In the course of putting together a series on Irish Emigration to Canada, RTÉ's Washington Correspondent Caitriona Perry came across a lot of Irish people willing to share their stories.
Here is a flavour of their experiences:
Sharon Calgary, Alberta
I moved from Clonakilty in West Cork in 2012, when my boyfriend and I decided to apply for Canadian visas earlier in the year, due to a lack of opportunities and job prospects back home.
I had no work lined up before immigrating to Calgary, and I arrived at a time of the year when jobs weren't plentiful.
However, thanks to previous reception experience from Ireland, I found a job about three weeks after I got to Calgary, working as a receptionist and freelancing for a few different publications out here.
I also write a bi-weekly column for a newspaper called the West Cork Times, which documents my experiences in Calgary.
I'm heavily involved in GAA out here, and as secretary with the Calgary Chieftains GAA club, we have made such good friends thanks to this.
In fact, the vast majority of our friends base out here are Irish. I think it's because they have all moved here for similar reasons to us, so it helps!
Honestly, Calgary is a great city, though an expensive one, but it also means that jobs are plentiful. I suppose a downside is the fact that we're not near the ocean.
Considering I'm from Clonakilty, it's a tough one to get over!
Of course, it's also tough being away from family and friends, but the harsh reality is that it's a thriving city out here, with plenty of money to be made.
For now, we have no desire to move back to Ireland. It's difficult for us to consider leaving everything we have here, to move back to Ireland when there is just no guarantee of us finding decent jobs.
Joanne,Toronto, Ontario
I left in October, 2009 because of lack of opportunities in Ireland.
I had two contacts before I arrived in Toronto and this helped so much, though it was very daunting to look for a job and accommodation at the same time.
The property agencies don't really want to hear from you unless you are employed.
I was sure at one stage I’d have to pack my bags and head back to Ireland.
The job market and recruitment process was very slow here and you need to chase people, which I don't think is our culture.
The upsides to living here are that the summers are great and there are a huge number of restaurants, bars and activities.
I joined a volleyball team my first summer here and made lots of Canadian friends, went to some Irish bars on the weekends and checked out Irish events in the city.
The one thing I noticed is that Irish people really look after each other and try to help you out as much as possible.
The downsides are that the winters can be very long and tough. It's also a very expensive city and rent and eating drinking can put a hole in your pocket.
I wasn't prepared for that, so my parents received a few phone calls to send money.
Homesickness happens and I miss my family, but Skype is fantastic and now that I’ve been here for 4.5 years, it’s a bit easier now.
I keep saying I will return to Ireland and some day I think I will.
Sandra Vancouver, British Columbia
I came to Vancouver at this time last year after qualifying as a chartered accountant back home in Dublin.
I did not have a job coming here, but the firm I trained with back home are multi-national so I was lucky to secure a job with a related company once I got here.
My boyfriend is a plumber, so he really had to leave Ireland. He had been claiming social welfare for the past year before we left and we could barely afford holidays, let alone buy a house if we stayed at home.
Since moving here, we are engaged and are doing really well for ourselves. We are currently in the process of becoming permanent residents.
While we don't plan on staying here forever, it is a great place to live for now.
Rachel Vancouver, British Columbia
I graduated last June, and the prospects at home were not great, so I thought it would be great to gain some life experience and do some traveling before I settled down in a job.
Before my friend and I moved here, we researched some exciting work ideas that we couldn't experience at home.
We got in contact with a lady who owns a chalet-management company in big ski resort outside of Kelowna, BC, got offered jobs and decided that would be a really fun way to start off out here.
Since then, we have stayed in BC and moved to Vancouver in April, which has been amazing.
I am working casually as a server which is paying me more money than a job in my degree field!
My friend is a qualified hairdresser who couldn't get any experience at home in a salon, but who now has two jobs in two different salons here!
Socially it’s great; people are so open to meeting people from different parts of the world. I have found that in Vancouver, most people I meet are not originally from here; they have all moved here from different parts of Canada and the rest of the world.
Working within the service industry has made it so easy to meet lots of amazing people who I call friends now.
It is pretty easy to beat homesickness with FaceTime and Skype.
