Today,  I’ll be chatting with Michael Barton who is a Regional Director at Invest Northern Ireland where he promotes Northern Ireland Trade and Investment opportunities here in Canada. Born in Antrim but reared in Greystones, County Wicklow, Michael and his then partner-now wife moved to Toronto in 2012 and haven’t looked back since. Michael speaks about their willingness to seek adventure in Canada as well as the difficulties getting settled in. They are raising their three year old son, Hudson, in the city and Michael speaks very honestly and positively about raising a child in such an urban environment, a typical issue for many an Irish emigrant in Toronto. This is a conversation typical of this podcast, loaded with very real, practical elements about what it means to be an Irish expat in Toronto, from finding work to changing careers to raising a family to maintaining strong bonds with home. I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.

We have a more unusual episode for you today. I’ll be chatting with Poppy Keogh from Wicklow who has been living in Canada for the past five years, spending her first two years in St. John’s, Newfoundland and the past three years in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Poppy and myself arrived in St. John’s in the same month, August 2019. However she remained a fictional character to me. Our mutual friend, Axelle, from France, did her best to introduce us but it was not to be as Poppy had other ideas about hanging out with Irish people. Through another mutual friend, Alex Dawe, from St. John’s, we were finally able to meet each other last summer on a camping trip in Cape Breton where I made Poppy promise she would do the podcast as her penance for ignoring me in Newfoundland all those years ago. Poppy is obviously not living in Toronto but this conversation is flush with references to being Irish in a different part of the world and Poppy has some unique insights into what it means to be Irish on the east coast of Canada. I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.

Today, I’ll be chatting with William Jenkins, Associate Professor in the Department of History at York University here in Toronto. I got to know William through his immense work with the Canadian Association of Irish Studies who have enabled me to present my own research at previous conferences and will do so again this June in Galway. In this chat, we discuss how William came from Clondalkin to Toronto, touring North America to scope out the most suitable PhD in 1995, ending up at the University of Toronto before moving to Vancouver and the University of British Columbia for his post doc before returning to Toronto and York University where he now, through his own pertinacity, teaches a course in Modern Irish History. Towards the end of our conversation, William discusses the typical emigrant’s challenge of living in two places at once. I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.

Today, I’ll be chatting with Emer Maguire. Emer is my colleague here in the Celtic Studies Program at the University of St. Michael’s College, having received an award from the Ireland Canada University Foundation to teach Irish in Toronto. Emer has been here since September 2023 and will be going back to Ireland before the beginning of the summer.  I wanted to get Emer on the podcast to chat as in contrast to most of my other guests so far, she has a definite end date on her time here in Toronto and may provide a different perspective. In this chat, we discuss Emer’s journey from Louth to Toronto, including a year as Fulbright Scholar at Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts. We discuss the importance of new experiences at a young age, the benefits and disadvantages of living in a city as large as Toronto and the challenges which every emigrant faces such as being far away from a loved one who may be unwell. Emer was extremely candid during our chat and I appreciate her for that. I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.

Today, I’ll be speaking with Bill Jermyn. Bill came to Toronto forty years ago having grown up in West Cork and studying at Trinity College Dublin. We speak about a number of topics in our chat including the decision to move him and his family to Toronto, being a Protestant in the Republic of Ireland and the Wider Horizon programme with which Bill worked over the years, helping disadvantaged youths from the Falls Road, Shankill and Tallaght to settle in Canada. To hear more about Bill’s pursuits, I would recommend buying his wonderful memoir: Only Dead Fish Swim with the Current; https://www.amazon.ca/Only-Dead-Fish-Swim-Current/dp/1738961907I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.

Clár i nGaeilge ina labhraím leis na teagascóirí ICUF (Ireland Canada University Foundation) don bhliain 2023/24: Clíodhna Ní Chorráin - University of Ottawa Gearóid Ó Treasaigh - St. Thomas' University, Fredericton, New Brunswick Helena Ní Rocháin - University of Alberta Cathal Ó Néill - Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Emer Maguire - University of St. Michael's College, Toronto, Ontario

Today, I’ll be speaking with Tracey Lyng, Secretary of Toronto GAA. It is not only the GAA with which Tracey volunteers, she also sits on the board of ICAN, the Irish Canadian Immigration Center as well as volunteering for a committee which helps resettle refugees here in Toronto. Tracey immigrated to Toronto thirteen years ago and has had many various roles within the Irish community in the city. Tracey speaks about her life in Cavan and how she feels about potentially moving back to Ireland someday, but not right now. I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.

