Had enough of searching high and low for Barry’s tea and Tayto crisps? Or perhaps you know an Irish person abroad who’s longing to come home? A €30,000 relocation package courtesy of Currency Fair will make an Irish expat’s dreams come true this year.
The Come Home Competition is the brainchild of Currency Fair and Irish comedian Jarlath Regan (of the hugely popular Irishman Abroad podcast). We spoke to Jarlath to find out how the competition came about. He told us the cost of returning home is a problem that’s cropped up time and again across 300 plus episodes of his podcast. The competition was “a lightbulb moment” between himself & Currency Fair, sponsors of the Irishman Abroad.
Furthermore, Jarlath describes his amazement at realising how quickly those relocation costs can stack up. During interviews with Irish expats for his podcast, he discovered that the bill for shipping, flights, rent, car insurance and other expenses can reach as much as €50,000. He feels it’s a shame there’s no push from government to help people who want to come home.
In addition, currently living in London, it’s not a problem that has affected Jarlath personally – yet. But he wants his son to attend secondary school in Ireland, so he’s aware that he needs an exit strategy. “Ireland is a country you never really leave,” he says. He’s very familiar with the recurring questions asked of Irish emigrants who come home for Christmas. “When did you get home, when are you heading back, when are you coming home for good...”
Irish heritage is very important to Irish people living abroad, Jarlath says; much more than it is to people living in Ireland. He’s a fan of Irish myth and legends, which he likens to the stories from Marvel Universe. Passing on his Irish heritage is important, so he explores Irish mythology with his son. As a comedian, he’s very aware of the need to keep telling stories in order to keep them alive.
Jarlath is proud to be associated with the competition. As one of the three judges, he’s excited at the prospect of giving away such a huge sum of money. The other two judges are Irish Youtube sensation, Clisare, and the author of Irish Around Oz, Stephan Palmer.
Who wouldn’t miss this? You can’t beat good old Ireland for a bit of scenery
So, how can you get your hands on that €30,000? It’s simple really, all you need to do is share your story of what home means to you and why the time is right to return to Ireland. We Irish love an old story, and we’re not bad at spinning a yarn – so get your thinking hats on because the standard is likely to be fairly high.
So far there has been an “an insane response” with entries flooding in. The more creative the better, according to Jarlath. You could do spoken word, drama, dance, a piece to camera or any crazy idea that pops into your head. Using pictures or videos to jazz up your story is probably a good idea – you don’t want to bore the judges. Closing date for the Come Home competition is 31st August.
Currency Fair have been very good at helping Irish people over the years, according to Jarlath. In fact, their business started from helping Irish people. They offer better exchange rates and lower bank charges to people who need to transfer their money. He thinks it’s fitting that Currency Fair are now helping someone to move home, since they have helped lots of Irish people to move away over the years.
What are you waiting for? If you’re not in, you can’t win – so enter the Come Home competition