It is important to remember that there are a lot of people here who are immigrants and that we all get a little homesick sometimes, so you're friends really do become your family.
Amy,Vancouver, British Columbia
My fiancé and I moved over here from Clonmel, Co Tipperary in November, 2009, on a one-year temporary visa and gained permanent residency in September 2013.
We were married on Bowen Island, off Vancouver on 3 August, 2014.
It was a small wedding and our immediate family travelled from Ireland and Japan to join us.
Canada is an amazing country and Vancouver is just so beautiful.
It's really the best city to showcase why this way of life is so attractive.
We miss our family and friends, but we've made our own little family with the close friends we've met here.
Leona Pilot Butte, Saskatchewan
We moved to Canada for work reasons. My husband is a qualified carpenter and, like so many others, has had no steady work in Ireland for the last few years.
He went back to college and gained a degree in construction management and we thought by the time he finished, employment may have picked up.
He was regularly checking out the “recruitment abroad” job sites, but it took me a few years to agree that we should move with our young family.
In 2013, my husband applied for and got a job as an estimator at a truss company in a small town just outside of Regina, called Pilot Butte.
He rang me from a café in town and said it was a very friendly place and he thought I'd love it.
I did love Pilot Butte from day one. It's very like Castlebar/Turlough/Ballyvary.
And I like the Canadians; they seem to be practical and straightforward.
I keep trying to get another Irish family to move out here as we are THE Irish family in town. They've made us feel very welcome and the kids just soaked up the school life almost immediately.
The "Irish in Regina" Facebook page was, and still is, brilliant for news, helpful hints, PR advice, lunches, making friends and swapping stories.
I have joined the Irish Club and met some great people. I have since started working as an educational assistant at the school, which is brilliant.
It's been a long time since myself and my husband had full-time salaries coming in every month.
Also it's great being on the same hours as my kids, as childcare would have been difficult to arrange in a new place.
As for homesickness, I miss a lot of people and a lot of things, but I still think we made the right move. Most Canadians are very similar to Irish people.
They like a good laugh, they're good fun, they're big on families and kids and they like a drink!
I can't see us moving back to Ireland in the near future. Actually my four-year-old now thinks that Ireland is a town in Canada!
Brendan
My story starts back in October, 2010, when I graduated with a degree in civil engineering. Finding work was impossible.
I sent out numerous CVs and even considered doing the “Job Bridge" Government initiative, however, I found the program of no assistance to me.
So after a lot of consideration, I applied for my IEC work permit and made the move in February, 2013.
Homesickness is hard sometimes. I find it hits me the most when I miss a family occasion, such as the birth of my niece.
Socially, well, the Canadians are not the Irish, so you have to adjust to the culture here and experience new things, such as the great choice of winter sports.
I was very lucky in the sense that I had a family friend living here, who helped me beyond all expectation.
I secured a job two months after my arrival in a civil engineering consultancy for which I am still working.
Having renewed my IEC work permit, I am now here for two more years and later this month, I am filing paper work for permanent residency.
Jamie, Edmonton, Alberta
I immigrated to Canada from Athlacca, Co Limerick in June and met up with my friend, who came over from Celbridge, Co Kildare.
It was difficult to find work at home, so we felt it was the right time to go.
We stayed in a hotel for a week until we found an apartment.
It gave us time to see the city and any time we met Irish here, it was a great feeling, sharing stories of home, our travels and how we were getting on.
I've started work with a construction business and it's pretty hard work, but I'm eager to learn and progress.
My friend is qualified in animation and is currently still looking for work in his field, though he has picked up some part-time work in a restaurant to keep the funds coming in.
We absolutely miss our family and friends.
Ciara, Vancouver
I moved over here with my boyfriend in September, 2012.
Both of us had good jobs at home before we left, but we just decided to move, for something different.
We didn't know anyone here, no jobs, no accommodation lined up. We booked a hostel for ten days.
We then walked around the city, calling into buildings, talking to building managers and ended up getting our apartment on the 2nd day.
Vancouver is a very outdoorsy city. The nightlife isn't amazing, but you make your own fun.
Drink can't be bought normal shops, only in liquor stores and it is expensive compared to home.
That was a big change but I've kind of gotten used to it.
