Cork expats sending their love home for Christmas

DOUGLAS man Cormac McCarthy will be spending his Christmas all the way over in Vancouver, Canada.

He has been there for the last eight months — since April 2016.

Why did he move abroad?

“A few different reasons but two main ones — lack of good quality graduate work in my area of education and career interests, and experience. I am experiencing different cultures through work, sport, climates and overall environment,” he explained.

“I think travelling should be high up on everyone’s list of lifetime goals. I’ve learned more about life from travelling than from any formal education.”

He doesn’t see the move being permanent, however.

“In a few years I aim to be back in Ireland with a family, a mortgage, hopefully even my own business. When I have those commitments, I won’t have the freedom to travel. You’re only young once after all!”

He does miss home already though. “Obviously I miss my family, my friends, KC’s, the Irish nightlife and the inevitable 2.30am Grand Parade gathering by the fountain,” he joked.

“But what I miss most is just the atmosphere of Cork City. I miss walking through the streets of the city centre or Douglas. The smell of the Cork air and the sarcastic way of the Cork people. Although I love life in Canada and meeting new people every day, I have to admit I miss walking down the road in Cork and knowing every second person I walk past, be it through work, college, school, sport, friends of friends or just knowing them from ‘around the place’.”

This Christmas will be the first one he has spent abroad. He intends to spend it with friends over in Canada.

“Although it won’t be the same as Christmas with family, in your own home with the fire lighting and Elf on the TV in the background, I’m really excited to spend this year’s holiday in a new country and new city, trying to cook for ourselves for a change, instead of the luxury of an Irish mammy’s cooking,” he said.

“In traditional Irish style, a few friends have organised a gathering for Christmas Eve drinks. There will be a mix of Irish and Canadian people there in a warm house, where a lot of us will be sharing the experience of our first Christmas away from home.

“On Christmas Day, a smaller group of us — six or seven Corkonians, all of whom arrived in Vancouver this year — will do our best to cook a full Christmas dinner, with all the usual Christmas Day accessories like Christmas crackers, board games, a few quiet drinks and hopefully a couple of Tayto sandwiches. We’ll probably stay in the same house for the day and may go for a walk down to the beach to burn a few extra calories before sitting down for second servings that night!”

He will miss the buzz of Ireland at Christmas time, however.

“The atmosphere and buzz around Cork City on Christmas week is one of the best things about this time of year,” he said.

“The Christmas jumpers, Christmas music, decorations, groups of 20-somethings doing the 12 pubs and so on. I’ll miss the comfort of my own family home, but I’m excited to be able to spend this year with my closest friends in an amazing city that I call home for this chapter of my life.”

Treasa Power with the Sydney Opera House in the background.

TREASA POWER is originally from Rathcormac and is now living in Sydney.

She has been there for four months.

“I always wanted to live in a city abroad and figured at 26 if I didn’t do it now I never would,” she said.

She does miss her native Cork though. Treasa said she misses “friends, family, food and all the build up to Christmas”.

This year, however, she’s looking forward to hitting the beach for the holidays.

“I’m looking forward to something different and spending Christmas at the beach will definitely be an experience,” she said. “I’m going to Mass in Bondi in the morning, then to the beach for a few drinks and the traditional Christmas dinner that evening.”

What will she miss most about not being home for Christmas?

“All my friends and family, the Christmas nights out, the 12 pubs, mammy’s Christmas dinner, all the usual traditions… and of course the cold!”

Daley Thompson with his son Oisin.

Daley’s year of travel turned into a life down under

DALEY THOMPSON is originally from Douglas and is now living in Melbourne, Australia.

He moved down under in December 2007, so has been there almost nine years to the day.

“It was originally meant to be a year of travel, which then turned into two years,” he explained.

“I loved the way of life here, so I decided to stay. I later met my wife who is an Aussie and here we are mate!”

What does he miss most about Cork?

“I was just talking about this the other day. I really miss being in the city in the lead up to Christmas. It’s dark at 4.30pm and the Christmas lights are on everywhere. It can be super festive and it’s definitely hard to re-create that feeling in Melbourne when it’s the middle of summer. I miss the Clonakilty sausages too!”

But he is planning to make the most of the holidays abroad.

“As it’s the summer break, we will be off until mid-January. I am looking forward to relaxing with my wife and son, hit the beach and watch a bit of cricket… Now there is a sentence I never ever thought I would say!”

