Laois emigration stories: nursing in Australia

Throughout history, Ireland has seen its people emigrate in droves. Be it due to the Famine of the 1840s, or the economic crisis of the 1950’s, we have always seen our people leave to pursue a better life elsewhere.

Why are our family and friends still forced to leave home to achieve a comfortable existence? 

The Leinster Express/Laois Live spoke to young people from Laois who have emigrated as part of our series on their stories and reasons for leaving. 

Áine McDonald is a nurse originally from Ballyroan. She is living in Sydney and working in a hospital.

“I’m in a friend group of 15 from Ballyroan and Durrow, and one by one they slowly came out here to join us. There’s now only three left at home,” said Ms McDonald.

“Two of my friends are working in traffic control, just because it’s a job with handy money. I honestly hadn’t that much bad faith in Ireland, I had always wanted to live in Australia for a while.

Nursing is hard at home, the shifts are long with very little money for it. There are so many Irish nurses coming out here, that it’s actually hard to try to get shifts at all,” she said.

“I love it out here because there’s something to do every day. I’ve actually applied for permanent residency here. Renting is difficult though, you’re grabbing the first place you manage to find.”

When Ms McDonald first moved to Sydney, she and her friends could not find accommodation for over six weeks. 

“When we first came over, we couldn’t find anything. We went into a house full of people from Tipperary and Laois when we first arrived, and there were 14 of us squeezed into the one house for €150 a week each! It took six weeks for us to find somewhere for ourselves,” she said.

“We do have a housing crisis out here too. I’m now living in a house with four other people, we’re two couples and a single friend. We’re paying €500 each a week in rent, it’s very expensive but it’s worth it,” she said.

Pictured: Áine McDonald living the 'true Australian experience' in Sydney.

“We’re paying this each week to live in the Eastern suburbs, while my sister is paying €300 a week to live in Melbourne”.

“People are much more active in Sydney, whether they’re out exercising or just socialising. Every second person I meet out here is Irish, it’s honestly like being at home,” she said.

“The great thing about nursing is that it’s a passport to work anywhere. If there were somewhere closer with better conditions for nurses it’d be great, but working here really stands out on your CV.

Working in Ireland covers your bills, but out here your paycheck stretches much further. I don’t have to skimp and save as much as I would at home. You get more money if you work in rural Australia too,” Ms McDonald explained.

“I know I will eventually come home someday, I do miss home. I’m lucky that my family is so supportive, they have never held me back.”

Ms McDonald says that those who are emigrating to Australia should come during the Irish summer months.

“Everyone tends to come over in September, but winter in Australia is much calmer and it’s easier to get your bearings,” she said. 

“Do your farm work straight away! As a nurse I don’t have to do it, but I’ve seen my friends leave it on the long finger and regret it!” Ms McDonald finished.