During summer, there are outdoor pools, beaches, hiking, camping, concerts, free cinemas in the park and in winter, there are mountains where you can ski and snowboard.
A lot of the work opportunities in Vancouver depend on who you know. Networking is huge here.
Recruitment agencies are great, too. I found that Canadian employers always look for Canadian experience, so thats why it’s helpful to get in with a recruitment agencies as a temp.
I find that Canadians are super-nice, genuine people, but they can take a while to warm up. And at the moment, it seems that every 4th person I hear has an Irish accent. We are everywhere!
I'm currently applying for permanent residency. I think about going back sometimes when I'm homesick, but then I think, I have a great life here, why would I give that up?
Jack, Toronto, Ontario
The depressing lack of any job prospects for graduates was certainly a part of my emigration.
I'll readily admit I don't have the most applicable qualifications (master’s in history) but all the same, there just seemed to be nothing for me.
I was almost a year out of my graduation when I left, and had been working the same part-time retail job I'd held for the previous five years.
A few months before I'd left, I'd spent a month traveling around North America.
One of the cities I'd been to was Toronto, where I'd attended a meetup and party organised by the online community I moderate.
I made some truly excellent friends there, and in my subsequent few weeks of travel across the US, not only were my eyes open to how big the world was (as this was my longest time outside of Ireland, and the furthest I'd ever been away from home), and just how many amazing people there were in it, but Ireland now just seemed small and dark and a dead end, honestly.
While I still loved it and the friends and family I had there, I felt I was wasting my time away at a dead-end job when I could be out in the world doing and seeing so much more.
I left in July 2013 to live in Maine, with a friend (a fellow moderator from the online community) and his husband in Maine.
I got work as a copy editor and content manager for an applied arts company attached to a University in Portland.
From there, as the US is basically impossible to remain in past the terms of your student visa, I made plans to move to Canada, remaining in touch with the friends I'd made here last April.
Canada was the best of possible next step for me. Immigration was, compared to the US, very easy and Toronto has a competitive and tough, but nonetheless good jobs market, and I had just fallen in love with this city during my visits here.
I left Ireland for a career, yes, but I'd be lying if I said that was the only factor.
At the moment I am using the editing experience I acquired in Maine for freelance work, as well as continuing my not-for-profit moderation and community management.
I will also be working administrative work with a temp agency here. I hope, ultimately, to break in to the publishing sector.
The transition was, for me, supremely easy. The friends from my community were truly excellent.
They picked me up in Maine and brought me across New England and the Canadian border in a Durango, if you can believe it.
I stayed with one of them for my first three weeks before we moved in together into our current apartment, as we had planned a couple of months before.
In this regard I feel I've had a very different experience from most other emigrants.
Aside from the simple things like, say, arriving on land instead of by plane, I had a pre-established group of friends, a place to stay and an apartment essentially already set up for me.
No staying in hostels and furiously hunting for roommates and good places to live.
I had a ready-made support network and a great opportunity to live in an excellent, incredibly gay-friendly area downtown.
It really allowed me to hit the ground running.
I also think it's the reason I essentially have not sought out other ex-pats.
Having been embraced immediately into a Canadian life I've not had the need for that, I guess, comforting company of fellow Irish people.
Canada is probably the most immigrant-friendly nation I know of, and Toronto the most diverse city I've ever been in.
No one double takes at an accent, or if they do, it's a friendly inquiry about where you're from.
Everyone from everywhere is here, and everyone has met an Irish person in some way or other.
We're not exotic by any means! You tend to just fit in with the rest, or at least I have.
Irish people, as with any emigrants, have a tendency to clump together, primarily for comfort and familiarity I imagine, but I'd encourage those out there to make as many Canadian friends as they can. Canadians are just the best and most welcoming people out there.
Additionally, I have to say that, as a gay dude, Toronto is the most gay-friendly city I've ever been in.
Dublin is hardly hostile, but I have gotten my fair share of heckles and abuse in the past.
Here, gay couples walk openly holding hands, and no one bats an eye. That's kind of wonderful.
Maybe it's because I've only been abroad for a year, but I have honestly not been stricken with homesickness as I imagine some have.
