University is, for most of us, a time to start planning where our next steps will take us. Perhaps you will head to London, along with hundreds of others, in order to seek that elusive fortune or bag yourself a grad scheme. Or perhaps you will head home to save some money whilst building up a CV.
Regardless, it is likely that most of us will be able to stay within the boundaries of our native country, with the biggest decision being which city to pick. Even if working abroad is for you, at least this will be a choice, not the only option available. But for Irish graduates, this is simply not the case.
Economic recession has triggered a new, monumental surge of emigration from Ireland, similar to that which the country saw in the wake of such natural disasters such as the potato famine in the 1840s and after the Troubles in the 1980s. When it comes to the Irish, we are not just talking about a few individuals upping sticks for a new life in the sun. Far from it in fact, as 2010 saw more than 100 Irish people leaving every day. Imagine every single one of your close family and friends leaving the country on one day, to start a new, permanent life abroad, and that’s about the right number.
Reports have documented how some Irish Facebook statuses from back home are inundated with people leaving tomorrow/the day after/next week. Meanwhile, events pages are littered with invites to countless farewell parties. This is not just a few people emigrating; this seems to be a tradition of leaving at the heart of Irish culture.
Although this phenomenon is affecting all sectors of the Irish community, recent studies show one in five Irish graduates are now having to consider emigration as their next move, in a revelation that characterises this current emigrational phase as unique even for Ireland.
‘Generation Emigration’ is a new blog on the Irish Times website, set up by Ciara Kenny. The name points to the potential removal of an entire generation, and indeed this does not seem to be far wrong, although the ethos on the site has a surprisingly positive feel. “Generation Emigration was set up to give this generation of mobile Irish citizens a forum to share their experiences,” states Kenny, who since the site was set up, has been “overwhelmed with the response to the project so far.”
She continued: “We have received close to a hundred emails from people offering to share their story on the site, and many have said they have been waiting for such an opportunity for a long time.” She goes on to stress that “the issue is multi-faceted, and every emigrants experience is different. Many of the young people who are leaving Ireland today would have done so in search of adventure or better job prospects overseas regardless of whether there was a recession in Ireland or not. But they are the lucky ones. Others, facing unemployment and unpayable bills, have had little choice but to uproot themselves and sometimes, their families too from the place they call home, in order to search for work abroad.”
The picture which Kenny paints is bleak, and it is incredible to think that the issue has escaped the media’s notice. Thus we remain, for the most part, in ignorance of the life-changing decisions faced by our student peers across the (Irish) pond.
Imagine receiving that hard-earned reward and pathway into the world of work that is your degree certificate, and then having it overshadowed by the knowledge that to use this degree you are going to have to move out of your own culture, leave family and friends far behind and start a life abroad. It is not what the current Irish graduates expected, as the Irish economy has improved so much since the dark days of the 1980s. A degree is supposed to be a ticket to more choice, not less, and at the moment this is tragically not the case.
Enda Delaney, a historian from Edinburgh University, has written extensively on the topic of Irish emigration throughout history, and suggests: “It is directly related to economic conditions. You can’t stop people leaving nor would you want to. What is required is an economic climate that ensures people don’t have to leave in the first place. So essentially my point is that economic crisis has caused mass emigration, and there is a very interesting debate going on in Ireland about the causes/origins of that crisis.”
So is this just another depressing consequence of the on-going global torment that is the recession? Not quite. Delaney also suggests a much more interesting reason for Irish emigration; what he calls the “Irish tradition of going away.” Another reason why many Irish people’s moves are difficult to define, is in part due to the countless contacts Irish people have around the world, as a result of previous generations moving away and laying down roots. Much more subtle and tricky to define. It is fair to say that an Irish Christmas card destination list is probably a lot more exotic than mine or yours. So perhaps having examples of people who have already moved before you, and the prospect of perhaps a relative or two nearby, makes emigration look like slightly less of a big deal. Or there is just the fact that everyone else you know seems to be doing it.
Occasionally, emigration stories with a slightly happier ending filter through. Sarah Lennon, Communications Studies graduate from Dublin City University, has returned home to Ireland after two years of travelling and working abroad. She was offered her dream job whilst working in Toronto, Canada, but turned it down to return to her home country.
“I would hope that my choice to return to Ireland is the start of what could be a new trend plainly for the fact that I feel Ireland has so much to offer in terms of our culture, our people and our country. This is why I returned. There is no place like it in the world and having travelled extensively I can say that in pure confidence.”
As Lennon says, her “story of returning home is uncommon right now” and looking at it from the outside it is clear why. But her confidence in the allure of the culture of her country is compelling and offers an optimistic glimmer of hope that the youth of Ireland, like her, might one day recognise this and return to offer their skills to their native country. However, for many the move home is simply not financially viable, nor personally desirable, and before we can expect a generation to immigrate back home and not emigrate abroad, something drastic in the Irish economy and mind-set needs to change.
Sarah Lennon’s story is unusual. Sadly the far more common tale is a one way flight with no definite return date, as what should be exceptional circumstances has become an everyday story for too many people. Mass emigration is something which has troubled Irish society time and time again and no one seems to be able to offer a way out. It is important not to let it become an accepted norm that people have to move away, which is why blogs such as ‘Generation Emigration’ are crucial as a way of keeping the issue high on the list of public discourse and awareness, in the hope that, one day, things will change for the better.
For those Irish students graduating this summer, their choice remains either to follow the crowds and emigrate to another country, or else perhaps have the courage to step outside the vicious circle in order to help their own country become somewhere people are able to, and are proud to settle and create a life.