A young Irish woman has hailed the Irish community in New York after an incredible two years in the city.
Doireann Tarrant moved to New York on a graduate visa in 2019 and decided to stay during the pandemic.
Doireann, who is originally from Kerry but now lives in Phibsborough, praised the GAA clubs in NYC, as well an Irish social group that organised a trip to Penneys.
She told Dublin Live: “I was on a football team so I was never too far away from Irish people. There’s so many football teams in New York, they’ve a serious league. I played for O'Donavan Rossa in Queens! It was a great way to meet people.
“I got a job in a bar, it was great for meeting Irish people. There’s a group called Matives. It’s good for the social side, it’s good for events. At one stage, we all got a bus to Penneys. We were so excited to be there." recalls the young Kerry woman.
It wasn't all fun though. Doireann had to live through some scary times as Covid-19 took hold of the city.
“It was definitely a bit mad because New York was at the epicentre of the world for Covid. At one point, New York City was the worst in the world for Covid.," she said.
“It was a mad time, we had curfews and everything.
“I was over there when the protests were going on with Trump. I worked in a construction company in May 2020. We went to the protests around New York and the company I worked for had to board up windows, replace store fronts. We also had to set up temporary testing sites.”
“The whole time I was there we weren’t allowed visitors, so nobody from Ireland could come over. My friends had flights booked but they fell through. Everyone was in the same boat, I made lots of Irish friends over there so we all had our own little community, a little family even, it was nice."
Comparing Dublin to New York, Doireann said the cost of living is much higher across the pond.
“It is more expensive over there. Grocery shopping is so expensive so you may as well just eat out,” she said.
“I’d normally get my shopping done for €50 but if I spent $50, I would probably get about 10 things, the selection is nothing too.”
When abroad, typically Irish people miss Tayto, Barry’s Tea, chicken fillet rolls or spice bags, but Doireann missed something a bit different.
She said: “I missed having a car, I missed being able to go for a drive because I just got the subway everywhere. You take it for granted.
“I missed nature because New York was so busy. There were times where I was working all the time or doing tourist things and you wouldn’t have time.
“I went to the beach once after spending six months in the city, we went for a swim and it was the best thing ever. Going out of the city and going for hikes too, it’s something that I took for granted.”
Doireann described her return to Ireland as “bittersweet”. Even though she was heartbroken that her visa wasn’t renewed, she was delighted to reunite with everyone and everything she hadn’t seen in two years.
“Leaving Ireland, I always knew I was coming back to my friends and family but leaving New York, it was like closing a chapter in my life," she said.
“I tried for a visa two years in a row, it’s a lottery system and I didn’t get it. When that happened, I knew it wasn’t meant to be so I came home to do a masters.
“It was really sad leaving but I wasn’t home in two years and didn’t see anyone from home for that long. It was bittersweet.
“I definitely think the door is still open and I might go back someday. I might even do another city but New York is unreal.”
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