Today, I’ll be speaking with Eddie Moley, Chairperson of Toronto GAA. Being two big GAA men, you would assume we would talk about nothing but hurling and football. This conversation goes a lot deeper than that, however. Eddie speaks candidly about why he came to Toronto in 2012, leaving behind a cycle of addiction to alcohol and drugs only for that cycle to follow him to this side of the Atlantic as well. I am extremely grateful to Eddie for his honesty in this conversation. It is something that people are unfortunately not too keen on speaking about and I hope that Eddie’s sincerity can help at least one person. We do get around to talking about the role of the GAA here in Toronto and what Eddie envisions for the future. Be sure to stick around for the end of the conversation when Eddie speaks honestly once again on the topic of surrogacy and how living in Canada has really helped him and his wife, Gráinne. I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.

In this episode, Lauren tells us about how she first began coming to Canada as a child in the summertime to visit family who had moved here before permanently relocating here after finishing her university degree. Unlike many previous guests on this podcast, Lauren emigrated to Canada with her parents and her sister, as well as her then boyfriend, now husband, Brian. I had the privilege of attending the wedding of Lauren and Brian in August of last year and although it took place in a barn in rural Ontario, I felt like I was in the heart of West Belfast. As you will hear during the episode, Lauren and Brian’s dog, Millie, becomes the star of the show. Upset at not receiving the attention she deserves, she rightfully plants herself in the middle of myself and Lauren, demanding that we instantly stop ignoring her and play a game of tug. Brian is forced to remove her, not once but twice from the room. I was going to remove all of this but I think that would be unfair to Millie, she is the center of attention in the Curran household. Lauren is a Registered Psychotherapist here in Canada and we speak a lot about the different approaches to mental health in Ireland and in Canada. I am sure this particular part of the conversation will be of great help to a lot of people.  I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.

How I came across Elizabeth is a little bit more unusual than most of the guests on this podcast. I run most mornings and I like to run on the Lakeshore here in Toronto. Elizabeth works as a crossing guard some mornings on Bathurst and Queen’s Quay. I got stuck waiting on a red light there a few times and began chatting with Elizabeth, she recognised my Irish accent and we immediately hit it off. This began to happen a bit more regularly and as I got to know her better, I knew she would be a great guest to share her story of being Irish in Toronto. I want to thank Elizabeth for being so honest. Her story is a unique one filled with happiness and of course, moments of sadness. As you heard in the introduction, coming to Toronto provided Elizabeth with a sense of freedom that was taken from her in Ireland and in England. I think you will really enjoy the conversation. I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.

Today, I’ll be chatting with Jack Armstrong. Jack has an interesting relationship with Ireland. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, both of his parents were immigrants from the west of Ireland. Jack speaks about how this shaped his identity growing up in New York. He also speaks of his Irish identity in Toronto. Jack is currently an NBA analyst for TSN and the on-air in-game broadcaster for the Toronto Raptors and has been since 1998. Consequently, Jack was afforded the opportunity to be honoured as the Grand Marshal of the Toronto St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2023. It was in Quinn’s Pub on Richmond St. after the parade where I met Jack. He is a genuinely sound person and I am delighted he agreed to take time out of his schedule during the season to have this chat with me. I hope you enjoy it. I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it.

I would still encourage people to download the episodes and to share them with friends and family. Downloads are the easiest indicator for me to gauge how many people I am reaching with these conversations so I would really appreciate it. Robert arrived in Toronto in 1979 not knowing how life would pan out for him. With a degree in Archaeology and Greek and Roman Civilization from UCD, he could scarcely have imagined that he would find and become President of his own insurance firm; Kearns Insurance Corporation. What drew me to Robert was his incessant work with the Irish community in Toronto, especially the Ireland Fund of Canada from 1980-2004, serving as its Chair from 1989-1992. Along with being a Director of the America Ireland Fund, he is also a Founding Director of the Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce and remains a member to this day. In terms of my own work at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto, Robert  served as Chairman of the Campaign for Celtic Studies and is an Honorary Fellow of the university. At the moment, Robert is the Chair and founder of the  Canada Ireland Foundation, which created Ireland Park and Grasett Park in Toronto, and is now in the midst of developing The Corleck, a new arts, culture and heritage venue set to open soon on Toronto's waterfront.

