The Polish-Ireland connection

As work, study and weekend breaks take Europeans to the four corners of the continent, international romance is blooming. More than 100,000 Poles alone have moved to Ireland in search of jobs since it flung its doors wide-open to immigration from the new EU member states in Eastern Europe. Most of the Poles are young and...single.   For its part, Ireland has more young people per capita than any other European country.  So even if many Poles don't have romance on their mind when they leave for Dublin, Limerick or Galway, it often ends up that way. Polish Radio's Bogdan Zaryn caught up with Paul and Dominika, one of the increasing number of  Polish-Irish couples.

"I'm very happy. I don't care where we go as long as I am with Dominika".

Paul Buckley, a happy-go-lucky man Englishman living in Dublin has been shot by Cupid's Arrow.

This calm father of one has fallen madly in love with Dominika Samon, a Polish stable girl working in Ireland. Dominika remembers when she first met Paul.

"At work" says Dominika.

"I used to live in the stables and Dominika got work there and I used to help out now and again", adds Paul..

"And was it love at first sight?"

"It was O.K. She took my eye. She had no transport, I had to give her a hand with the shopping and one thing led to another."

A very energetic and enterprising Dominika, a graduate of a Polish agricultural academy, wanted to help disabled children by setting up a horse breeding farm in Poland.

But a rough financial start, coupled with plenty of disappointments, l ed her to abandon her wishful thinking and look for work abroad.

It's been two years since she left Poland. Her love for horses led this animal caring Pole to Ireland, where she landed a job as a stable girl.

"I feel very comfortable at my job, because they are great people" says Dominika.

"The bosses seem to like the Polish way" Paul adds.

"And what is the Polish way for horses?"

"It's maybe not different. I do my job. The boss now asks me for advice. Whether to put this horse for training and so on. I feel like I work with my family now, so I try to do my best. And they appreciate it."

"Do you feel that Ireland is becoming invaded by Polish people?" "Yes. If you're walking in Dublin, you can hear more Polish than English, actually"

"So how do you feel about that?"

"I don't mind", is Paul's straightforward answer.

"We're quite similar to the Irish in our vision of life, so I feel at home", Dominika adds.

"So do you feel you've learnt something from each other?"

"I've learnt never to answer back", Paul is only half-joking.

"I've learnt the language, lots about horses and about my work" says Dominika.

"When people come to other people's country, they should be treated the same. Doesn't matter where you come from", Paul adds.

But Dominika is aware of the fact that the influx of Poles to Ireland hasn't benefited everyone.

"There are so many of us that Irish people are beginning to lose their jobs because of us. We work for less money, and we can work hard. And we won't complain."

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Tags demography, ireland, poland, relationships

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