I got bouts of it in my first few months in the US, and again over Christmas 2013, which I didn't go home for, but overall, it has not been a problem. I miss parts of Ireland, don't get me wrong.
The friends I've left behind, the landscape, the way I could jump on my bike and be in mountains in a half hour, but overall, I have not suffered.
Family and friends are reachable by Skype, which helps, and if you travel far enough here you can relieve that desire for open green spaces.
Primarily, I beat homesickness by embracing how awesome it is being out here. I've got a great group of friends that have been just amazing to me.
I'm thousands of kilometres from home, on the other side of the world, somewhere different, somewhere brand new.
There's so much to see and do and so much amazing food to eat and so many excellent people to meet.
Embracing that and throwing yourself and the newness of everything is the best possible way to beat missing home.
Home becomes a treasured place, but just one part of your life. Change and difference should be embraced, not feared.
Clinging onto vestiges of your life from home brings a comfort but puts you in danger of becoming trapped by nostalgia and not having the fun you could be having by opening up your life to the new country and city you're in.
As far as moving back to Ireland, I’m only at the start of my two year permit so I have no plans yet.
I may seek permanent residency after those two years or up, or I may move home. I haven't decided yet.
To be honest, the latter seems less likely. I'll always love Ireland and the people I know there, but right now, Toronto is home for me, and I don't want to leave any time soon.
Declan, Vancouver, British Columbia
I am 35, from Kilworth in Co Cork. I arrived in Vancouver in February and work as a buyer. I also work for the BC White Caps, the soccer team here in Vancouver, as part of the operations crew.
Things have gone very well for me here in Vancouver since I arrived.
I have a good job and my own flat. I am very active and I would certainly like to share my experiences and give any advice I can to anyone back home who are thinking about coming over to Vancouver.
Lisa, Dublin, Ireland
I am an Irish citizen who immigrated to Canada, married a Canadian and after five years of Canadian adventures in Regina, Vancouver and Calgary, we are now back in Ireland, as I received a job offer in Dublin. Happy to be back!
Conor, Ottawa, Ontario
I moved here last June and have settled in quite well. I was supposed to be studying a master’s here, but I'm now working. I've also made the Ottawa Redblacks cheer leading team, playing rugby with the Ottawa Irish and have gotten trials for a provincial team in Halifax called the Atlantic Rock. So things are busy!
Barry, Vancouver, British Columbia
Myself and three of my best friends moved to Vancouver in August, 2013. We have all enjoyed it immensely and have no regrets about our move.
We settled in with so much ease and all found work straight away.
We have found the opportunities over here to be unlimited. We joined a football team upon arrival, which consists of 90% Irish.
We won the league in our first year and were featured in the local Irish newspaper, The Celtic Connection.
Tricia, Huntsville, Ontario
I am one of the many Irish Immigrants who have packed up and left home seeking a better life in Canada.
I did originally live in Toronto shortly after I first came to Canada, but now I live in a town called Huntsville, which is in the district of Muskoka, about three hours northwest of Toronto.
I feel that there are a lot of people wanting to come to Canada, but not all of them realize how 1. how big Canada really is and 2. that not everyone is lives in Toronto.
No one seems to want to talk to people like me, who has gone out on a limb and made the effort to make a life for myself and especially to make friends who are not Irish, but all manner of nationalities, especially Canadians.
Stephen, Vancouver, British Columbia
I came to Canada in May, 2011, after completing My PhD at UUC Northern Ireland and have been working as a post-doc at UBC Vancouver since.
I am due to complete this post - and my current work permit - in December of this year.
The main positives for me here have been the great environment, as in the scenery and natural resources and beauty, the price of fresh produce, which is much lower and the wealth of general potential.
There are more opportunities and freedoms that exists out here as compared to back home. I’ve also met some great people here, including my girlfriend.
The negative experiences however have been almost as numerous and include the general attitude among most people I've met here, quite passive-aggressive and arrogant, some really badly handled infrastructural policies, for example: you think the buses are bad back home?
Come here!, the prices of meat and takeaway are much higher and unfortunately, my current job and projects which have not gone well.
I also feel that the Irish people, because of our craic and our non-defeatist, anti-capitulative attitude, have a lot to offer Canada.
