New Zealand solicitor finds community in Ireland
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Fintan Walsh, a 30-year-old solicitor, relocated from New Zealand to Ireland last year and quickly found a sense of belonging.
Walsh’s family history connects him to Ringsend, Dublin, as his great-aunt and father emigrated from there to New Zealand in the 1970s. He first visited Ireland at age 16 after winning an essay contest and decided then to move someday.
After qualifying as a solicitor in New Zealand, Walsh moved to Dublin at 28, joining a wave of young New Zealanders seeking opportunities abroad. He found a house share in Ringsend, the same area his family left, through a Facebook group for New Zealanders in Ireland, and quickly integrated into a local social circle.
Walsh notes that Ireland has changed significantly since the 1970s, but he appreciates the career opportunities available in the legal field, particularly as the only English-speaking country in the EU post-Brexit. Now living in Cork with his girlfriend, a doctor, Walsh compares the city to Wellington in New Zealand. He observes that people in Cork, like those in Wellington, often emphasize their distinction from larger cities.
Despite an initial, romanticized view of Ireland being challenged by realities like winter weather and bureaucracy, Walsh feels he made the right decision to move and plans to stay long-term.
