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Kitty Leyden, left, celebrates her 70th birthday in Tulla. All of Kitty's eight children left Ireland in the 1980s, seeking jobs abroad. Today, three of her children have returned, including Kevin, right, who has started his own contracting business.
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One of the most striking consequences of the turnabout in the Irish economy is the reversal of a centuries-long emigration trend. For decades, more people were leaving Ireland than were arriving. But starting in the mid-1990s, the number of foreign-born in Ireland began to grow, doubling between April 1996 and April 2005 to 6.3 percent of the total population. Not only are Ireland's children returning home from all over the globe, but other immigrants are taking their chances on finding their pot of gold at the end of an Irish rainbow.
Poland has sent more immigrants to Ireland than any other country. Most of the Polish immigrants take low-skilled work, and there are some tensions between Irish low-income workers and the immigrants who may compete for their jobs. Additionally, there is concern that the exploding economy will include exploitation of poor immigrants. In contrast, there is a steady influx of educated Irish and Irish Americans, many with science or technological skills. High-tech workers from as far away as India are campaigning for easier access to immigration to Ireland. In the past, the Republic's geographic isolation and low-performing economy insulated it from migration trends experienced in other European countries that led to ethnic and religious divisions and tensions. As in many other areas, Ireland is catching up fast.
Credit: Ronan Fox
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Briefing
Read about the lifestyles of the "Full-On" nation in this excerpt from the book, THE POPE'S CHILDREN.
Handbook
Learn about the past, present and future of North-South economic ties.
Filmmaker Notes
Go behind the scenes with the program creators.
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