Polish minority in the Republic of Ireland

The Polish minority in the Republic of Ireland numbered approximately 122,515 (2.57% of the population) according to 2016 census figures.[1]

Poles in Ireland
Polacy w Irlandii
Total population
122,515
(2.57% of total population) (2016)
Regions with significant populations
All over Ireland, especially Limerick, Dublin, Portlaoise, Cork, Waterford and Galway.
Languages
Polish, English
A Polish shop in Dublin

History
Chart tracking the number of Polish applicants for Irish PPS numbers between 2001 and 2010

After Poland joined the European Union in May 2004, Ireland was one of just three existing EU members to open its borders and welcome Polish workers (the others being the United Kingdom and Sweden). Ireland quickly became a key destination for Poles wishing to work outside the country; in 2004 a website advertising Irish jobs in Polish received over 170,000 hits in its first day.[2]

In the period immediately following the 2008 economic downturn, the number of Polish people in Ireland declined,[3] with some reports suggesting that 30,000 were leaving Ireland per year,[4] and the Central Statistics Office reporting a decrease in the number of Polish people applying for PPS numbers.[5]

Election poster for Paweł Skutecki in O’Connell Street, Dublin in 2019

Polish people living in Ireland can vote in Polish elections. On Election Day there are special ballot stations provided in Belfast, Cork, and Limerick as well as in the country's embassy in Dublin. Consequently Polish political parties campaign in Ireland for electoral support.[6][7]

Language and media

Polish, although not officially an established subject, can be taken as part of the Irish Leaving Certificate examination as is the case with all official languages of the European Union. The exam used is based on the paper of the European Baccalaureate.[8] The biggest Polish umbrella organization is Polish Educational Society in Ireland (PESI), a non-profit organisation established in 2012.[9] PESI sponsors Polish supplementary schools in Ireland and widely cooperates with Polish government bodies and organisations working for the maintenance and promotion of Polish language abroad.

The large number of Poles in Ireland led to the provision of a number of media outlets catering to them. Newspapers: "Nasz Glos" (Our Voice) is a Polish weekly freesheet distributed across Ireland;[10] Polska Gazeta[11] and a section in Dublin's Evening Herald entitled "Polski Herald". Dublin cable television channel, City Channel, also features a programme aimed at Poles in Ireland entitled Oto Polska (This is Poland).[12]

Other online media in Ireland:

  • www.gazeta.ie - the largest website of Polish community in Dublin area
  • www.ng24.ie - the official website of "Nasz Głos" The Free Polish Weekly
  • Galway.pl - the largest website of Polish community in the West of Ireland
  • Nadajemy.ie - the biggest social networking website for Polish people in Ireland
  • Mycork.org - the first Polish forum in Ireland and website of Polish community in Cork
  • Polish-chaplaincy.ie - a website of Polish chaplaincy in Dublin
  • Polish Lutherans - a website of Polish Lutherans in Ireland
  • ABC EduLibrary- Polish library in Cork (not only for Polish!)
  • Together-Razem Centre - the first Polish charity in Ireland website

Notable people

See also

References
  1. Census 2016 Archived April 20, 2017, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "New Irish jobsite a hit in Poland". RTÉ.ie. 19 May 2004. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  3. "Up to 1,300 Polish people leaving Ireland every week". Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  4. "Poles flee ailing Irish economy". Independent.ie. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  5. CSO - Foreign Nationals: PPSN Allocations, Employment and Social Welfare Activity - 2009
  6. "Polish opposition party campaigns in Ireland". RTE. Dublin, Ireland. 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  7. "Polish opposition party campaigns in Ireland". BBC. Belfast, Northern Ireland. 2010-06-16. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  8. "State Examination Commission - Examination Information". Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  9. http://www.polskamacierz.com/english.html
  10. http://www.ng24.ie
  11. "Polska Gazeta - NAJWIĘKSZY POLSKI TYGODNIK W IRLANDII OD 2005 ROKU". Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  12. "Polish language TV helping Ireland's fastest growing immigrant group feel at home". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
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