Corkonians Abroad: Loving the outdoor life in Canada

How did you end up in Canada?

I moved to Canada seven years ago. The main reason I moved was because my fiancé is from here.

We met back in Cork, and after a few years we decided that I should apply for a working holiday visa and see how things go for us here.

Fast forward a few years, and we’ve settled down for good here and started a family of our own.

What has been the biggest challenge?

I think the biggest challenge moving abroad is not being near friends and family. 

Even our family in Canada is a four-hour drive from us, but it’s one of the sacrifices you make.

We video chat regularly and of course group chats/social media make life easier to keep in touch these days. Nothing beats hanging out in-person though.

How do you spend your weekends?

We usually spend our weekends by getting outdoors as much as possible. We’re avid outdoor enthusiasts. We usually go hiking, cycling, or on walks around the city.

We have two young kids now, aged three and six months old, but we’ve found ways to keep them involved with biking trailers and hiking carriers so we can all get out and about and stay active.

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

We live in Quebec, which is the only province with two main languages, French and English, so culturally there’s a huge French influence.

I work in Ottawa, Ontario, which is the capital of Canada. It’s got a large city vibe without being very hectic, which I like. Walking around Parliament and the downtown core is a great way to see the city.

There are plenty of great cafes and places to eat. Ice skating on the Rideau Canal is amazing! It also has one of Canada’s largest bike pathway networks so cycling here is great, it’s usually my main way of commuting (I try in winter, not always easy).

There’s an amazing live music scene, which is always a plus. Being from Cork, you’d really crave that because we have some of the best spots for live music.

If I was to pick a culture shock type moment, it would have to be experiencing a Canadian winter for the first time. I arrived during the summer to glorious +20/30 degrees celsius, and it went to minus 20-30 degrees celsius when winter kicked in, even dropping to -40 with wind chill at times.

The seasons change fast here, so you have to be ready for it. Luckily, I have a tough Canadian by my side to give me the inside scoop. Canadians are a different breed, Winter doesn’t slow them down one bit!

When I got to know folks here, many told me to get into a winter activity or sport to keep you active and stop the ‘cabin fever’ from setting in so I did and it helps for sure.

We’re involved in many winter sports, so embracing it and getting out into the cold makes it enjoyable.

It’s beautiful here all year round, but you’re not going to see it all unless you immerse yourself in nature, no matter what weather throws at you.

Tell us a little about how you keep your kids and yourself connected to Cork and Ireland?

We watch a lot of sports together, from the Boston Celtics to Irish rugby, so there’s always an Irish theme going on. Munster/Irish rugby, football and Cork GAA mostly.

We’re Manchester United fans so we try to not miss a United match, and there’s plenty of Irish roots there, I make sure to let them know! The lads have many jerseys and kits from their aunties back in Cork. We’re never short of hand-me-down kids’ jerseys from the lads back home too.

We chat a lot also about attending matches at Musgrave park or at Turners Cross to see City and Munster play. I grew up not far from both grounds, in Ballyphehane, so I went a bit growing up. I didn’t attend every game but it was a common thing to do with friends.

Stadiums and sports teams here don’t have the same charm so I’d like them to go with me one day.

I’ll often show them photos too of when we visited Cork hen Cian was around 15/16 months old, so he associates certain things with being back in Cork which is sweet.

Oh, and according to him... planes bring people to Ireland for ice cream, nowhere else!

And of course we celebrate St Patrick’s Day, even their daycare centre has started putting up decorations for it now that they have two half Irish lads going there.

Tell us about your work?

I work in graphic design and pre-press in the print and marketing industry. When it comes to opportunities in my line of work, there’s a lot more here than in Cork, so finding a job was fairly straightforward thankfully.

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

My most memorable moment so far is the birth of my two sons, Cian and Conor.

I would often chat about having kids with my fiancé Caroline when we were back in Cork. 

Starting a family here has been nothing but amazing and we love being parents to our small fellas. Many happy days to come!

Is there a large Irish community where you live?

There’s not really a large Irish community where I’m living, but there is in Ottawa. Part of Ottawa has a decent amount of Irish folks there, old and new.

A lot of Corkonians came to work on the Rideau Canal when it was being built so part of it is called Corktown in honour of them. There’s a good stout that comes out around St Patrick’s Day from an Ottawa brewery called just that too, which is thoughtful.

A local brewery also releases one called Gift Of Gab with Blarney Castle in the label graphics. Had to explain where I’m from when I saw that. No free cans though....

Any shout-outs to people back in Cork?

I wanted to mention my family and friends back home, ye know who ye are. We miss ye so much and can’t wait to see ye all. Hopefully, it’ll be sooner than we think. Maybe we’ll just show up one day! Who knows. 

A few scoops are in order when we are back!

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

If I was back in Cork for one day, jeez, I’d try to fit in a fair bit anyway. I’d have my friends and family around.

Start off with a Mammy’s home fry-up. Go for a walk with the family pets around the Lough or out at Ballincollig Park, I miss that! Walk or cycle into town for coffee. Somewhere like Cork Coffee Roasters, Bookshelf, Three Fouls, Filter, Alchemy... to list only a few.

I would walk around the city for a while. It’s something we did a lot many times, with no real agenda. Off to the Marina Market for lunch maybe?

I would have to go to the Franwell for pizza and pints - the pizza, wow!

Anyone up for pool at the Mardyke? Live music is a must in Cork!

I’d finish up the day/night by going to one of many live venues in the city, it’s mad how many there are in such a small area.

I’m sure I could think of a lot more, there’s plenty to do in Cork but not enough hours in a day for it all. It’s a pure gem of a city! I hope to get back soon.