This article is from page 13 of the 2012-12-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
IN AUGUST this year, Gabrielle Fennessy, 51, her husband Chris Kearns, 51, and youngest son Finn, 16, decided to uproot from Kinvara, in Galway, and take up a job offer in Boston.
They left their home and the security provided by family and friends to see whether the grass really is greener on the other side.
“The job opportunities are a lot better here than Ireland for both of us,” explains Gabrielle, “and the education system is a hell of a lot better!”
Chris says he was happy “to get away from the economic and political environment in Ireland”. From the beginning, Finn noticed how, “much more positive people are here.” The couple agree that it is much easier to save money working in the US than it is to do so here.
Gabrielle had work secured before leaving and was straight into it once she arrived. Chris and Finn took a little longer to settle in. At first, setting up the new family home kept them busy. Unlike their countryside home in Ireland, they moved into a suburban apartment. A car had to be bought, insurance cover arranged, phone and internet access organised. And Finn had to be registered in the local high school. It was all very new and exciting.
Five months later, Chris is working with an international, high-tech firm which specialises in cloud computing. Finn has settled right into the American lifestyle. He has replaced hurling and rugby with American football, which he plays with his high school team. They will not be home for Christmas. “We’re going to have an Irish Christmas here instead,” says Gabrielle. While they will miss their extended family and the traditional Christmas round of visits to friends and neighbours, they are lucky to have some family travelling over for Christmas. Gabrielle reflects that Christmas in Boston is different to Ireland. “It’s seen as a Christian holiday here,” she explains. They live in a predominantly Jewish community. Cribs and baby Jesuses are left out in favour of more secular Christmas decorations such as snowmen and reindeer.
The traditional Irish Christmas dinner of turkey and ham is considered more of a Thanksgiving staple. At Christmas, a wider range of foods are eaten. Many people that they work with are only taking one day off work.
Whether this is just their first of many Christmases state-side remains to be seen. Gabrielle says that while they initially left for the US with the intention of staying one year, “now we’re looking at extending it.”