Isn't it true what they say...go anywhere in the world and you'll meet an Irishman (or woman).

And isn't it great to see all our one time Grove members scattered in the four corners and still 'Groving' (albeit on line).

So...where are you,how come you left the Emerald Isle,will you ever return home and what's the Guinness like where you are???

(And as the Grove was a Dublin institute,the same topic goes for our members scattered outside the Pale...where are you and have you lost your 'brogue'?)

Aussies...start with you guys...Mammy and Freebird...

I am in Columbus Ohio! Been here since 1993!  Met Martin at home in the local and he had already put in for his visa to the States after just getting back from Australia.  We started out just casual... 2 years later his visa came through.  I never really wanted to leave Ireland.  He left in the August of the year 1990.  I went to visit him for Christmas and he asked me to marry him.  I came home engaged with the plan of getting married in September 1991.  Sep came around and we had a fab wedding in Dublin.  I went back to the States with him for 3 months and then returned home for 18+ months to wait out my visa before returning for good.  The plan was only to stay here 5 years..... Then along came the boys..... Life went on and the Guinness was good so we are still here.......

I dreamed of going home for the longest time! I still can't seem to let go of that dream.  I do however know my life here is good and with the high prices of housing in Ireland a return home is not in sight.  It makes more sense for us to visit now.

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Came over here to guide on a medieval Rhine castle for eight weeks in 1988, back to Dublin for a week to finish a temporary tourism job, back to Germany for another six months after that promoting tourism to Ireland, and that became another 18 years but work has unfortunately very little to do with Ireland since ten years. My wife would like to settle in Dublin somewhere by the sea - might be good for the kids - but Germany is by no means the worst and the beer - even the Guinness and Kilkenny - is very good. Mostly we don't want to come back to Germany after spending a week or more in Dublin.  Need to win two Lottos though to be able to afford houses etc. in the meantime!! Hope to make a Grove night out sometime. Catch up with old and new times. Hope the website thrives as it's good to stay in touch. All the best as ever - auf wiedersehen!

Nice stories...always wonder when I see 'Location...Germany' or 'Spain' etc.

Where are the Aussies???

And members in West of Ireland,Munster and outside Dublin???

Do I???

Hmmm...bordering on Co Dublin/Co Louth border alright...but wouldn't match the posts of these fine ex pats...

North Dubliners......

Remember years ago being in Meaghers(?) in Ballybough before a match in Croke Park when someone asked an elderly man  - a regular if he was going up the road to support the dubs? His response was to give a withering look and "Dubs, me ar*se!. They're not dubs at all. Aren't they all from shaggin' Swords and beyond!"

Hey Freebird, That's cool that you have your whole family with you! Another victim of the miserable 80's but with a happy ending, Give doggy a belly rub from me . (Don't think Kids or dogs would appreciate that! )

Finno, We're still in "The Pale"!!!

Brunswick, We ought to do a headcount....There's u, me and Floyd......and I'm sure a few others but can't remember who. Maybe have a mini reunion out our way! All we need is the Gnomes and some Beer!

Esthalon wrote: Hey Freebird, That's cool that you have your whole family with you! Another victim of the miserable 80's but with a happy ending, Give doggy a belly rub from me . (Don't think Kids or dogs would appreciate that! ) Finno, We're still in "The Pale"!!! Brunswick, We ought to do a headcount....There's u, me and Floyd......and I'm sure a few others but can't remember who. Maybe have a mini reunion out our way! All we need is the Gnomes and some Beer!

Im up in Meath (well beside Bettystown) Ger and Len are in Drogheda as is Lorri.  The next reunion we can hire a mini bus to take us all down and back !!!! Or then again get Lenny to drive my bus down !! How long are you in Rush June ?  We are up here 3 1/2 years and I love it - but mind you its getting like Dublin and getting built up a bit.

Hey D, We're in Rush just since Last May....We wanted a big garden and had to move this far out to get it!!!....Just spotted Polly is in Donabate, will be keeping my eyes peeled for more NCDB's (North County Dubliners & Beyond )

Esthalon wrote:   will be keeping my eyes peeled for more NCDB's (North County Dubliners & Beyond )

They're easy spotted Esthalon - knuckles dragging along ground, eyes close together that kind of thing!

Ooohh...like your Avatar,'Snapper???

Well,there's New-to-the-site Smithy...in Costa del Briggo...and Sharon...you're Balbriggan too,aren't you ???

Esthalon wrote: Brunswick, We ought to do a headcount....There's u, me and Floyd......and I'm sure a few others but can't remember who. Maybe have a mini reunion out our way! All we need is the Gnomes and some Beer!

Yeah, Esthalon, a get-together would be good out in North County Dublin -we might even be able to encourage some of the "city-folk" to come out and join us for a night!

