Calling Irish expats livng in America

[kah22]

An introduction first of all my names Kevin and I was born and bread in Armagh City Ireland and to my great joy I still live there.

Recently I was talking to a cousin who emigrated to America in her early twenties, she married a Yank and now has a grown up family. America has been good to her but she has never got over the homesickness; other things been equal she'd return 'home' in the morning.

Anyway the last time I was talking to her I started to think there must be literally thousands of Irish living in America who have never got over their homesickness and still yearn for home and love to hear about what's happening back in the 'old country.'

As someone who likes blogging I thought to myself now there is an interesting idea for a blog - a blog for expats and first/second generation Irish who want to keep some sort of contact with what's happening back home.

After a very short time I realized that I was writing what I wanted to write about (as a Northerner I'm very much into politics) and I was sharing interesting national news stories from back home here in Ireland and where I cam across them county or regional stories.

Then while carrying out some research I stumbled across this Forum and thought to myself why not ask the expat what they want to hear about from back home. Is it the national news - what Bertie or Big Ian are doing? Maybe news about the economy.

Maybe you want to hear about the local football is getting on over here (from any Armagh people reading we wiped Dublin Sunday past in Crossmaglen )

Why not drop me a line and let me know what you would like to see in blog aimed at expats. Do it here or if you prefer PM me

Good luck and hope to hear from you

Kevin.

[belfast-jj]

Well i suppose it would help if you lived in Ireland instead of the UK




jj....

[kah22]

Originally Posted by belfast-jj

Well i suppose it would help if you lived in Ireland instead of the UK

Ah, we're at cross purposes: I'm speaking Geographically not politically. I'm happy to clarify the situation.

Kevin

[synthia]

Welcome to the forum! I wonder how homesick people get when they are living relatively close. I can't imagine it's the same as being homesick when you are on the other side of the globe. I've met people who flew to Ireland for a long weekend from Boston, as it is only a few hundred miles farther than Los Angeles. I started to write that it is closer, but decided to check, and lo and behold, it isn't.

[kah22]

Never thought of it that way Synthia - most places in the world are only half a days journey away. And I suppose air transport is relatively cheap.

While it may be relatively quick and inexpensive to get on a plane and hop from the States to here, in reality it is not something you are going to do any more than two, possibly three times in a year.

Then of course if you have a family that's another difficulty to contend with.

While my cousin is not one of them, I personally know about eight 'illegals,' most of them are well settled, married and seem to be doing quite well for themselves, but they are stuck.

This really seems a friendly forum

Kevin

[synthia]

Yes, it is a friendly forum! I spent a couple of years in South Africa, a 24-hour journey from my home state, and a lot of time in Asia, over 34-hours, and thousands of dollars away.

One of my uncles has custody of the family 'Irish landscape'. Immigrants got so homesicd that they would commission itinerant oil painters to do these large idealized landscapes of green, green Ireland. My family worked in coal mines, so I imagine they were even more eager to be reminded of green.