I have a comrade whom I met recently when I came to Cork city. He too is a protected person like me, a Refugee. Abdullah, originally from Somalia, is creative and a fan of many things, amongst which are creativity and helping others: two things that require a lot of patience and are time-consuming and exhausting. 

Lots of the immigrants belong to well organized lifestyle groups and came with higher education backgrounds. Doesn’t everyone need very well educated people? Doesn’t a higher academic educational stratum and huge level of experience in business bring professional and social developments?

 The New Cork- International Couples: Briony and John Supple John Supple sits with his legs curled up on the sofa next to his wife, Briony, who is relaxing with a cup of peppermint tea.  It's a Sunday and they are both dressed comfortably, laughing easily as they tell me about their history together.

 For the last ten years Portuguese nationals have been coming to Ireland to work. With a national minimum wage of €350 a month in Portugal, it is easy to understand why, notably, the structuring of payment of wages, i.e. weekly or fortnightly pay, is also an appeal in the decision to come to Ireland.

The idea to open a Hair salon was coming from Anita Obi, who has been working as a hairdresser for a long time in Nigeria.

Anita and her husband Charles have been living in Cork for 7  and a half years and 5 years ago, as a very good team, they decided to open and run their own business.

Most of us are familiar with the Asian Food Store on Shandon Street called Aiysha’s Spice House. Its owner, Pakistanian native Hafeez Rehman, has been speaking with us just recently about his impression of a starting business in Cork.

More than half of Spanish people who come to Ireland come because they want to learn or improve their English. Some come through their universities to spend a few months, others to finish their degree, to get some professional experience and go back to Spain with new skills to find a better job, others to take a little life break and to get to know new places, new people and save some money  at the same time.

It is something simple but important in the way of presenting your personality when you prepare for a meeting with somebody new. All of us have a lot of habits and I am sure more than a few of us had experience of those “little situations” at this special first moment, especially if a person they have been dating or just getting to know better wasn’t of the same nationality.

It was a balmy day and I was strolling in Kennedy Park, in Cobh, enjoying the sun and the waters of Cork Harbour. He was lolling on a bench in a way that only Africans can. Our eyes locked. His were sharp and definite, the eyes of a man with a brain and a soul. His black face caught my attention and I was focused on his sparkling white teeth. ”Helllll..oooooo” he said. “Hi there” I replied.

Gerard Horgan talks to a foreign national who arrived in Ireland in 2003. The interviewee, who asked to remain anonymous, talks openly about her experiences of living and working in Ireland.

Why did you decide to come to Ireland?

- I am always interested in improving myself. I have always wanted to speak English so I thought it would be a good idea to go to an English speaking country, so I decided on Ireland. I am also interested in learning about another culture, its society and people.