Corkonians Abroad: 'I adore African sunsets - but I still miss Cork'

Q: Where are you from originally, and what was life like there?

I am a native of Ballyvolane, Cork. I went to school in St Angela’s College and graduated from UCC with a law degree in 1991.

From there, I went on to qualify as a solicitor and worked in one of the larger law firms in Dublin for 15 years.

In 2009, I escaped from the recession, for “a year”, and went to volunteer in Cape Town with a charity helping vulnerable children. It’s been the longest year of my life as 17 years later I’m still here!

Q: What drove you to move to another country?

I guess since I was a child I always had this desire ‘to give back’, and with the grim atmosphere in Ireland at the time in 2009, with the collapse of the Celtic Tiger, I thought this was as good a time as any to try volunteering for longer.

I had already been volunteering with St Vincent de Paul in Dublin for many years and had done a course on international volunteering with Dublin-based charity Viatores Christi.

At that time in 2009, people felt the recession would probably last only a year so initially that was my time scale. However, as we now know, the economy didn’t recover that quickly.

More importantly, I began to really enjoy the work I was doing in South Africa and also found that Africa ‘got under my skin’.

With the support of Viatores Christi and Misean Cara (the government overseas aid development agency), I was able to extend my stay and the development work I was doing in Cape Town.

Q: Where do you live now, and what is it like there?

I have always lived in Cape Town since I arrived in South Africa. I have travelled around quite a bit of the country, but I will always want to live in Cape Town where my South African partner and I bought an apartment seven years ago.

I think it’s safe to say that Cape Town isn’t the most ‘African’ part of the country. Sometimes, you must remind yourself that you are in Africa as it is very European (they even drive on the same side of the road as in Ireland).

Q: Do you have family where you live now?

Yes, my partner is South African and his family live not too far from us.

Q: What has been the most memorable moment in your new home?

I am lucky to live quite near to the beach so for about six months of the year I get to see the most magnificent sunsets every evening.

Even after 17 years it’s amazing how the sunset can stop you in your tracks and how no two skies are ever the same.

I love how other ‘locals’ like me stop to admire these sunsets and it’s not just the tourists who stand in awe of them.

Q: What is your job/career where you now live?

I work for an NGO (non-governmental organisation) called Caritas Cape Town. It is part of a larger worldwide organisation that does social outreach development work in local communities.

South Africa has the largest disparity between wealth and poverty in the world. It is quite shocking to see the display of wealth in the form of things like houses and cars, sitting alongside children digging in refuse bins searching for food.

It is easy for people to come to Cape Town on holidays and enjoy the beauty and magnificence that the city has to offer, but never really delve into or experience the darker side of the society here of poverty, unemployment, crime, and addiction.

Q: How might you spend your weekend?

Cape Town has two of the most magical things in the world - fabulous weather and fabulous nature.

Having travelled around the world quite a bit, I must admit that it truly is one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

Capetonians are very outdoorsy people who love to walk, hike, run, sail, surf, mountain bike, and get involved in adventure sports such as kite surfing, paragliding, rock climbing, and even shark cage diving.

Access to forests, mountains and beaches are generally no more than a 20-minute drive away for most city dwellers and a lot of people live within walking distance of these.

With a hot climate and beach life, there’s a big focus on body and health fitness.

Cape Town has been voted the World’s Best Food City, and if that’s not enough, there are about 600 vineyards in the Western Cape province to keep you busy every day of the year.

Q: How is the culture where you live different from Cork/Ireland? How is it the same?

Cape Town is probably the most ‘European’ of South Africa’s cities. English is the common language (South Africa has 12 official languages). It is a big tourist destination, so you meet people from all over the world here.

To me, Irish people and South Africans are very similar in that both are very warm, friendly, chatty, and like to chat to foreigners, finding out where they’re from and why they are living in South Africa.

Many people here have Irish heritage, and everyone seems to have an Irish friend that they met somewhere along the way (who is great fun!).

South Africans really like Irish people, and we have quite a vibrant Irish/South African Association as well.

Q: What do you miss most about Cork?

I miss family and friends, of course. My parents, and my brother and his family are still living in Cork as well as my sister-in-law and extended family. I also have many childhood, college and other friends whom I miss.

Thankfully, many of them have come to visit over the years. Some of my college friends visit every year and my folks have been to visit twice.

Even my Gran, Mary Gamble, came to visit when she was 91 years old and loved it here.

The other thing I miss is being able to say my name only once and people can pronounce it correctly! Aisling is not an easy name to travel with outside of Ireland.

Q: Do you get to go home to Cork often? What do you do when you return?

I am lucky to get home at least once a year. The covid lockdown in South Africa was very strict so the two-and-a-half years I spent not visiting during that time was the longest I was ever out of Ireland.

The benefit of living in South Africa is that there is very little time difference (one hour ahead in the summer and two hours in the winter) so it makes phoning home and travelling a lot easier.

Q: Any special mentions to family/friends back home in Cork?

A big shout-out to my folks Michael and Phil Foley and close family, Michele, Gary, Cian, Evan, Adrian, Maria, Abby, Jake, Emily, Kathleen, Ivan and Gavin.

I am too afraid to mention my friends as no doubt I will leave someone out, but hello to all the gang in Ballyvolane/Dublin Hill and from UCC 1991.

Q: If you could spend an ideal day in Cork, what would that entail?

When I get home, I always try to make a trip to Kinsale. I like to walk along by Charles Fort and afterwards have fish and chips in Dino’s.

The cliff walk along by Ballycotton is always a special place for me, and if I get there in August, I can pick some ‘blackas’ along the way.

Finally, a walk through the English Market will always remind me of my late gran, Mary Gamble, who shopped there before it was considered trendy.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

My partner Riaan and I have bought an apartment in Cape Town so we are happily settled here for now.

I really enjoy living in South Africa and the work that I do here, helping people in some small way to break out of the cycle of poverty they were born into.

I am lucky to be able to go home to Ireland every year, and most times sneak in a quick trip to check out some new European city.

I want to thank my college friend John McCarthy for encouraging me to write this article.