“I always say that I feel like I have not emigrated to Ireland. I feel like I’m coming home,” says Emily O’Sullivan (52), who moved from her native Canada to Dublin in 2025.
O’Sullivan’s father is Irish and throughout her childhood her family would return to Ireland to spend Christmas and summer here. Her grandparents lived in Dún Laoghaire, where they had moved from Kiltoom, Co Roscommon. She speaks fondly about summers spent scraping barnacles off Dún Laoghaire pier and eating copious amounts of Teddy’s ice cream.
“I guess I’m just trying to convey that Ireland has a lot of really deep meaning for me.”
Though she was born and raised in Ontario, O’Sullivan says that her father never lost his taste for Irish produce, and she grew up drinking Barry’s tea and eating Irish rashers instead of American-style bacon. A penny whistle was also often brought out and played by her father during family gatherings.
READ MORE
Her father, a doctor who had studied at the Royal College of Surgeons, moved to Canada to do an internship and then met and fell in love with O’Sullivan’s mother.
After leaving school, O’Sullivan decided to train to be nurse. Initially she planned to complete her training in Canada but she then met some recruiters for nursing college in Australia on her campus and decided to finish up her degree there.
“I was very young, and it sounded like lots of fun,” she says. While she enjoyed her time in Australia, she returned to Canada after completing her studies.
O’Sullivan ended up specialising as a recovery room and cardiothoracic nurse (“hearts and lungs”, she explains). After qualifying she moved to London and worked at a hospital for a few years. While there, she had what she now refers to as a “light bulb moment” about the importance of technology in healthcare. Back in Toronto, she decided to go back to university to learn more about IT while she was working as a nurse at a teaching hospital. Eventually, she quit nursing to work in healthcare technology.
The decision to move to Ireland came about as she was offered a job to help with the Government’s national electronic health record implementation project.
“To be honest there’s nowhere else I would have moved at this stage in my game. I have done a lot of travelling over my life and over my career.”
While the move brought quite a few logistical hurdles, especially as she was moving with her cats, O’Sullivan says that she is treasuring the opportunity to spend more time with her family.
“I’ve just got cousins and cousins and cousins all over the place. So it’s really nice to be able to see them more regularly.”
Something that surprised O’Sullivan as she was preparing to move was the cost of housing, both renting and buying, in Dublin, which she says is markedly more expensive than it is in Canada. Despite her initial shock she did manage to find suitable accommodation in an area she likes.
“I really lucked out in terms of the place that I live. I live in a community that is full of kind people and neighbours. So I am delighted to say that I am friends with my neighbours now, which is really nice for brunches and hangouts and stuff like that.”
Another difference between Canada and Ireland that O’Sullivan has observed is how people are encouraged to cycle here. While she has always cycled, O’Sullivan got her bike through the Cycle To Work scheme, which offers people the chance to buy bikes tax free through their employers.
“We don’t have the Bike to Work scheme in Canada. I know part of that is to help relieve traffic, but it is also getting people healthier.”
In a bid to meet new people, O’Sullivan decided to join a few crochet clubs in Dublin. She taught herself to crochet during the Covid-19 lockdowns and is an avid crafter.
“I think the art scene is more significant here, if I’m being honest, especially for the size of the country.”
When asked if any parts of her move have been challenging, she said that it has been an overwhelmingly positive experience and that she has settled right in. One thing she has missed since moving, coming from a musical family, is her piano.
“Unfortunately, piano is not the most transportable instrument, but I have a piano on the way that I have ordered.”
[ ‘All these years in Dublin I have never had a driving licence and I never will’Opens in new window ]
Music remains a large part of her life as she attends weekly traditional music performances.
O’Sullivan says she is committed to living in Ireland long-term.
“I fully moved here. It’s amazing that I’ve got the Irish passport, that makes it a lot easier. I mean, I bought the piano. I brought my cats.”
For now she plans to spend her spare time exploring “every inch of Ireland” and has a long list of locations to tick off.
We would like to hear from people who have moved to Ireland in the past 10 years. To get involved, email [email protected] or send us two lines about yourself using the form below.
