Interview with an ex-pat
Why did you decide to leave Ireland?
There were a number of factors. Firstly, the time seemed right. I was in a dead end job and the signs were that it wasn’t going to last for much longer. The company actually folded a few months after I left. Also, the summer (2002) had been so bad weather-wise that I just couldn’t take any more. I’ve always had niggling problems with my health and a change of climate seemed to make a huge difference.
As well as that, I had been working non-stop for 8 years - practically from the day I left college - in a high pressure industry. So I felt it was time for a break. I had saved a bit so money wasn’t a worry.
Other issues had been looming in my mind too. I didn’t like the way the country was going. Not only was it becoming more expensive but it seemed that individualism and materialism had moved centre stage at the expense of the common good. The re-election of a government that promoted these ideals was the last straw. It seemed to me that the people had voted for a government that would make their lives worse. I couldn’t understand it. I just said ‘to hell with ye all. I’m off’.
So you’re a little bitter?
A little bit, but more disappointed than anything. I felt that with the arrival of the Celtic tiger that we had finally shaken off our reputation as a failed nation. I thought that we had put the small-time thinking and begrudgery behind us. It was sad to see all that potential squandered in such a short time. I feel we have very little to show for it.
Do you think you will return to Ireland?
Maybe, if they fix the weather. But seriously it is amazing the affect that the weather has on your outlook and your well-being. Much of the time in Ireland I felt that I was living under a cloud, mentally and physically. So it’s a huge factor for me.
But aside from the weather a lot of things would have to change. We need to turn the country around into a place where the government and the state works for the people rather than the other way around. We used to boast that we worked to live while in other countries the people lived to work. Now it seems that we live to work more than anyone. I think we’ve lost sight of what we’re working for. And we all seem to be pulling against each other rather than co-operating. We seem to be unable to organise ourselves to get anything done. As a nation we’re very immature politically. We’re always looking for the quick fix and the least hassle.
You seem to have a very negative view of Ireland. Any positives?
Well I suppose I probably overemphasise the negatives since it partly helps me to justify my decision to leave. Maybe the fact that most of my information now comes via the news media also makes me more negative. I don’t hear as many good-news stories.
But in the end, Ireland is my home, where my heart is. I really want to see the country improve and become a place that we can be proud of. I have worked with some great people; intelligent, conscientious, hard-working people, the ones who built the Celtic tiger. Ireland should belong to them but it doesn’t. The cliques and special interests still hold all the cards.
At the moment, I feel a bit like an exile. Even though I left voluntarily I sometimes think that I was forced out, that there was no place for me in the country anymore. I would love to go back, I would love to feel at home there again.
Mark Waters marked time at 7:45 pm on December 2nd, 2003 .
