Corkonians Abroad: Professional football brought us to Oz eight years ago...

THIS week, I caught up with Ellen O’Donovan, from Farranree, who now lives in Newcastle, New South Wales in Australia with her husband Roy and two children.

When and how did you end up in New South Wales?

We moved to Australia in 2015 after living in Brunei for a year. We got bit by the travel bug and decided to pursue that.

My husband Roy plays football professionally and he had an offer to come play here in Australia’s top tier the A-league. We both thought about it and decided, why not see the world while doing what he loves?

It was always a goal of his to play abroad in America or Australia so we seized the opportunity.

It was originally supposed to be a short-term thing, but when I had my first child, Alfie, I soon realised the lifestyle with kids is very hard to beat.

Roy has had a great career here so it was a no-brainer. Eight years later and we are well and truly settled.

What is life like in your new home?

Our life in Australia is fantastic. We live in a quiet suburb 15 minutes from all the beautiful beaches, with parks on our doorstep.

We are 90 minutes from Sydney where my brother Conor lives (our emergency babysitter) and Roy currently works as a pundit on TV for Paramount+ sport, covering the A-league. He’s also player coach for B-league side Sydney Olympic. It’s a busy life with the kids but an outdoorsy lifestyle which we absolutely love.

What has been the biggest challenge? How have you tackled it?

The biggest challenge has been raising kids so far away from our families. Missing them and chatting through FaceTime when things are tough. My father isn’t in the best health at the moment and is hopefully on the mend (he’s a tough bit of stuff) so that’s been hard, worrying from so far away.

Another challenge for me was finding a community here in Australia where I could do what I love, which growing up was musical theatre. 

I’ve been part of many productions on Leeside in my time and I only recently found a group that I have a weekly boogie with now. It’s my happy place.

How do you and your family spend your weekends?

Our weekends are mostly spent, if not at football, off out enjoying the goods on offer here to us such as the beach, a national park with walking trails, or we have gatherings of friends at home where we will spend the day having a barbecue and a swim in the pool.

The climate is so good here, we are lucky to be able to enjoy the mild winters and hot summers like we do.

Tell us a bit about the culture of where you live?

There is an extremely diverse culture here in Australia. People from all walks of life and every country you can imagine. My little boy goes to the local school and in his class alone he has kids whose parents came from China, Japan India, and the UAE.

I love that he is learning about all the different cultures, customs and beliefs from his friends, which is something I didn’t see in my life until I was older.

Australian people are very friendly and welcoming, similar to the Irish in that way. I’m lucky enough to have made some great friends.

What has been your most memorable moment in your new home so far?

My most memorable moment while living here has been becoming an Australian citizen along with my family. I feel so privileged and proud to be a dual citizen of two amazing countries.

Do you stay in touch with friends from Cork?

I do. The time difference can be an obstacle in that regard but social media and WhatsApp are great for catching up.

My close friends Laura O’Donovan, Leonne Power and Sandra Hackett are great for staying in touch. we have a group chat so I get all the goss from that. It makes me feel closer to home.

They all have busy lives with work commitments and kids so it’s nice to see what’s happening and send pics of the kids and events, etc. My other good friend Charlene Daly is due a new baby soon also so it’s hard missing out on those moments, but thankfully we can FaceTime and catch up that way.

I’m lucky that two of my other good friends from home, Damian O’Callaghan and Alan Kearney, are in Sydney and Melbourne and we get together often and they come visit us in Newcastle. 

It’s nice to see friendly faces.

If you were back in Cork for one day, how would you spend your ideal day?

My perfect day in Cork would consist of me waking up in my mother’s house and having the full Irish breakfast with Red FM on the radio. The radio is something that really reminds me of home, it’s a constant in my parents’ house.

I would visit some family members and drink copious amounts of tea.

I would then head to Fitzgerald’s Park with the kids and bring them to the Shakey Bridge, then for a 99.

A walk over town and maybe some shopping on Pana or Opera Lane before a Scoozi lunch.

Then I would catch up with friends for a drink in Clancy’s or Le Chateau and head to a show in the Opera House or Everyman.

Dinner would have to be at my favourite, Ristorante Rossini.

Any special mentions to friends or family back in Cork?

A big shout-out to my parents Marian and Liam Foley, my in-laws Kay and Donie O’Donovan, sister-in-law Donna, my grandmother Pauline, and my Aunty Jackie, who’s more like a sister to me. My nephew Daniel and all my other friends and family I miss so much.

What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

I’m excited to hopefully have my parents here in the sun with us for Christmas and Roy’s parents in the New Year. We always try and meet at Christmas.

We were in Cork for Christmas last year but we said we would give the flu a skip this year and get them here instead.

No doubt they will arrive with all our Irish faves such as the chocolate (it’s not the same here), Taytos, and of course the Barry’s tea for the cupán tae. I nearly forgot the matching Christmas Dunnes pjs. A staple.

Is there anything that you especially miss about Cork?

Besides a bag of chips from Murphy’s, we of course miss the Cork people’s wit. You can’t beat the craic.

We will continue to come home for our yearly dose of banter that will carry us through, I’m sure.