How the Irish in the UK feel Brexit will impact them.
The world woke up on Friday morning to the huge news that the UK has voted to leave the European Union, with one thought quickly surging through the minds of many people; how will this impact my life?
With millions of Irish people living and working in the UK, particularly in London, JOE reached out to some of those folk to get their feedback on a truly historic vote.
The response has been strong and passionate.
Fiachra Tierney
County: Galway
Currently living in: Belfast, since September 2015
Occupation: Student (Environmental Engineering)
Passport: Irish
I voted remain and was shocked by the result when I woke up this morning. I’m hoping to work in the UK after I graduate, but Brexit will definitely have a negative impact on my job prospects.
Many of the jobs I will be qualified for exist as a result of environmental legislation which comes from Europe, and I’m worried that these directives may be repealed or replaced in the near future.
Naomi O’Connell
County: Cork
Currently living in: London, since August 2013
Occupation: Nurse
Passport: Irish
I’ve literally just finished my training as a paediatric nurse and have a job lined up to start in London in October.I looked forward to getting great experience in the hospital I have a job in and now I’m unsure as to whether or not I can even stay in the near future. My long-term plan has been thrown completely.I’d love to stay in the UK but the uncertainty is daunting. It really is upsetting.
Declan Cashin
County: Kilkenny
Currently living in: Peckham, London, for six years
Occupation: Journalist
Passport: Irish
My initial reaction is surprise, but not shock. London was always going to vote remain, but this was always to be won and lost in the regions of England.
I’m not worried – now anyway – about my status in the UK and being able to stay here. My big concern is that the economy is hit and suddenly work becomes harder to come by. London is usually pretty immune to any major economic shocks but, as with lots of things about Brexit, there are just so many unknowns about what happens next.
To be honest, the whole referendum has baffled me. I felt fairly detached from it – because I’m not British and also because I was always going to vote Remain – but I’ve found it really depressing how the tone of the campaign became so nasty.
Everyone is so glum today about the result – Farage aside, you don’t even really see a lot of Leave supporters bragging about the win. It’s like nobody is happy with the result. It’s just a total mess that we’ve all ended up with.
Robin Gill
County: Dublin
Currently living in: London. Has been in Oxford and London on and off since 1999.
Occupation: Restaurateur (UK Chef of the Year)
Passport: Irish
I’m completely shocked with the result. Walking around London over the few days, everybody I saw seemed to be supporting the remain side. Every Irish person I talked to certainly was going that way.
I don’t think trade between businesses internationally will be too impacted, as the UK won’t want to sever their commercial ties, but it will have a big impact in other areas. They’re talking about this taking the best part of two years to implement, but I get the feeling that those planning to move to the UK in the meantime will feel very welcome, including the Irish.
In my restaurants, I hire people from various nationalities and it is one of the great strengths of the team, to benefit from the skills of those from other countries and cultures.
The result has definitely shocked me.
Luke McEvoy
County: Derry
Currently living in: London
Occupation: 5th year medical student
Passport: Irish
As a student in London I was right in the middle of the Remain bubble.
That said, watching the fallout, I’m having a hard time accepting that we were the ignorant ones. My university gets more EU research funding than any other in Europe; the students, doctors and staff I work with come from every corner of the continent; and less than a mile down the road I can get a train to Paris with the level of admin of ordering a pizza.
At uni I’ve met people from places I didn’t know existed, with unique stories, unique outlooks, names I’ll never be able to pronounce with my Nordy accent and an openness to travelling and meeting new people that you don’t get from shutting yourself off to the world.
I feel massively let down by the Leave voters, but it’s hard not to feel sorry for them, that they have been misled by politicians who will never feel the same effects as the people they manipulated.
Next year I have to choose the area I might end up working in for the rest of my life, and now I don’t even know what bits of the UK will be left by 2017. Meanwhile, A&Es are already closing, junior docs are already emigrating and the NHS-funding promises of the Leave campaign were dismissed as soon as the vote was won.
Back home in Derry, I worry that the splitting of the vote down tribal lines and early talk of a border poll could very quickly undo decades of political bridge-building and bring about an end to the stability we’ve worked so hard to enjoy.
Shaunagh Mulhern
County: Kildare
Currently living in: East London, since 2014.
Occupation: Digital Advertising
Passport: Irish (Born in the UK, so also entitled to British passport)
At this point in time, I’m not inclined to leave the UK after Brexit. I am originally from Leixlip, Kildare and I have been living in the UK for 2 years. I own an Irish passport, however, I was born in the UK, so I am entitled to a UK passport should I wish.
I am an Irish person working in Digital Advertising for a leading gaming ad sales house. Our company believes in a meritocracy in the workplace, our team is made up of intelligent individuals from all over the world. It will be very interesting to see how Brexit will affect work forces across our industry in the months and years to come.
Brexit has impacted me personally as it has caused concerns surrounding the growth of my industry here in the UK.
It’s an unsure time for anyone working in digital advertising in the UK.
Kevin Beirne
County: Dublin
Currently living in: London, since August 2014.
Occupation: Journalist
Passport: Irish
To be honest, it’s really impacted how I view the UK and whether or not I am willing to stick around.
