Dubai: When Eugene McGettigan left Ireland five years ago, he wasn’t sure he’d ever find a place like home. That is of course until he got off the plane in Dubai. “It’s much better than I ever imagined,” McGettigan said. “It’s the safest place in the world and they treat us Irish well.”
However, his idea to pack up and move to the Emirates is far from a phenomenon.
McGettigan, who comes from the well-renowned McGettigan Irish pub family, is part of a community of Irish residents who moved to the UAE in hopes of getting a new lease on life. In fact, as of January 2016, approximately 8,200 Irish citizens had registered with the embassy — but many thousands more live here, without having formally signed up.
“To a country of our size that is remarkable,” Ireland’s ambassador to the UAE Patrick Hennessy told Gulf News. “More UAE citizens are coming to visit Ireland and many Irish people are coming here. We are lucky to have such strong connectivity.”
And for the thousands of Irish residents here, today (Thursday), St. Patrick’s Day, is the most important date on the calendar.
But this year, there is a lot more than usual to celebrate. “Ireland is marking the centenary, which is the 100-year anniversary of the 1916 Rising,” Hennessy said. “That was the beginning where we began campaigning for our independence [from the United Kingdom].”
But for some residents who’ve been to other places of the world, the celebration isn’t so clear cut.
“It’s only in various restaurants that it is celebrated really,” Dermot Flood, a quality assurance manager, said. “It would be nice if it were more public.”
However, Flood, who has been living in Dubai the last nine years, acknowledges that although it doesn’t seem as open, it’s still there.
“it’s nice to be able to meet Irish people here but it’s important to remember there are other nationalities here as well,” he said. “But on that day, every westerner becomes Irish.”
Unlike Flood, Hennessy has been working in the Emirates since 2013 but has understood that although they are far apart, they are still two countries with very similar outlooks on life.
“We are both ancient civilisations but young countries,” he said. “Even in culture as we have a strong emphasis on family and a very open and inclusive culture.”
This includes being great partners in trade.
In 2015, Irish exports to the UAE increased by 33 per cent. On top of this the UAE purchased approximately Dh4.08 billion worth of Irish beef, a 10 per cent increase on the previous year.
Hennessy explained that the Irish have been involved in Dubai since the early days of the UAE. This includes professions in the fields of hospitality, construction, business and education, where there are over 1,500 teaching in both public and private sectors.
“They are great ambassadors for Ireland,” the ambassador said, “They are helping to educate the next generation of young Emiratis and are very much reflecting our common philosophy of leadership and tolerance.”
But perhaps the most successful expatriate to establish in the early days of the UAE is Colm McLoughlin, the founder and executive vice-chairman of Dubai Duty Free. He successfully opened the airport retailer in 1983 and has watched it grow to become the largest in the world, employ thousands and earn more than Dh7 billion in 2014.
“I’ve lived and worked in Dubai for almost 33 years and have always admired the positive way that business is encouraged and conducted here,” McLoughlin told Gulf News. “I have seen that Irish people do well in the UAE.”
McLoughlin has worked closely with the Irish community ever since arriving in the country. To ensure that the residents’ ‘Irishness’ is preserved, he has served as the former chair of the Dubai Irish Society. His incorporation of an Irish way of life includes putting an emphasis on the importance of the festivities coming up.
“St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated all around the world as there are many millions of Irish born and living in every corner of the world,” McLoughlin added. “This year, to mark the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, will help make our national day very moving I am sure.”
So, for the proud Irish the national holiday is much more than just a party.
“St. Patrick’s Day is a big celebration of our people,” McGettigan said. “We go to Mass in the morning and have shamrocks imported from Ireland and we get them blessed.”
And for the residents no longer on the Emerald Isle, the UAE does its part to help the Irish enjoy the national holiday. I call UAE home,” McGettigan says. “I’m very happy to live here.”
