the local school band skipping to the beat of a jig. The dancers and the clowns will sidle past, while the local town officials perch on the boots of their cars, getting soaked in the process. 

We'll smile and laugh despite the cold, gamely looking toward the Heavens and praying that the damned thing will be over soon so we can take a bit of comfort. But time ticks on until the last float passes by, and the local fella dressed in the garb of the Saint ends it all as he waves his crook at the sullen skies. With the parade finished, we'll all break toward our just reward - which happens to be a pint or two at the local pub.

We'll sit at the bar, jawing with our friends as the glasses are raised, keeping an eye on the kids who run between tables and chairs like packs of laughing pups. Most of us will have gone to Mass before the parade, and we'll shake the rain from coats and hats as we sit in the warmth of the cozy establishment, drowning the Shamrock with towering pints of Guinness. Many of us will have given up the drink for Lent, and Lent isn't over until Easter, but Saint Patrick's Day is a day of divine dispensation where all drinking sins are forgiven. 

When the kids get hungry they lead us home where we might find hot plates filled with bacon and cabbage, or chicken and ham, a full pot of mashed spuds beckoning to be eaten with butter. We'll eat our fill and perhaps watch the telly for a bit and, if we're lucky, we may hear a knock on the door where a good friend drags us again down to the pub, convinced that the Shamrock has not yet been properly drowned.

Saint Patrick's Day is Ireland's national day, a sort of Fourth of July and Thanksgiving all rolled in to one. It's a day for a bit of craic and of time with family. A day for a smile and a handshake and a hug and a laugh.

But not this year. Though Patrick may have banished the snakes, they're back as vicious as ever.

A Virtual Beauty

This year the rain has stopped and instead the sun is splitting the stones. The Met has forecast temperatures of up to 16 degrees C and maybe more. It's as if the Saint is teasing us because he knows that this year we'll not have a single parade. At least not one in person. This year, we could watch the parade pass by with the sun on our pates. But that's not going to happen. Not in 2021.

Like many countries, Ireland is closed. The streets where the parades take place each year are empty. The kids who usually march along with so much enthusiasm are gone home. The tractors are in their fields or locked in their sheds. No floats have been made by the town committees to mark the day.

The doors to the local pubs are shut tight. This year, we'll not have a chance to drown the Shamrock because the Guinness doesn't flow. We won't laugh together, nor sing together. We won't go to Mass together. We won't be able to share the craic.

Instead, we'll do it all virtually. We'll sit in our homes and think of what once was, and look forward to other Saint Patrick's Days. We might turn on the telly, watching the virtual events broadcast by RTE, our national TV station. Or we could turn to the computer or our Smart Phones where a special station, SPF - the St. Patrick's Day Festival - has been set up. We might check the radio to hear the throbbing notes of Riverdance or tune in for some Irish traditional songs and perhaps a Voyage by Christy Moore. 

We might open a tin of Guinness and toast the good health of friends and family we cannot see this year. Later in the day, many might take a walk within family bubbles, steering clear from others who come our way for fear of harming anyone.

Today, we'll think of the people who are not with us this Saint Patrick's Day. We'll say a prayer for the 4,552 Irish people who have died from COVID, as well as their families.

We'll go to bed early, perhaps, after watching the sun go down on a far, cloudless horizon. 

We'll pray for better times ahead, and ask Saint Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, to throw out the snakes once again.

The 2021 - and Final! - Edition of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland
is Now Available on Amazon!

Though the world is a poorer place right now, we still look to the horizon with hope. If you're dreaming of living and working in - or traveling to - Ireland, this book might be for you. At over 90,000 words, A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland, 2021, gives readers an insight of what it's like to immigrate to this beautiful country: of how to become a citizen, how to get a job and work visa, how to enjoy a perfect pint of Guinness, and the amazing tapestry that is Ireland. 

For more information, visit Amazon and A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland, 2021 Edition. 

