People

‘I’ve been to Portugal, Spain, Italy, and I think Irish people make you feel more at home’

New to the Parish: Vanessa Ferreira arrived from Venezuela in 2018

Vanessa Ferreira with her dog Bambina. Photograph: Alan Betson

Shauna Bowers's face
Shauna Bowers
Tue Apr 11 2023 - 06:00

There is an international stereotype that Irish people are among the friendliest in the world. For Vanessa Ferreira, she saw this first hand when she injured herself while hiking in Glendalough in July 2021.

It was a summer day, but, as is often the case in Ireland, the weather turned very quickly, and she and her boyfriend were unprepared for the rain and cold.

“It started getting windy, rainy, it was getting cold, but we didn’t have anything. I just slipped. It wasn’t a big rock, I just tripped. My ankle – my boyfriend told me not to look at my ankle because it was just blue,” she says.

While waiting for the arrival of emergency services, Ferreira was without a coat and the weather continued to worsen. Thankfully, she says, three hikers passed by them.

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“They saw me and they gave me all of their jackets. They had the aluminium thing you put on when you’re cold so they gave me that. They left with no jackets, they gave them all to me. That was really nice of them,” she adds.

Ferreira, who grew up in Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, moved to Ireland in 2018. Her parents are Portuguese, but relocated to the South American country before Ferreira was born, as they sought a better life. Growing up in Venezuela was nice, she says, but crime and violence became more frequent after 2005.

My dad was coming home and, when he went to open the door, he saw three guys destroying our home

“There was a lot of crime there and people were always saying, ‘Let’s leave the country’. We never really considered that possibility but then, around 2010, it started getting really bad,” she says.

“In my parents’ work, they got robbed three times. Criminals entered the work and robbed them. Then I have family members who were kidnapped, so it was your normal day to day.”

The violence was so prevalent, that most people self-imposed a curfew, not leaving their homes after 6pm or 7pm in order to stay safe, she says. Unfortunately, however, homes were still sometimes attacked.

“My dad was coming home and, when he went to open the door, he saw three guys destroying our home. We were not there, it was only my dad. My mam, my sister and I were in Portugal at the time.

“They handcuffed him to the bed and they destroyed our place. But when we came back from the trip, seeing your room is a mess, that you know someone was there, you feel violated in a way. You know someone was in your stuff.”

[ 'Irish people accept other nationalities and races' ]

It finally reached a point at which Ferreira realised she could no longer continue to live in her home country.

“Listening about kidnappings, being robbed ourselves, it became too much. There was a lot of inflation as well; the money was worth nothing basically. I just had to cut my ties. It became unbearable,” she says.

Ferreira wanted to move to an English-speaking country. She considered Australia as she had family there, but quickly realised it would be arduous and expensive. As her parents were Portuguese, it meant travel in Europe was easier in terms of visa requirements.

As a result, she considered moving to the UK, but with the uncertainty around Brexit decided against it. Then she discovered Ireland.

“It seemed like a good choice. I did more research and I saw that the pharmaceutical industry here is quite good and booming,” she says.

“I didn’t have the big problems that other people would have in terms of visas or language. My mum was always very keen for my sister and me to learn English at a young age, so I was good at that. However, I did come to Ireland with an English school because I said I wanted to be more professional because I want to work there and I want to live there.”

The second place I lived wasn’t really nice. I didn’t like it at all. They had a really small kitchen and, in the same space the kitchen was, they had a shower

Being connected to the English language school was helpful, she says, though more for meeting new friends than for improving her proficiency in the language.

At first she lived with a host family, which she says was a great experience as they were very welcoming. The biggest challenge of moving to Ireland was when her time with the host family came to an end and she had to source her own rental accommodation.

“The second place I lived wasn’t really nice. I didn’t like it at all. I’m never going to make that mistake again. It was owner-occupied. I rented a room. They had a really small kitchen and, in the same space the kitchen was, they had a shower,” she says.

“It wasn’t great but my time with the host family had come to an end and it was the only place I had found.”

She stayed there for about six months, before finding alternative accommodation sharing a house with three other women she didn’t know.

“It was better because it was a full house, but then, I didn’t like it either because I’m really calm and I think my house is a place where I want to chill and not talk to anyone. Sometimes they would have friends over and I’d come downstairs on a Saturday morning and I see three guys sleeping in the livingroom,” she says.

“You don’t have privacy. I stayed there for like a year and after that, I said I couldn’t share any more. I found a flat in Terenure. It was a sh*tty flat and I was paying €900 but at least I was living on my own.”

I grew up with dogs. Coming here to Ireland, when you’re renting no places allow dogs and, of course, if you’re living in a room you can’t have a dog

Now she lives in north Co Dublin with her boyfriend, and she feels much more stable and secure. She also has two dogs, one of which has won an award, and who she posts regular updates of on Instagram.

“I grew up with dogs. Coming here to Ireland, when you’re renting no places allow dogs and, of course, if you’re living in a room you can’t have a dog. When I moved in with my boyfriend, we got a puppy from Dogs Trust. It’s so great.”

Despite the country’s housing issues, Ferreira thinks Ireland is a great place to live. It’s her home now.

“I think Ireland is a good country. I think the people are great. My family is Portuguese, and I’ve been to Portugal. I’ve been in Spain, I’ve been in Italy, and I think Irish people are so much more welcoming and better. They make you feel more at home.”

We would like to hear from people who have moved to Ireland in the recent past. To get involved, email newtotheparish@irishtimes.com or tweet @newtotheparish

New to the Parish