Hey Mel and the rest of yiz NCD whatevers. Anyone go to the Man o' War at all ?

Rolo wrote: Hey Mel and the rest of yiz NCD whatevers. Anyone go to the Man o' War at all ?

Was there once - its ok! They are very clanny there - its like spot the visitors !!!!!!!!!! Now on the other hand my local is called Morans - its a real small pub - my sitting room is bigger than it ! But its full of Dubs and Meathy people ! The craic is 90 - full of the boys in blue and farmers but on a weekend you'd have a good auld ballad session going til late !!! And of course the pint is great.

I've only been to the Man O'War just the once but I found it great craic (was for a friends 40th). They have a Pool table as well, woohoo!

Haha! Thats the place!

Mins wrote: Man-O-War.... Isn´t that where people get lost when they get the directions to Ardgillen assways ?????

yeah mins but its in THE NAUL ! Soon to be a dumping site !!!

Not sure if I'd call Manowar in the Naul...but yes,everyone decides to find Ardgillan Castle,gets lost,ends up on the Lusk Road and says,'Oh,look-a bikers pub...we might as well go in seeing as we're here.'

There is a Killanes in the Naul...now thats a time warp-and if you're not a local then check out the stares when you walk in!

Thankfully,the dump seems to have been objected to so still not a bad place,if not a tad quiet.

Yeah, Sorry us NCDB's do seem to have taken over this thread....My fault for starting it.

Any more emigration stories guys????

WHAHAY! Another NCDB...

(Like the new Avatar,Polly...)

Same as Polly. I wanted to beside the sea and Donabate is better than Dollier. Don't you love going tot he car park at Portrane watching the waves during the recent storms?

We have nearly everything you need except fresh fruit and vegetables in SV

I agree nothing like living beside the sea great to be able to walk out of an evening and stroll on the beach especially on a day like today

Balbriggan head here as the locals would say....lol

Here Rolo, are u coming to visit one of our pubs?..jeez didnt think uld pass the city limits.........I hear a Garth Brooks tribute band is playing tonite in the Man O' War pub in Courtlough,Balbriggan( just letting ye know where it is...lol) incase u need directions ill let u know Rolo....but i wont be seeing u there tonite...lol must say have had a few good nites over in that pub and Franklin play there most friday nites and they arent bad they play some good rock covers

For locals u do know they organise a bus from Balbriggan there and back i presume they do same to Rush/Lusk and skerries.

And for the NCDs yes i agree there should be a nite out nearer to us

Sharon

I moved down here 16 yrs ago and have moved house but stayed here because I love being so near to town, country and ofcourse the sea but i can see a huge difference in the town these days with all the "Dubs" moving in it kinda changes the feel to it god i cant believe i said that i think im here too long...lol I sound like a native instead of a "blow-in"

Sharon

Sure arent we all blow ins in one way or the other - its just about fitting in and making it your home! Are you heading down the 17th Sharon ??? The ladies need to outdo the men.

Have been in the Man o War Shar,believe it or not.......and know all  about Franklin. They were actually at a bit of a party in our gaff one night, not playing, just knew some punters we knew.

Long story, will fill you in sometime.

Might just organise another visit some night soon. Know that it has recently changed management and was wondering what the locals thought of the new people.

Yeah heard it had changed hands but i havent been down in a while so cant comment..unusual for me i know..lol

Hope it wasnt Mr mcfadden u knew...lol

Shar

Oh Jaysis no Shar, perish the thought.

But via a very roundabout route,that's how the connection arose.

Thats mad Rolo I wonder in round about way have we ppl we know in common...lol as in not grove ppl....lol and i dont mean McFadden

Shar

Smithy-my sis lives in Westbrook too-she says there is three girls she went to school with living there.

You're right...we couldn't afford Raheny or Artane at the time,but have to say,it's great living by the sea...

Caroloz brought this topic up again for you

welcome to the site. 4 now in Perth and counting.....

Hi All

Thanks for raising this page again freebird! great to check in and see what everyone is doing. It seems a fair few moved either north of Dublin or to Perth! I did both!

I got married in 1983 and moved to Navan. Lived there for the next 6 years and had my son and daughter (in the Rotunda of course!). Then one night my husband,Ferg, came in from work and said " we should move to Australia" to which I answered " are you F**** mad???* but by morning thought it was a great idea! That was it, applied for visa, took 18 months to get in those days, and in 1988 we bought a one way ticket for the 4 of us.

We lived in Sydney for 3 months then drove across Australia and lived in the desert for the next 6 years - tiny mining towns, probably not even on your map, Laverton and Leinster. Then I moved back to Perth with the kids while he began the common " fly in fly out" thing that a large percentage of Perth families know to be normal family life. ie: Daddy only comes home ever two weeks for a week and then goes back to work - 6 hour flight.

