Corkonians Abroad: Creating a little piece of home in Oz

Tell me about yourself?

My name is Vicky O’Grady, a proud 36-year-old Corkonian from Carrigaline.

I have a twin sister, Donna, and a younger brother, Mikey, and we all went to Carrigaline Community School.

Sport was a big part of my childhood, from exploring Ireland with the school basketball team and hanging out at the GAA club, to heading to Thurles to watch Sean Óg and Diarmuid O’Sullivan lead the Rebel Army to victory time and time again!

I have a great group of friends that I still connect with, and I’ll always cherish our carefree memories playing kerby and rounders on Glenwood Green or getting in trouble for sitting on someone’s wall.

The 200-metre stroll down the village seemed much further in my teens.

On school holidays, we would be tracking through fields to find a spot down Walton’s Wall to jump in the Owenabue River, or grabbing a disposable barbecue from Barry Collins’s and heading down to Poll Gorm to risk our lives jumping off the rocks.

We really did have the best childhood!

I started working at Cummins Sports in Douglas when I was 16, and my claim to fame would have to be representing them in Cork’s “Miss Personality”competition - and winning the bloody thing!

I studied at CIT while also working at my cousin’s bar, The Ferry Boat Inn, in Ringaskiddy.

How did you end up in Perth?

In 2011, with my degree in the bag, I jumped on the travel bandwagon - and I’m still on that wagon.

Here I am today in Perth, Australia, still calling it a holiday (it’s hard to admit I’ve truly moved away).

Why would I move from beautiful Ireland, away from my nearest and dearest?

I don’t have the answer, but I know my heart is forever torn between two countries, and I doubt I’ll ever be fully satisfied, no matter where I settle.

The guilt of being far from home is an awful feeling - one that only those ‘still on holiday’ can understand.

What is life like in your new home?

Life here is great, though.

My brother moved here in 2017, and it’s lovely to have family nearby.

I have a beautiful four-year-old daughter, Willow, and a handsome English husband, Jason. (I know, I know - English! But I’ve got him going to Mass most Sundays, and he’s turned me into a die-hard Leeds United fan.)

Funny how we were made to go to Mass as kids, and here I am now, ‘on holiday’, taking my own family on Sundays, doing my best to keep our Irish roots alive.

We own a lovely home, it even has a pool!

Tell us a little about your community in Perth?

The Irish community in Perth is fantastic, and the St Patrick’s Day Festival is the highlight of the year.

Willow even represented Cork in this year’s parade, as they picked one child to represent each county.

We’re always attending trad sessions and visiting Irish pubs to ensure Willow grows up with an Irish upbringing. Even the Guinness here isn’t bad!

The guaranteed summers and balmy nights are such a contrast to home.

They put us in a positive, happy mood and offer plenty to do - night markets, concerts, and funfairs (which I still call ‘the merries’, much to everyone’s confusion - it’s a Cork thing!).

We’ve also booked to see a Christmas pantomime at the Irish Club, another Cork tradition that surprises even some of my Irish friends.

I’ve made some incredible Australian friends who are friends for life, my Irish friends are my family.

We stick together no matter what county we’re from - being away puts all that rivalry aside.

They’re the only ones who truly understand the longing for home.

Together, we do our best to create a little piece of Ireland wherever we go.

What has been the biggest challenge?

The hardest part of living here is missing milestones like big birthdays, weddings, and the arrival of new babies from family and friends.

When loved ones are unwell or pass away, it hits hard.

I always say ‘I’m only a day away’, but not being able to make it back to say a final goodbye is heartbreaking.

I lost my aunt Laura earlier this year. Ireland never felt so far away.

We held our wedding in Lanzarote last year, bringing one of our milestones closer to home, we had 140 guests who travelled from Ireland, England, and Australia.

How lucky are we?

Tell us about your career?

I have the best job in the world as an Incident Response Officer for Mainroa Western Australia.

It’s a solid government role where I get to respond to crashes, breakdowns, and debris, and assist with tyre changes on highways and freeways.

Plus, I get to drive a truck, which is a bonus.

Jason runs his own transport and road-surfacing business, which is going really well.

For now, our careers keep us here, but we never say never to returning home some day.

What has been the most memorable moment so far?

The birth of my daughter is my most memorable moment so far.

We lost Dad in 2004, so with just Donna and Mum at home, they visit often.

Mum comes every year for three months, and in 2020 (the year Willow was born), her return flight in March was cancelled. She ended up staying for 15 months!

While 2020 was awful for most, I secretly had the time of my life with a newborn and my mum.

We even got to celebrate her 60th birthday and about 10 going away parties due to the uncertainty of flights. Perth has even stolen a piece of her heart.

What is your ideal day back in Cork?

When we plan trips home, we aim for the Irish summer.

I long for those long evenings - something we don’t get in Western Australia, as it gets dark by 8pm.