Polish minority in the Republic of Ireland

Poles in Ireland
Polacy w Irlandii
Total population
(122,585
(2.7% of total population) (2011))
Regions with significant populations
All over Ireland, especially Limerick, Dublin, Portlaoise, Cork, Waterford and Galway.
Languages
Polish, English
Religion
Roman Catholicism
A Polish shop in Dublin

The Polish minority in the Republic of Ireland numbered approximately 122,585 (2.7% of the population) according to 2011 census figures,[1] making it the largest minority in the country.

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] During the 2007 Polish general election, Polish parties campaigned in Ireland and three voting locations were set up; in Dublin, Cork, and Limerick.[3]

Since the 2008 economic downturn, the number of Polish people in Ireland has declined,[4] with some reports suggesting that 30,000 were leaving Ireland per year,[5] and the Central Statistics Office reporting a decrease in the number of Polish people applying for PPS numbers.[6]

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.[7] In 2006, the Polish government announced their intention to open a Polish school in Dublin, offering the opportunity for students to follow the Polish national curriculum,[8] assuming they intend to return to Poland to live.

The large number of Poles in Ireland led to the provision of a number of media outlets catering to them. Newspapers: "Nasz Glos" The Free Polish Weekly distributed across Ireland ng24.ie, Polska Gazeta[9] 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).[10]

Online media in Ireland:


See also

References

  1. ↑ Census 2011 p. 33
  2. ↑ "New Irish jobsite a hit in Poland". RTE.ie. 19 May 2004. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  3. ↑ "Polish opposition party campaigns in Ireland". RTE.ie. 30 September 2007. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  4. ↑ "Up to 1,300 Polish people leaving Ireland every week". Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "Poles flee ailing Irish economy". Independent.ie. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  6. ↑ CSO - Foreign Nationals: PPSN Allocations, Employment and Social Welfare Activity - 2009
  7. ↑ "State Examination Commission - Examination Information". Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  8. ↑ Irish Times - Polish school to open in Dublin
  9. ↑ "Polska Gazeta - NAJWIĘKSZY POLSKI TYGODNIK W IRLANDII OD 2005 ROKU". Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "Polish language TV helping Ireland’s fastest growing immigrant group feel at home". Retrieved 25 April 2015.
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