Céline, Barrie, Ontario
I came to Canada as a Montessori teacher in 1988 when there was a work shortage in Ireland.
I had family here and stayed with my uncle in Toronto for three months until I found my own place.
It took me five years to feel somewhat settled, but I still called Ireland home.
It wasn't until 2008 that I uttered for the first time getting off the plane in Toronto that I was “back home.”
I’m married to a Canadian and we have three kids, all of whom have their Irish citizenship, including my husband.
We settled in Barrie and the place reminds me of Howth in the summer, with all the sail boats. Lovely place.
I keep in touch with Ireland and all the goings on through family, friends, RTÉ news feeds, social media, etc.
Our family roots are in Clonakilty, Co Cork and I would live there in a heartbeat.
Canada is a safe and clean place to raise a family, with tons of opportunity.
I always worried a bit about the educational system here not being as good as Ireland’s.
In 2010, I started my own nanny business and I still teach Montessori.
Gary, Alberta
My girlfriend and I moved to Canada in January of this year, due to a lack of job opportunities in Ireland and the abundance of available jobs in Alberta, in particular.
I am a journeyman plumber and she is a qualified quantity surveyor.
I love Ireland and it will always be my home, but at this present time, for myself and my girlfriend to plan for any kind of future, we need some sort of job security and Ireland could not offer us that.
Sean, Toronto, Ontario
I'm 23, from Buncrana, Co Donegal and I've been living in Toronto for the last year with three friends from home.
I am on the two-year working holiday visa, though I am now looking into applying for my permanent residency, so that I can continue to live and work here.
When I moved here, I noticed the quality of life was better for me and there were a lot more opportunities.
In Ireland, I struggled to get a job that i enjoyed and got fed up with my town.
I can honestly say that I love getting up for work on a Monday morning, living with my friends and having independence and freedom to do what I like and make my own decisions.
I do talk to my family and friends back home and miss them, but it's such a great opportunity out here and I don't want to waste that.
David, Toronto, Ontario
My story is a bit of a love story: I met my American girlfriend at DCU, where she was studying abroad for a semester and I was in my final year.
When I graduated, I moved to Boston to be with her on a 12-month J-1 visa.
After a year, my visa expired and we were panicked that we couldn't be together.
We decided to move to Toronto since I always wanted to live there. We arrived as visitors and everything fell into place.
We both got visas, jobs, and made friends. And we have fallen deeper in love with each other and Toronto
Daire & Pamela, Calgary, Alberta
My family and I moved to Calgary in January, 2013 and started our new, full-time jobs straight away.
We have had lots of ups and downs along the way and it has not been easy.
We have recently received a letter from Canada’s Citizen and Immigration Office (CIC) stating that our application for permanent residency has been rejected due to my wife’s medical condition.
We both have full medical cover with our jobs, however the Canadian government felt that we could be a burden on the state.
We are now in limbo, trying to appeal our case to CIC with very little resources or help.
We feel totally let down by our Canadian experience.
Tom, Toronto, Ontario
I'm originally from Cork and moved to Canada in May, 2011. The move happened for a few reasons. I'd lived in Cork for all of my working life and was looking for a change.
I was lucky moving over to Toronto, as I had a friend from college that was willing to put me up for a few weeks.
The main thing was learning to navigate the city - how to get around, where to go, what to see. I found a room in a house on Craigslist and moved in at the start of June.
I deliberately stayed away from looking for an Irish house or staying with Irish people, as I wanted to get to know the locals.
I probably had underestimated how hard it can be to settle in a new country, because there are cultural differences (especially in a city like Toronto), that can make developing a true friendship with someone more difficult.
Having said that, I've made some great Canadian friends, as well as Irish ones, so I think I've ended up in a good place.
I've been lucky enough to fall in love with a Canadian and we're getting married in February, 2015.
We've been back twice so my fiancee could meet my family and friends.
I've found Canada, and Toronto especially, a great place to live. I've made a lot of friends, both Irish and Canadian.
I've found the Irish community here is a great help when you first arrive in helping you settle and feel comfortable in your new community.
I'll always be homesick, but I made a decision to take a chance and make a better life for myself and it's worked out so far.
