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People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

N.Y. Times highlights young Irish fleeing the old sod -- the bad old days are back again

Posted on Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 12:19 AM

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In a front page article The New York Times has focused attention on the number of young Irish fleeing Ireland as the recession bites.

"Hunt for Jobs Sends the Irish Abroad Again" is the headline, just the latest in a series of Celtic Tiger dismantling articles that have been in the U.S. media in recent weeks.

The main focus is Antoinete Shields, who once employed 26 people in her construction company and now cannot even give work to her son who is on his way overseas.

"This is where we are" she says. "sad isn't it."

Sad indeed,and the damage done to Ireland;'s image over the past few weeks has been truly catastrophic and I am not trying to sensationalize that.

"Ireland seems set to watch yet another generation scatter across the globe to escape desperate times" The Times states.

They have it right in one.

If America was open to irish immigrants like it was from Famine times to 1965 we would be swamped with the hundred thousand or so who would rush here.

Instead, Canada and Australia will take most of them as will Britain of course.

Those countries will be fortunate to have them.

Unlike in my time, 66 per cent of young Irish now have university education and good job skills.

Little wonder they are highly sought after.

Sad isn't it to think of the billions spent educating them for another country to benefit?

But it has mostly been so in the history of the Irish Republic.

Why should this era be any different?

And it is not as bad as it used to be. Facebook, Skype etc. means people can stay in touch much better than the odd letter home days.

'A lot of mothers are learning a lot about computers these days" says Mrs Shields in The TImes.

A lot more will be learning too before this is over.

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17 comments

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KingMike2002 | Nov 27, 2010, 09:59 AM EST

Come to Colorado, Educated Irish are certainly welcome more than the ignorant latinos we are forced to endure.

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mickmickt | Nov 23, 2010, 09:54 AM EST

I moved to America 14 years ago started a boat business and 5 years ago employed 4 now thanks to the illegal immigration I now have 1 partimer. Dont think its great over here. Thinking of going back to Islandmagee!

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S.Connolly | Nov 22, 2010, 07:49 PM EST

if so many are leaving, and i'm serious about this, does anyone have a room or 2 to let to a female, American around Galway for a couple of months? I want to enjoy Ireland longer this trip and i'll be on a budget. Serious offers only plz i hate game playing. email: smilessusan2000@yahoo.com. TXS

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Laura Wilson | Nov 22, 2010, 06:39 PM EST

If they are as hard workers as thier forefathers and My ancestors bring them to America, heck at least you can understand them !!

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plasticpaddy | Nov 22, 2010, 06:07 PM EST

George you misread my comment, I meant in relation to other educated economies the Irish are very expensive to employ. I wasn't making any argument, just stating fact. Also I am no Fianna Failer, I have never voted for them in any regard, they never even received a last preference vote from me. You basically misread my comment entirely.

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GeorgeDillon | Nov 22, 2010, 02:38 AM EST

PlasticHead: "It costs employers much more to hire Irish people." Oh, and that's why your solution is to have the Irish leave and import more cheap labor from Pakistan, India and China. That's ethnic cleansing, and it was the policy of your Fianna Fail fools, but their day is done. The day is approaching when the Irish will demand their homeland back from foreign settler and domestic traitor alike.

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bogsidebunny | Nov 22, 2010, 01:56 AM EST

Adios Mise Eire AND, Thanks Bertie, Biffo and all the other corrupt, inept politicians!

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DennisQ | Nov 21, 2010, 11:37 PM EST

Ireland's long history of emigration means that the Irish are adaptable and blend in anywhere. In many places they don't even have to work on their accents.

I can't imagine New York without lots of Irish people. They're certainly welcome in a city with a long tradition of young Irish arriving to pitch in and raise families.

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antoman | Nov 21, 2010, 09:50 PM EST

Sure we'll be pushing them back in the water next with oars.

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jacersagain | Nov 21, 2010, 09:05 PM EST

Patrick, what bad old days? Didn’t ex-Finance Minister of the Irish Republic, Charles McCreevy, give us who paid for the ‘80’s recession debacle a “Pay-Back time”? We parents of the “Pay-back” times are sending our own children back into the (l)earning schedules of schooling. What the “eff” are you talkin’ about Patrick? Are you one of the unlearners or unlearned?? Or one of the suckkit-while-you-can gang, complaining that yr life isn’t so-oh good ‘cos you, after all the teaching and advice we elders we gave you in the ‘80’s and ‘90’isn't having such a good time these days - when you didn’t listen in the first place to us??? Have you looked at yr Credit Card statements lately? It’s pay-back time Patrick, and I, for one, am not a single bit sorry for you or your kind. Go meidgh Dia leat agus do cairde.

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killowen | Nov 21, 2010, 06:06 PM EST

the bene's derived by foreign investors outweight the hi EU min wage. He said it was in the Wise words --- UK's national interest that its neighbour had a successful economy. "Britain stands ready to support Ireland on the steps it needs to take to bring about that stability," he said following a meeting of European finance ministers. It should help with any troubles that could potentially arize as in the recent past. From Gerry and Martin's former buddies ..... I mean.

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plasticpaddy | Nov 21, 2010, 04:44 PM EST

@averagejoe "I think that Ireland's economic problems will be relatively short-term as foreign companies are attracted to Ireland's lower wages". You realise this is utter foolishness. It costs employers much more to hire Irish people. We even have the second highest minimum wage in the EU.

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killowen | Nov 21, 2010, 04:35 PM EST

A Tiger con that went to their heads - as like Woods - acting as if they were the equal of the master who told them what for, for ages. Dev, England's Greatest Spy - whose party, Fianna Fail, with bloodsucking ease have spun a so-called free Erin out of its own orbit (a short lived experiment). Let's hope their new masters will provide em with the tools to become good stewards of the land that they may god willing get back with time. As an entity that they can claim being theirs. The emmigration drain will be a feature for years to come. The perpertrators of the disaster will go unpunished, and roll on unafraid. Hangings would be too good for such sharks. The upside, the queen will visit next year -it'll be akin to Victoria's arrival during Famine times when her subjects went bonkers with that visit - their joy of her arrival was said to being unequalled.

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shillelagh | Nov 21, 2010, 12:29 PM EST

it's a shame!!!

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GeorgeDillon | Nov 21, 2010, 12:07 PM EST

averagejoewa: Why should the US admit Irish people, when the Irish government is embarked on a process of ethnic cleansing of its own people? For every Irish person who comes to Canada, US etc., there's an Indian or Pakistani or Chinese who is moving in to settle Ireland. It had been forecast that it would be the middle of the 21st century befoe the Irish became a minority in their own country, but obviously current events are accelerating this process. The Irish government is obviously to blame, but you can't absolve the Irish people themselves; they're pretty witless and spineless.

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