This year he will be spending Christmas with his in-laws in south-east Gippsland.

“It’s about two hours from Melbourne. It’s really beautiful, quite green with fantastic scenery, it reminds me of Ireland at times… except for the wombats and tiger snakes!”

What will he miss most about not being home for Christmas?

“My family! As amazing as it is to skype everybody, it’s just not the same as being with them over Christmas,” he said.

“The time difference doesn’t help, as our day is nearly over when everyone is getting up.

“I’m usually after a few Christmas cocktails at that stage too! I do get to spend it with my wife, son and extended Australian family and that definitely makes it a little easier.”

Ciara Ryan enjoying life in Thailand.

It’s the most wonderful Thai of the year for teacher Ciara

GRADUATE Ciara Ryan, who lived in Cork while studying at UCC, has been teaching in Thailand for the last two months.

She will be spending her Christmas in Lad Prao, Bangkok.

Why did she move abroad?

“I had just graduated from UCC and was taking a year out before starting a Postgraduate Programme. I felt like it was the right time in my life to go off by myself and have an adventure,” she said.

While she has not been gone long, she already misses Cork.

“I miss everything. I miss the Christmas atmosphere. I miss the bars and restaurants (Thailand’s food can’t compete), I miss how accessible things are in Cork City and of course I miss my friends.”

It’s not all homesickness however — Ciara plans to make the most of her Thai Christmas.

“My colleague has actually invited me to her house this year to celebrate Christmas, so I’m really looking forward to meeting her friends and family. I am looking forward to experiencing Christmas celebrated a different way to the Irish people,” she said.

“Thailand is a Buddhist country so I will be teaching up to December 29. I’m lucky that Christmas fell on a Sunday so I have the day off. I will spend the day with my colleague and I’ll probably skype everyone at home.”

There are a lot of things, however, she will miss about not being home for Christmas.

“I really missed putting up the decorations this year. I’m a total perfectionist so that was always my job! I’ll miss waking up to a busy house at Christmas time; there are always people downstairs chatting or something cooking. I’ll miss being surrounded by my family which I always took for granted until now.”

Michelle Kelleher exploring Australia with her boyfriend David Menon.

Michelle moved to be with boyfriend, but misses family

Michelle Kelleher, from Macroom, is now living in Australia, in Melbourne, Victoria.

What prompted her to move?

“I moved for a number of reasons, but mainly as my boyfriend really wanted to move home. He is Irish-Australian, with his parents residing in Melbourne’s Western suburbs,” she explained.

“I was also growing a bit tired of my daily routine. One of my best friends, Trish McGinty, a fellow Corkonian and sonographer, had been living in Brisbane and she was so enthusiastic about her role-progression. It made the prospect of moving more exciting.”

Michelle said she discovered “so many more job opportunities” in Australia and is also enjoying the lower tax rate.

She has been living in Australia since August, 2015. She moved just days after her youngest sister’s wedding.

Family, in fact, is what she misses most.

“I have the greatest family in the world and miss them more and more every day,” she said.

“I also miss all my loyal, gorgeous friends, who can turn a really lonesome day into something wonderful, all thanks to WhatsApp or Facebook. I also miss the craic…Cork/Irish humour is very different to Australian. It’s such a cliché, but it’s the god honest truth. And, of course, I miss the tea…Barry’s, of course.”

This year, Michelle is unable to come home for Christmas. While she would like to see her loved-ones, she will spend the holidays with her boyfriend’s family.

“This year, I will be spending it with my boyfriend’s family and their friends. I am in charge of desserts and I am not known for my culinary skills. It is a strong possibility we may all spend Christmas in A&E,” she joked.

“Honestly, though, I’m really looking forward to some R&R. It has been a bit of a tough year, as my boyfriend is recovering from knee surgery and, sadly, I lost my uncle and godfather, Denis, in July.”

She said she will miss home a lot this Christmas.

“My dad still sees my siblings and I as babies and buys us lots of treats. He starts on his spending spree early, so by the time we land home for Christmas we have a massive selection of chocolate and sweets,” she said.

“I’ll miss the copious amounts of tea-drinking in front of the fire, while watching Christmas with the Kranks with my brother and sisters.

On Christmas Day, my grandaunt, Aunty Maura, and my dad’s friend, join us for Christmas dinner. It’s been a long tradition in our household and something that is so important and special to my family.”