Emigre Project
About the Project
Overview
In recent years, Ireland has experienced a marked increase in emigration. As part of a University College Cork project entitled ‘Current Irish EMIGration and REturn’ (referred to as ‘Emigre’ for short), we aimed to discover why people are emigrating from Ireland today. We also wanted to examine the impact recent emigration was having on the Irish abroad and on the families and communities they have left behind them.
Methodology
As part of the EMIGRE Project, we have carried out 22 household surveys in a number of rural areas, provincial towns, suburbs and cities across Ireland, visiting 17 counties in the process. Approximately 1,500 Irish people living abroad also filled out our online emigrant survey. As a result, we have built up a large body of statistics that will help us to present an informed picture of recent Irish emigration.
Statistics alone do not, however, tell the full human story. For that reason, we also carried out interviews with emigrants living abroad. We wanted to use emigrants’ own personal histories, alongside our large body of data, to illustrate some of the issues they can encounter when moving to a new country.
Outcomes
Our findings will be released in a lengthy report in late September 2013 that will be made freely available to the public on our website. Several academic articles will also subsequently be published about the results of the project.
Instiutional Support and Funding
This twelve-month project is being carried out at the Department of Geography and the Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century (ISS21) in University College Cork and is funded by the Irish Research Council.
Project Description
This project will profile contemporary emigrants using data drawn from the new Small Area (SA) Population Statistics developed for the 2011 Census. A population sample is being constructed, based on a series of rural and urban SAs and differentiated by socio-economic and educational background. A detailed profile of emigrants, supplemented by interviews, will be developed, focusing on destination, occupation and stated intention to return.
For more information, see this Irish Times article on the the project.
Goals
We are trying to discover:
1. Who is leaving Ireland today;
2. Why are people departing;
3. Where are they going;
4. Do they intend to return to Ireland in the future;
5. What impact is current emigration is having on Irish society; and
6. How does current emigration compare to previous decades, such as the 1980s?
Our findings will be disseminated in a lengthy report in September 2013 that will be made freely available to the public online, a conference or webinar on the topic that the public and emigrants will be able to listen and contribute to online, and several academic articles to be published in various peer-reviewed journals. It is also expected that the project will serve as a test-bed and a precursor to a comparative EU study.
Working Abroad Expo Survey
These preliminary results are based on a survey undertaken at the Working Abroad Expo in Dublin on 2/3 March and Cork on 6 March 2012. The survey was carried out by members of the Emigre team, funded by the Irish Research Council and based at the Department of Geography and the Institute for Social Sciences in the 21st Century (ISS21) at University College Cork. The team consists of Dr Irial Glynn, Dr Piaras Mac Éinrí (Principal Investigator) and Tomás Kelly. In all, 527 questionnaires were returned.
Preliminary Results
The preliminary results as illustrated in the graphi above are as follows.
1. What is your main reason for thinking of moving abroad?
| Answer | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| To gain job experience | 94 | 18% |
| To find a job | 290 | 55% |
| To travel | 47 | 9% |
| To experience another culture | 42 | 8% |
| Other | 54 | 10% |