The intention was to do that for 2 years til we paid off the house. After 2 years we agreed he'd continue just til the kids did their "inter", after that we agreed another 2 years just til the kids did their "leaving". Then we agreed another 2 years just til the kids got through college. Now the kids have left home 2 years and he is still doing fly in fly out! The time flies and its not an unusual way of living here. However, now its just me at home on my own most of the time so we have agreed, finally, next year, after we go around the world, he'll start "one week on and one week off"! We have been married for nearly 25 years and have spent half of that apart! I'd say by the time we are retired we might see eachother every day...but not holding my breath!

I do love living in Perth though, easy lifestyle, fabulous weather, lots of space and I never missed Dublin (dont shoot me!). Now the prices of houses in Perth are close to matching Dublin so if we sold we could buy "at home" but the weather and traffic would kill me I think!

Oh and I haven't lost my accent at all, still sound like I just got off the plane yesterday....and that is according to my ma and da so it must be true!

HI Caoloz

It's certainly a small world Carol and now you and Donal are chatting on a Grove website in Perth all those years later.

Can relate to the fly in/fly out. My hubby works in Kalgoorlie but usually leaves on Tue 6am flight and back Thursday late, which is not too bad. Works from home Mon and Fri. He hopes to be back working in Perth from the end of June but I am not holding my breath as with the big mining boom there is alway a reason to go back

When we plan our little Perth Reunion you can tell us all about life in Leinster and Laverton, that must have been an interesting experience to say the least!.

Hey T, surely there must be some more ex grovers in Ohio. I feel your on a little 'Grove outpost' out there all on your own

Yes you are correct! hubby is one... he is 8 years older than me so his time there was different.  Then his 2 sisters here were old grovers and one of our mates Dave Casey was another.

... Dave had a party last year and pulled out some old pic's which were just fantastic... He was quite the hippy back then.

t

Hi Freebird

my time in Laverton and Leinster was certainly very interesting and I have to say the best fun of all my time in Australia! I love living here but that was a brilliant experience, and we were all young - so drunk for a fair portion of it! I was still new in Australia, only three months in Sydney before moving to a tin shed in the desert - I didn't know heat like that existed in the world!! 56degrees in our first summer out there! As a result I find the 40 we get in Perth regularly during summer a dawdle! I remember I used to set my ironing board up in the garden so I wouldn't miss out on a bit of sun when I first came. The locals thought I was stone mad! Now I realise they were right! Fortunately I worked it out before it did any major damage.

Have you only lived in Perth?

 Carol I can just picture you in Leinster with your ironing board surrounded by red dust catching the last of the sun's rays.

I have been to Laverton and Leinster but never lived there. We lived in Sydney for a couple of years, did a stint in NZ, then moved to Perth and kind of got stuck here. Hubby is from Colorado so we visit the US when we can, I have only one brother in Dublin the rest of the family followed me here.

Great to hear all about your lives - please keep it up - where is Irish Mammy - Donal & anyone else, for Gods sake keep it up - it is more than interesting.  Think Freebird has the "perfect solution"

V

Hi Verh

Tell us what you have been up to since the Grove years...moved around? married? had kids?

I wonder if any old Grovers kids actually also got to go to the Grove? Mine would have just missed out, it ended in 1997 when they were 12 and 13...but they grew up in Australia anyway. I told them all about it when they were whinging about having nothing to do as teens. The best that could be offered over here were " Blue Light Disco's" run by the police once in a blue moon but way too irregularly to give the kids a place they could call their own and a group to belong to socially. Consequently they tended to go "clubbing" too early in the city (underage of course but they have the resources to produce all sorts of false ID). However clubbing with people who are WAY older than them has its own pitfalls! I would have loved a Grove here for them for that interim stage between being kids and really being grown ups.

Its only now that I am a parent I realise the real value of the Grove for our social development. THANKS CECIL!

Hi Carol,

My hubby used to do fly in/fly out, now only does it occasionaly.

I used to like the time I had on my own. I'm so bloody independent (as my dad would say). Now he's home all the time, I think we argue more, cos he has to fit in with our routine!!!!!!

He has to go away on occasion (think he goes for a break!!!!)

I wonder how many more of us are here.

I agree about the blue light disco's. They're not on frequently enough for the kids.

Hi irish mammy

Is he in the mines too? It must sound like such a weird family dynamic to everyone in Ireland that husbands are away more than they are home and their work is often in another state. Like you, I am fiercely independant (must be an Irish woman thing) and do like the time on my own, especially now my kids have moved out. When I am not working I am studying and its nice not to have to consider another person.Though after 12 years of 'two on one' off I am now getting fed up with it and want a more permanent husband at home. Next year he is looking at moving to "one on one" off which would be perfect.

