Corkonians Abroad: Perth is lovely... but I miss Cork craic and my friends

Tell us about where you are originally from, and where you now live, Paul:

I am originally from Fermoy in North Cork and I currently live in Perth, Western Australia.

I grew up in the town of Fermoy on the Blackwater and enjoyed an adventurous childhood living in a rural Irish town – we had a lot of fun and I made some great friends that I keep in contact with (they would say badly!).

I now live in a suburb in north Perth called Innaloo that is about 10 minutes away from Scarborough Beach and 15 minutes from Perth city centre.

How did you end up in Perth?

My wife, Laura, and I moved in 2012; job opportunities were limited in Cork and Ireland and we also wanted to explore the world, having completed our studies, and escape the recession (especially listening to the news! It was depressing!).

We also had our first child, Lana, who was two at the time, so we wanted to give it a crack!

We initially had 12 months to two years in mind.

What is life like in your new home?

Busy, as we have three kids now; our girl was born in Cork and our two boys, Ross and Rian, were born here.

It is a very outdoors and active lifestyle here, we don’t spend much time at home with sports, work, beach, parks, etc. It is definitely a different way of life, but it has its pros and cons.

What has been the biggest challenge?

I think integration was difficult initially; if you are working, it can be easy from that perspective, but you really need to mingle outside of this, not sitting in Irish bars doing the same thing as you would do at home.

You need to join groups, clubs, sports, etc.

They love their dogs more than their children over here, so the dog parks are a good place to meet people!

How might you spend your weekends?

Mainly outdoors, whether it be kids’ sports, beaches, camping, meet-ups at the river or food/barbecues at people’s houses.

The nightlife is good too, and especially the food if you know where you are going.

You can’t beat the Irish pubs though - but it’s very hard to get a good Guinness!

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

We would mix with a lot of ex-pats, mainly Scottish, English, Welsh, South Africans, Kiwis, etc.

Perth has a lot of immigrants and people in the same boat with a limited network/family around.

The culture is somewhat similar to Cork, but I would say Australians are a lot more relaxed when it comes to lifestyle, work, politics, etc.

It is a very rich country with natural resources, tourists, and immigration fuelling the economy, and one would see a lot of 4x4s, caravans, boats, jet skis, etc.

There is a lot of wealth here and old money, it can be expensive!

Tell us about your line of work/career?

I run a white-collar recruitment company called ECi Executive. We focus on Design Engineering, Construction and Civil Construction professionals across engineering, project management, site management, contracts, quantity surveying, etc.

We have a team of 10 and mainly provide our services to companies in the Western Australia market, from tier 3 to tier 1 contractors across Build & Fit out, Civil & Land Development, Transport Infrastructure, Mining Services, Heavy Bulk Civils, Ports & Marine, Industrial, etc.

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

I believe there is great opportunity over here for Irish people that have a couple of years’ experience under their belt working at home or in the UK.

A lot of people we work with are ex-pats in the construction industry, and we are constantly asked for Irish engineers, site managers, project managers, etc.

The money is also very good if you are willing to be flexible and work away to do FIFO (fly in, fly out) or DIDO (drive in, drive out) as your wages can be increased up to about 40% working away or in a regional area.

For some people, it can be a real opportunity to save money in their twenties; we even have people who fly to Bali on their week off, which is very cheap in comparison to living in Perth.

Overall, if you have a plan, have a good attitude, and are a solid worker, you will go well here!

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

I think Ireland is a very friendly and hospitable country, and that is something that I really miss and get nostalgic about!

Also, I believe the mainstream education system and trades development is potentially better in Ireland, but there is more of a range of subjects and outdoor activities in Australia that would suit different people.

Also, the facilities and range of sports are fantastic, which can potentially keep kids out of trouble; I believe kids grow up a lot quicker in Ireland and not for the right reasons!

Also, the health system is very good here, but you definitely need private health insurance if any serious problems arise.

There is also less of a social welfare culture here so most people need to work and the government agencies and authorities are very strict in comparison to home; there is little leeway.

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

I am going to have to say the birth of my two boys, of course, but apart from that there have been many milestones... first job, permanent residency, first home, citizenship, business, kids’ achievements, etc. There are many...

This is a great place to live, but you will dearly miss family and friends and no-one gives you anything here; you have to work for it and build your name and reputation – there has been a lot of people come here and go home within three months due to homesickness or not having the right information or plan!

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

It would ideally be in the summer; Cork would have won the All-Ireland and I am enjoying a pint of Murphys with friends and family – that’s what you miss! The small things!

What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

My kids are off in January for school holidays and the summer weather is beautiful for sunsets and small trips and weekends away.

This time of the year is full of public holidays so there is a lot of time off for the beach, trips, camping, etc.

This is the best time of the year; a lot of outdoors and family time. You have Australia Day, St Patrick’s Day, Easter, etc.

Is there anything that you especially miss about Cork?

Again, I miss the people and craic. I think Cork people have a great sense of humour and way about them - ‘it will be grand!” - it’s a great perspective in life as there is no point in worrying about stuff that might not happen!

I also miss the hotel breaks – hotels are rubbish over here unless you are paying top dollar!

I really miss the sport too, especially the rugby - Munster and the Six Nations. The supporters here are just not as passionate about their teams... I will be targeting the Rugby World Cup in 2027 though.