‘I’ve always felt I can add value to this country’: Census details diversity in Irish population

Maryam Temile had been living in Ireland nearly a decade when she became an Irish citizen in 2013. She recalls the “beautiful ceremony in Dublin’s mansion house” and how “being honoured by the Irish Government as one of their children” brought her happiness and pride.

Filling in her status as a dual Irish-Nigerian citizen on last year’s census form still evoked that sense of pride. “I’ve always felt I can add value to this country by adding my voice. Being Irish is a way for me to contribute to this country and impact people positively.”

Ireland, however, has not always been a welcoming place for Temile or her children. She recalls attending a church service in Dublin city shortly after she arrived in Ireland where the woman sitting beside her moved seat when the congregation was asked to shake hands with their neighbour. Or the time a woman on a bus stood up as soon as Temile sat down beside her. The worst was when her daughter was rejected, she says.

“My middle daughter dreamed of being an Irish dancer so I sent her to classes. She came home and told me ‘the other kids don’t want to touch my hands or dance close to me’, so I went to the classes and saw what was happening with my own eyes. I spoke to the teachers but nothing changed and I had to withdraw her. She was only six years old, I felt so angry.”

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Fortunately, her three children have had an extremely positive experience attending the local Gaelscoil. “Many people from the Nigerian community said ‘what are you doing bringing your kids to the Gaelscoil, they’ll be the only black kids and how will you help them with homework?’ But, I wanted them to speak Irish because they were born here and Irish is the national language. When you move to a country you have to integrate into the system and now they all speak Irish fluently.

“I used Google Translate to help them at first but in the end they didn’t need me. I also became a member of the board of directors and the parent-teachers’ association.”

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Temile is chairperson of the Nigerian Association of Cavan and a community worker supporting migrants – including recently arrived Syrian and Ukrainian refugees – to settle into the local area as part of Cavan Cross Cultural Community. A lawyer by training, she is also one of the 170,597 people who stated they were dual Irish citizens in census 2022.

The increasing diversity of Ireland’s population is evident at St Joseph’s Primary School in Tipperary, which now has 23 nationalities represented.

“Irish, English Spanish, Brazilian, Chinese, German, Romanian, Polish, Lithuanian,” acting principal Stephen Walsh explains down the phone, taking a breath before he continues the list of first- and second-generation nationalities in the school. “Syrian, Pakistani South African, Moldovan, Filipino, Greek, Hungarian, Malaysian, Indian, Czech Republic and Russian. And Ukrainian, of course.”

St Joseph’s has plenty of supports for children who arrive without much English, he says. “Helping them to feel welcome and safe, it’s part of who we are. We’ve sometimes found they can go through a silent stage when they first arrive – I suppose that’s natural when they’re trying to find their footing.”

The school has a “buddy system” which pairs the new arrival with an older student who may speak the same language but has spent longer in Ireland.

Most students in the school are either bilingual or trilingual, he says. “I’m learning from all this myself, I think diversity in schools is such a positive thing. And the children seem to educate one another about their different customs and religions – they’re very accepting of everyone here.”

One of those completing the census for the first time last year was Lorena Alquinta González who arrived in April 2022, just before Central Statistics Office forms were filled out.

As a sociologist, she earned a decent salary by local standards in her home country, Chile. However, that money didn’t last long in Dublin.

“I found a job working as a catering assistant in a hotel in Rathmines but was paying emergency tax while I waited for my PPS number. So I only earned half my salary and in one month, I spent my entire savings from Chile. That worried me.”

Like many Latin Americans, González came to Ireland to improve her English. She joined her sister Estefany, who had arrived two years previously and helped her find a place to live.

“I stayed with Estefany at first but I realised it was very difficult to find somewhere. Prices were increasing every week. I think accommodation is the main problem for migrants here – the paperwork when you arrive is complicated but accommodation is the worst.”

González was surprised to meet other Chileans here – in her English language classes and when she started working as a chef in a restaurant.

According to the 2022 migration and diversity census figures, the number of people born in Chile who moved to Ireland more than tripled when compared with 2016, increasing to 1,363.

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She believes the number of Chileans travelling to Ireland has increased since Covid restrictions were lifted and because accessing an Irish language student visa is not too complicated.

However, many mistakenly believe they’ll be able to save money while working here, she adds. “You spend the first three months looking for a place to live, finding a job, sorting out your PPS, so you’re already halfway through your English course before you begin to settle. A lot of people end up paying for a second course so they can stay longer and actually enjoy their time here.”

Many of the Chileans she has met are unhappy with the standard of English being offered in some language schools. “Many of them have teachers who are not native English speakers themselves. I’ve met Chileans who have a Chilean teacher – they could have got that in Chile, there isn’t enough regulations of the schools.”

González now has an Irish work permit arranged by the restaurant where she works as a chef de partie. Asked how long she plans to stay here, González isn’t sure. She previously lived in New Zealand and likes the challenge and excitement of discovering a new country.

“I really love my country but I don’t want to go back yet... . My last year working as a sociologist my salary was nothing – I earned a third of what I earn here working as a chef. Having the chance to live in another country changes your mindset, I’m happy here.”