I think if he was home all of the time I'd probably become very lazy and just hang around with him...and end up arguing no doubt!. Also, for the husbands the "fly in fly out" tends to leave them at a loose end when they come home because they dont have a regular routine at home and have to fit in with the rest of us. Ferg depends on me for his social life and would love to be doing courses etc but can't commit cos he isn't here enough.

verh wrote: Great to hear all about your lives - please keep it up - where is Irish Mammy - Donal & anyone else, for Gods sake keep it up - it is more than interesting.  Think Freebird has the "perfect solution" V

Ha! The perfect solution having your family around! don't know if hubby would agree on that one Ver. My 80yr old Dad is more work than the kids, especially after he's had a few pints.

Other half flew to Kalgoorlie toay until Fri. Must admit makes 'Dinners' easier and I can spend my time on here or the phone  

CarolOz,

Yes my kids also went to the Grove (all 4 of them) & all still mad about music - thanks to Cecil.

Mary still think you have the PERFECT SITUATION if your hubby does not agree just explain us Irish are thick as glue (he can take that whichever way he likes!!!!)  Think you crowd should at some stage organise a little get together - put faces on each other, what do you think?

Verona

Hi Verona

Irish Mammy suggested a get together at some point and I'm up for it. Since I'm the newbie I am waiting for further instruction :)

Hi All,

Saw a fantastic programme this afternoon (at least a bit of it) on Down Under centered in Perth - amazing.  Beautiful weather, people enjoying barbies, ?Hamlin Bay.  It was centered on 2 families from England who have settled in Perth - I just hope they do a replay Rolo would really appreciate it.  This was on a day that was raining here and non too warm.  Really good to learn about your beautiful adopted country - you are the best Ambassadors otherwise we have to rely on Neighbours, books & travel books.  Hope Kate manages to see the replay also.

  V

Hi Ver

There must be a bit of a push on coming "down under" in Ireland at the moment, my brother saw something on Perth last week too. We are having our boom here at the moment...houses have gone mad and companies are having to import workers from China because there isn't a tradesman in sight. My friend in Carlow said there was a convention on "emigrating to Australia" in one of the hotels! Im stunned. When we were emigrating there was an 18 month delay in getting visas cos so many were applying, I think 2500 a month were leaving for Australia then...back in the late 80's.

I have to say Perth is a really beautiful city and the weather is glorious for at least 9 mnths of the year - I never regretted the move for a second and I think Donal is the same. What about you Freebird and Irish mammy?

Hi Carol

I was one of those  2500 leaving for Australia back in the 80's. I enjoy living in Perth and the laid back lifestyle, which is not to say I wouldn't give somewhere else a chance too, if the opportunity arose, but imagine I would always end up back here eventually.

Sometimes I do feel we are very isolated as we are so far from  anywhere. The nearest big city a 3.5 hr flight. That too has it's good points as Perth is still in some ways a big country town compared to Sydney or Melbourne and a bit behind the times, but I like that and my kids can still enjoy their freedom in a relatively safe city.

It's good having family here, but as there ALL here it makes going back to Dublin a bit tricky I can't just arrive and drop my bags at the family home at moments notice like I used to!

Roll on September Dublin here I come!

Carol, are you going to Dublin in Sep by any chance? You can join Irish Mammy and myself!

Hi Freebird

I'm not going back until Jan next year. All my family and Ferg's live over there still so plenty of places to stay thankfully. We usually stay with my parents cos that does really feel like being "home".. It's funny, no matter how long you live away, be it overseas or even down the road from where you grew up, your mammy's house is always home isn't it?

Do you and Irish Mammy live close to eachother and socialise together?

Hi Carol,

I arrived in Perth about 6 yrs ago. Love it.

Freebird and I live miles away, as do you. But we can all meet up someday for lunch or something.

Hi Lesley

Yes I'd be delighted to "do lunch"..we could meet in the city somewhere, that is probably central for us all. I work odd hours, often in evenings, so can organise a lunch most days during the week if it suits. Not sure what work schedules you both have - but I know you both have younger kids so are probably tied up on weekends?

Carol

Would love to be a fly on the wall when 3 Irish women, especially ex Grovers get together - have a ball and dont forget Donal, am sure he would love to join you.

V

D. There are not just ordinary women - they are 3 special women of character - join in and do fill us in on the folics - as good as a Grove Reunon, loads of bevys, nice food, great company - think you should put up a tent or two in the garden  -  just in case.

V

Donal wrote:  V, don't know how I'd fit in with the 3 women?? Would I get a word in at all??

Of course you would Donal  

Tell you what you can come along as the "moderator'  until Rolo  gets over

How long more are you in the city for?