The 2021 - and Final! - Edition of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland is Now Available!

It's been a long journey. What started as a series of notes about this Yank's uncertain decision to uproot his life and replant his soul in Ireland has turned into an Eleven Edition exploration. 

Most years, I've edited A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland to reflect this country's current events, imparting the challenges and opportunities present in this country, hoping that it might be of help if you are considering a similar voyage. This year, just in time for Saint Patrick's Day, I offer an edition which explores the difficulties this country faces: pandemic, Brexit, and everything else.

At over 90,000 words, it's the biggest edition yet. 

I include an extensive guide that explores how to immigrate into this country and get a job here. I look at the faint, glimmering light of hope that is creeping over the country as its people are vaccinated, and to the opportunities that will again skyrocket heavenward when Ireland re-opens for business. 

Once again, I try to answer those questions friends have posed to me over the years: Tom, why did you immigrate to Ireland? How did you become a citizen? How did you get a job there? 

And the big one: Can I do that, too?

The answer to the last question is the most challenging. The short answer is: Yes. But the process is much more complicated than one simple word. Which is why I wrote the book in the first place.

This is the final edition of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland. After all the years of writing it, I guess I've finally run out of things to say. Too, this head of mine isn't as young as it once. It's time to move on, just as the world is moving on.

To all those who have purchased past editions of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland (and there are over twenty thousand of you), please know how grateful I am.

To those of you who are looking for an easy read about a nutty Yank's wild journeys in Ireland over the past 39 years, I hope you buy a copy of this 2021 edition.

And to everyone else: living the life of an expatriate has been one hellofa crazy ride. Recently, someone asked me if I'd do it again. The truthful answer is, probably not. It was far more work than I could have imagined.

Yet, though I didn't know it when I first moved here, I was given an immense gift. I've learned that living in a country different from your birth is a tremendous opportunity. Circumstances that are part of an immigrant's experience push you to perform to your very best. You're constantly reaching farther and higher because no one is there to catch you should you fall. 

You're on your own, and you learn that the only one you can rely on is the person inside.

I didn't always succeed. Often, I failed miserably. I probably would have made much more money had I never ventured to a country so different from that of my birth. But I know that had I stayed in America, I would never have tried my hand at so many different things to make a living for my family - from weighbridge salesman to writer; owner of a marketing agency to operations director of leased offices company, to the owner of a 'Tent Camping' site resting next to an amazingly beautiful Atlantic Bay. I was forced to learn. Either that, or perish. 

I chose the former and decided to survive.

Being an immigrant isn't easy. In fact, it's damned hard. (Think about THAT when you read about a family of immigrants trying to cross a U.S. border river to make a new life). But, it is also incredibly rewarding. And I'm not talking about the pocketbook definition of that word.

'Rewarding', as in learning to realize the innate goodness of people because you've met so many; 'rewarding', as in learning that even when you want to give up and drown yourself because you can't earn a proper crust, you discover that you are stronger than you thought because you'll keep trying; 'rewarding', as in waking up one day after 39 years of expatriate life, and finally understanding that the challenges you've encountered have also taught you many valuable lessons. You'll smile a bit, realizing that your struggle has burnished your soul with the heat of fear and heartache, transforming at last to hope and a bit of joyful triumph. 

'Rewarding', as you suddenly realize that the decision you made to stay here was the right one, after all.

To all those who yearn for the life of an expatriate, I wish you well. I also stress how carefully you should plan your journey. If you don't, you might bite off more than you can chew.

Mind you, I never planned and looked what happened to me?

A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland, 2021 Edition is out now on Amazon. Just click here.

(If the link doesn't work, go to: https://www.amazon.com/Survivors-Guide-Living-Ireland-2021-ebook/dp/B08YRP3Z9N/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=a+survivor%27s+guide+to+living+in+ireland+2021&qid=1615887557&s=books&sr=1-1)

My best to all.

Tom