Corkonians Abroad: Our move to Melbourne, one of the hardest decisions of our lives

How did you end up in Melbourne?

My two friends from FÁS, where I trained to be a carpenter, were in Melbourne and said there was plenty of work here, so I arrived and got a job in two days and I’ve been working ever since.

What is life like in your new home?

Life is good here in Melbourne, the Aussie lifestyle is quite relaxed.

We recently bought a new house so we are very happy and our kids are really excited also as I have told them we can get a dog.

What has been the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge for us has been not having family around. My family are amazing with our kids and it is something that, living in Australia, cannot be substituted, and we miss them every day.

I have a cousin in Brisbane who I am very close with, for big events such as Christmas we try to go there so my kids can spend it with their cousins who are a similar age.

Even though we’ve been gone from home 15 years six months, finally deciding to stay here and settle has been the hardest decision of our lives. 

We only made up our minds six months ago, and our daughter starting school here made it up for us as we have seen how happy she is.

We will always miss Cork so much, but the opportunities and life that we can give our kids here are more important to us than anything in this world.

In an ideal world, all our family and friends would be living here, but we can’t have everything unfortunately.

How might you spend your weekends?

We mainly go for a spin to the beach with the kids or take them to the zoo.

I am a big supporter of the AFL Aussie Football League and frequently go to Melbourne club St Kilda’s games.

I have recently brought my kids to AFL games and they love it also.

Oh, and kids parties, the kids invite their whole class to their parties so it’s a full time job with parties.

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

The culture in Melbourne is so diverse due to there being so many different nationalities. On a daily basis, I would work on building sites with Italians, Greeks, Croatians and New Zealanders, etc.

What are the main differences from Ireland?

Even though there are a lot of Irish people here, the difference is that there is just nobody like the Irish people, their warmth as people can’t be substituted and we do miss it a lot.

It’s also hard to find a good chipper here.

Tell us about your line of work?

I work as a carpenter on the CFMEU jobs (union work) and my wife is a purchasing manager for a financial vehicle leasing company.

Tell us your thoughts on opportunity - and how a different part of the world might offer more opportunities?

I feel there are so many more opportunities here as the population is over 25 million and with remote working you can be hired in different states and still work in Melbourne.

Lots of job opportunities here and great rewards for staying with the same companies as they give bonuses yearly and offer great incentives.

Are there any wider societal issues that you see in Ireland that aren’t a problem in your new home?

I would say the public transport here is far superior, with trains, trams, and buses it is so easy to get around Melbourne.

I would also say the healthcare system here is far superior and more accessible. We have a royal children’s hospital 15 minutes away so it gives great peace of mind with young kids.

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

Meeting my wife in October, 2009, and having two beautiful kids is the pinnacle. Becoming Australian citizens a few years back was also special.

Any special mentions to friends or family back in Cork?

I would like to give a special mention to one of my best friends James O’Connor’s family. He was head chef at Tony’s Bistro in Cork who passed away in December last year climbing Kilimanjaro.

I would also like to mention my own family who are mourning my grandmother who passed in February, who was a big fan of The Echo and would have no doubt been reading this article.

If you were back in Cork for one day, what would the ideal day for you?

Spend it with our families and take a trip to Jackie Lennox’s on Bandon Road.

What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

Getting our house fully sorted and getting moved in from the 4th of July when we get our keys.

Is there anything that you especially miss about Cork?

The people of Cork and especially the people of the northside, there is nowhere in this world has people like them.

What is your ideal day if you were back in Cork for one day while living abroad?

The sun shining, drinking a pint of Coors in a beer garden and the hurling on TV in the background.