Today, I’ll be chatting with Danielle Olivierre and Casey Egan, better known as Girlies in the 6ix. Two best friends from Dublin with two very different stories. Brought together as teenagers thanks to their shared love of Canadian Justin Bieber, it is only fitting that their stories have led them to Toronto where they have established Girlies in the 6ix, a community for ladies in Toronto to make friends, meet up and connect. The link for the Instagram page of Girlies in the 6ix is in the description of this episode. Danielle and Casey are doing a fantastic job of making it easier for women in Toronto to make friends, something that isn’t always as easy after moving to a big city. They are full of energy and barely let me get a word in during our chat! I’m sure you will enjoy how enthusiastic they are about their friendship for each other and about their roles in helping women make friends in Toronto.  Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/girliesinthe6ix/

Today, I’ll be chatting with Gemma Healy-Murphy. Born and raised in Tralee, County Kerry, Gemma came to Toronto in 2011 with her then boyfriend, now husband, Barry. Gemma is a litigator at McMillan LLP. She sits on the board of I/CAN, the Irish Canadian Immigration Centre and she is a founder of the Canada Ireland Bar Association. Herself and Barry are also raising two young children here in Toronto. Clearly, she is a busy woman and someone I found very difficult to track down but was delighted that we finally did get to sit down and have a chat. She even brought a few Irish treats for us to enjoy and I thank her for that.

Today, I’ll be chatting with Erin and Paul Loughnane. They are both driving forces of the St. Mike’s club here in the city, playing a massive role in playing and coaching over the past 20 to 30 years. Erin and Paul were both born in Canada but have become immersed in the GAA scene here in Toronto. In this chat, we talk about their different relationships with Ireland, their journeys to becoming prominent football and camogie players in Toronto and the importance of developing home grown talent in Toronto. Stay listening till the end of the conversation where Paul tells us where he got the nickname ‘Horse’ and he discusses his time playing football in Cork where he played wing back on a Castlehaven team which won the Cork Senior Football Championship in 2003. Not many Canadians can say that!

Today, I’ll be chatting with Hugo Straney. Hugo is the voice of the Irish community here in Canada and has been since he began hosting his own show on CHIN Radio back in 1988.I would say that Hugo is the most ubiquitous Irish person in Toronto. He shows up everywhere, from commentating on the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the GAA finals to hosting the Toronto Rose of Tralee and his own radio show every Sunday morning at 10am, he has done it all. An energetic and engaging person, Hugo has been providing a link to home for the many of the Irish community here in Canada for over thirty years. On a personal level, the fascinating conversations he has on his radio show inspired me to initially put together this podcast so I would like to thank him for that. His journey from Belfast to Toronto as a teenager in the 1970s is a fascinating one and I know you’ll enjoy it.

Today, I’ll be chatting with Cathy Murphy. Cathy is the Executive Director at I/CAN, the Irish Canadian Immigration Centre. Cathy is one of the most prominent and visible people in the Irish community here in Toronto. In this chat, we discuss her role as the inaugural Executive Director of I/CAN and how she has helped thousands of Irish emigrants each year since the establishment of the Immigration Centre in 2011. What she does for the Irish in Canada is invaluable.

Today, I’ll be chatting with Michael Barry. Born and raised in North Belfast, Michael has been in Toronto for over three decades. Michael is the co-founder of the Toronto Irish Film Festival, an event which takes place at the beginning of March each year and has become consolidated in the film festival calendar in a city which is famous for its film festivals. He now manages the successful website, irishfilmtv.com which is an unbelievable resource for Irish film and tv news. Michael discusses these endeavors in our chat and he also explains why he left Belfast for Toronto and how being Irish has shaped his life here in Canada.There are a number of acronyms we use throughout our chat and I’ll share them with you now in case you are not familiar with them. TIFF stands for Toronto International Film Festival, the world-famous festival which takes place in Toronto in September each year. TIRFF stands for Toronto Irish Film Festival which was co-founded by our guest today, Michael Barry.

Today, I’ll be chatting with Gréagóir Ó Dáire. Born and raised in Mississauga, Ontario with Irish and Scottish ancestry, Greg enrolled in the Celtic Studies Programme at the University of St. Michael’s College in 2009 and this has had a profound impact on his life. Following a PhD at Harvard, Greg now works as a Senior Lecturer in Irish Studies at Uppsala University in Sweden. I was lucky to catch Greg on one of his trips home last summer and he was willing to come to my office where we chatted about his journey with the Irish language and how his Irish identity has shaped his life. Greg and I have only ever communicated in Irish and consequently this episode will be in Irish. Greg is a wonderful example of how intrinsic motivation can contribute to anyone learning a language to a massively high level of proficiency regardless of geographical isolation Bainigí taitneamh as an gcomhrá.

Today, I’ll be chatting with Paul Farrelly. Born and raised in Meath, Paul has been in Toronto since 1972. Paul is a frequent visitor to my office at the University of St. Michael’s College and we were having so many great chats about his life here in Toronto that it only made sense to record at least one of our conversations. Paul talks about how the Irish arts scene in Toronto made it feel easy for him to settle in Canada. In particular, he has worked with the Irish Arts Council and the Toronto Irish Players. For almost ten years, Paul served as the Executive Director for the Ireland Fund of Canada and he provides an interesting insight into his work here as well.