I'm in constant contact with my friends around the world, and my new friends, but I don't see myself moving back to Ireland. Cork is home, and will always be home, but now so is Toronto.
Edel, Calgary, Alberta
I came over in July, 2012, as a single woman and have been living in Calgary.
Since then, lots has happened: I met a Canadian guy and two weeks ago, we got engaged in Ireland!
Moving here has had it's ups and downs.Applying for visas can be a pain, and I had to do an Albertan driving test to drive here full-time and I was not impressed.
Alberta has quite different regulations than other provinces.
If I had to describe Calgary, it's like Ireland in the boom: All about the money!
But there are great people here and it really has some stunning scenery in the surrounding areas.
Lana, Toronto, Ontario
My extensive job search in Ireland proved to be not working, and I decided to apply for an IEC (International Experience Class) visa to Canada.
Though I didn’t know anyone in Canada prior to moving, once I arrived, I found the transition was easy, as I had prior knowledge of adapting in another country, having studied in Paris and Boston. And I did try to search for work prior to coming to Toronto, but I did not secure any job interviews or job offers at that time.
I sought out other ex-pats, which was very important for me. I joined the Irish community on Facebook, and kept a close look at what was happening. As time progressed, I made Canadian and international friends. I am very sociable and outgoing. It's easy for me to meet people, start a conversation or try a new place (restaurant, bar, event). Toronto is the best city for socializing and becoming involved in the city life and the community. It's important to feel at home, wherever you’re living.
To beat homesickness, I Skype with my parents, and try get out of the house. I joined a gym. I find that exercise is the best way to fight homesickness. I plan to visit my parents this year. I still have one year under the IEC program. I do want to stay here though.
Julie, Toronto, Ontario
I moved to Canada for career and personal reasons. I had a work colleague who was from Quebec and she reassured my decision, and spoke to me about the Canadian lifestyle.
I moved knowing one guy friend from home who was here with two college buddies. So I was lucky to have someone to show me around and the way things work.
Moving from Ireland was a bit of a culture shock. I am the youngest of five children and never lived out-of-home. I was questioning my decision as I left my parents in Dublin airport.
I felt for me at the time it was something I should do, try and see if it's for me. Luckily it was an amazing decision.
Because Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world, it's pretty easy to fit in being an immigrant. I find around holiday times, Irish people tend to get together and try make it like an "at home" holiday.
And the locals tend to be more than inviting you to spend the time with them, which is pretty great!
I usually beat homesickness by one of two things: Watching some Irish comedians talking about how home isn't quite back on the up-and-up yet.
Alternatively, I will call a few different friends that tend to moan about nothing happening at home, which makes me see the great side to living here!
Being away from home makes you appreciate the simple things and you tend to own a deeper sense of pride when you live away from home.
I was a contestant in the Toronto Rose of Tralee this year, which was a channel for me to establish myself within the Irish community here.
Melissa, Vancouver, British Columbia
My dad emigrated to Canada in 1983 from Limerick. He first settled in Ottawa, then Vancouver.
He arrived with nothing and today owns a major distribution company, operating in Canada and the United States.
Joe, Vancouver, British Columbia
I am a 27-year-old barber who moved to Vancouver 18-months ago and recently opened a traditional Irish barbershop in Gastown, a downtown neighborhood. I hope to gain permanent residency in the next year.
Rachel, Toronto, Ontario
I relocated to Toronto four years ago on my own, and finally broke into television production field this year.
Toronto is an exciting city with a lot of opportunity, but it takes a great deal of persistence and is by no means an easy journey.
I think it is important to highlight the realities around the challenges of emigrating along with the rewards.
Orla, Vancouver, British Columbia
I moved to Vancouver in January, 2011, from Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary; a small town of 5,000 people.
Since moving here I have become assistant manager of one of the main tourist attractions in the city; the Vancouver Lookout.
I am also the current vice president of Celtic Fest Vancouver, western Canada's largest Celtic celebrations.
Of course these are the positives of my work prospects, however it is not all a bed of roses!
Danielle, Vancouver, British Columbia
I am a 29-year-old from Co Waterford and moved, alone, to Vancouver in October, 2011.
I got a job in a call centre and quickly got promoted to supervisor.
I am now in the final stages of getting my permanent residency.