I’ve had my doubts about staying here long-term already, but now with the way the value of the sterling has fallen off a cliff, there’s not even a massive economic incentive for me to say in the UK. I know there will be plenty who feel the same – especially non-Irish immigrants who might not be able to blend in as easily.
I honestly don’t know what I’ll do next. At least when I came to the UK it felt like a step forward. Moving back to Ireland would feel like a weird step back even though it might be a better move for me. I really don’t know.
But the Leave side won on an anti-immigration message, and as an immigrant I need to be aware of that.
Katie Tobin
County: Cork
Currently living in: London, since 2012.
Occupation: Meteorologist
Passport: Irish
It saddens me that the UK chose to leave the EU.
I voted to remain and I think it’ll impact me negatively both from a financial and social standpoint. I live in London and have been in the UK for almost 4 years now, currently working as a meteorologist.
Financially, I’ll be worse off when it comes to seeing my family as flights will inevitably become more expensive. Also, Sterling took a big hit in the currency markets so it’ll be more expensive for me to go home.
My boyfriend is English and so it could potentially cause us more hassle if we want to travel because he may need visas and everything else that comes with breaking away from the free movement of people inside the EU.
Colm Rainey
County: Derry
Currently living in: London
Occupation: Investment Banker
Passport: Irish
There’s palpable shock in London – but then cosmopolitan, commercial, ‘multi-cultural’ London was always going to be a Remain.
A narrow result such as this is as unfortunate as it is divisive. There has been an abject failure of political leadership. Many in non-London UK feel a complete disconnect from London’s political-‘elite’ and relative wealth. They view the EU as, at best, an irrelevance, or, worse, part of the reason for their difficulties.
Leave went big on immigration. In places where that is a concern, voters just got labelled racist by Remain – recall Gordon Brown calling a voter a ‘bigot’ for questioning him on immigration. The concerns should have been addressed directly and the huge benefits of immigration explained rationally.
Surely everyone accepts that in the UK you cannot get a coffee or a triple heart bypass without immigration? Fuelled by some Press, those marginalised voters registered their protest in the privacy of the polling booth.
Both campaigns were about personalities rather than fact and both need to shoulder some blame for the state we are in.
The ramifications are massive. Not even known yet, but definitely massive. Ireland North and South will have difficulties. The politics of the North, where Remain dominated, are as tricky as the new economics. The UK could fall apart. It could even be the death-knell for the EU itself.
Maybe we need to have this referendum ‘Irish-style’ – ie have it again until we get a different answer. It’ll take time for the outcome to be known, but years of uncertainty are not good for investment decisions and associated jobs.
The only place hiring for the moment is the Irish Passport Office! Over time it could be a positive for southern Ireland if firms relocate there in order to be within the EU.
Geoff Coleman
County: Dublin
Currently living in: London, since 2014
Occupation: Recruitment
Passport: Irish
Following the result, I am disappointed the UK has decided to leave. I am a Dublin native and I hold an Irish passport and have lived here for two years in London. The result would, as a gut reaction, be to not rule out leaving in the future.However, while living and working for a UK company, my recruitment markets are outside the UK, focusing on the wider European market. We have in the last 18 months established a Dutch registered company and US one also, so the future may be abroad for me longer term.Free movement of labour is an important element of the EU as an international recruiter and I am sure the effects will be seen as other countries react to this result with further dissolution of the EU.Quite disheartening both about the campaign and result, but democracy prevails. Life goes on!
Killian Walsh
County: Meath
Currently living in: London, for a year-and-a-half
Occupation: Performance analyst
There was no doubt in my mind about a Remain result so it was a huge shock this morning when I woke up to the news. The campaign was poorly run by both sides but to have a side run by Boris and Farage win is an utter disaster and rightly reflects poorly on the UK.Setting the economics and inevitable job losses to one side, one of the things which makes London such a great city to live in is its diversity so it is incredibly disappointing to see that being put at risk by some people’s irrational immigration fears and general EU scaremongering.From an Irish perspective I’m keeping my optimist hat on it and believe that Ireland and the UK will come to a agreement so that the Irish here can continue to work and live in the UK as before. It’s a country which provides so many opportunities so close to home and my biggest single fear is that Boris doesn’t fully appreciate the importance of that link between our countries.At the end of the day, I’m just disappointed that the UK decided to run away from their problems with the EU as opposed to facing them head on to try and help the continent to thrive.
Clare Kileen
County: Kerry
Currently living in: London, since August 2013
Occupation: Charity Programmes Coordinator
My initial reaction was one of shock.
I knew it would be very close but thought after the murder of Jo Cox the anti-EU feeling would die down. Half of my friends here are European and although London voted remain, people are feeling upset, some even saying having Farage’s side win makes them feel unsafe.
It feels like a real shift in feeling is happening. London has started to feel like home, but today I’m aware of not being a citizen and wonder how things are going to change.
I’m also worried about what will happen with the 12 women a day who travel from Ireland to access abortion. Everything is just very uncertain.
Two blatant themes have emerged from this referendum; young Irish professionals in England have appeared to unanimously voted in favour to remain and this same group now seriously fear for their future in the UK.
If you are similarly impacted by the above, be sure to tell us your story by getting in touch to our WhatsApp number 087-4001102, editorial@JOE.ie or by hitting us up on Facebook or Twitter.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
