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Mulți dintre membrii comunității de români din Newry, o comunitate mică dar în creștere, se adună în fiecare weekend la Altnaveigh House pentru slujba de la biserică. Aceștia sunt o congregație a Bisericii Române Penticostale și, precum în cazul altor religii, muzica are un rol foarte important în cadrul slujbelor.
Biserica, singura din Newry în momentul de față care oferă slujbe dedicate românilor, funcționează aici de patru luni, iar numărul enoriașilor este în creștere. Biserica este condusă de preotul Gaspar Covaciu. Acesta este în slujba Domnului de 20 de ani, continuându-și profesia atunci când a ajuns în Newry, cu trei ani în urmă.
“Oamenii care vin aici, familiile, nu au parte de beneficii, de nimic, și încercăm să îi ajutăm”, a declarat preotul Gaspar. “Dar nu este suficient spațiu. Avem nevoie de o locație mai mare pentru că numărul celor care vin este în creștere.”
Stugureu Lovaciu, un interpret al preotului, a declarat că biserica este o locație vitală pentru romanii din zona orașului Newry, numărul acestora deși mic, fiind în continuă creștere.
“Majoritatea românilor, aproximativ 90%, sunt creștini”, precizează acesta. “Biserica îi ajută pe toți și de aceea numărul nostru este în creștere aici.”
Stugureu a declarat că mulți români și-au părăsit țara natală din cauza lipsei banilor și a medicamentelor. Precum majoritatea imigranților, au venit aici în căutarea unei vieți mai bune.
Deși acesta recunoaște că bariera lingvistică reprezintă o mare dificultate, el spune că simte a sa comunitate integrată și primită cu brațele deschise de oamenii din Newry. “Oamenii sunt prietenoși”, spune acesta. “Întâmpin foarte puțin rasism. Este bine aici.”
Florin Covaciu, un adolescent membru al bisericii, declară că biserica și credința lui sunt de foarte mare importanță pentru el. “Biserica este importantă pentru că toată lumea Îl iubește pe Dumnezeu și toți avem nevoie de el”, a precizat el. “Ne întâlnim cu toții, cu familiile noastre, și cântăm împreună, ceea ce este important. Cântatul este minunat.”
El a adăugat: “Suntem creștini. Nu fumăm, nu bem alcool, nu consumăm droguri. Suntem oameni buni.”
Florin, un elev de 14 ani de la liceul din Newry spune că se simte ca acasă în noile sale împrejurimi. “Newry este un loc bun” a adăugat Florin. “Unii oameni, nu toți, spun lucruri despre mine pentru că sunt din România. Nu este plăcut, dar nu mă întristează. Se mai întâmplă. Noi mergem înainte. Nu toată lumea e așa.”
Florin încă mai are membri ai familiei rămași acasă. Îi este dor de ei, dar este fericit aici și își dorește să studieze pentru a deveni mecanic, o oportunitate care ar putea să nu fie disponibilă pentru el acasă.
Dar totuși spune că românii din comunitatea aflată aici încă au nevoie de ajutor. “Avem nevoie de mai mult spațiu”, a adăugat acesta.
Teofil Covaciu, fiul preotului Gaspar, este de asemenea elev al liceului din Newry. Băiatul de 14 ani spune că îi place viața de școlar. “Materia mea preferată este mecanica”, spune Teo. “Vreau să devin mecanic atunci când voi crește.”
El spune că viața unui adolescent care locuiește departe de casă poate fi dificilă, dar adaugă : “Îmi place Newry. Este casa mea acum.”
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The sound of music can be heard on the Belfast Road every Saturday night.
Many of Newry's small but growing Romanian community gather each weekend at Altnaveigh House for their weekly church service.
They are a congregation of the Romanian Pentecostal church and, like many religions, music plays a huge part in their services.
The Church - the only Romanian service currently in Newry - has been operating here for four months - and numbers are swelling.
It is led by Pastor Gaspar Covaciu.
He has been a minister for 20 years, continuing his ministry when he arrived in Newry three years ago.
''The people that come here, the families, have no benefits, no nothing, and we try to help them,'' said Pastor Gaspar.
''But there is no room here. We need bigger premises, more room, because our numbers are growing.''
Stugureu Lovaciu, an interpreter for the pastor, said the church is a vital facility for the small but growing number of Romanian families living in the Newry area.
''Most of the people of Romania, maybe 90 per cent, is Christian,'' he said.
''The church helps everyone and that's why our numbers are growing here.''
Stugureu said many people from Romania left their homeland due to a lack of money and medicine.
Like most immigrants, they came in search of a better quality of life.
While he acknowledges the language barrier presents huge difficulties, he said he feels his community have been largely welcomed by the people of Newry.
''People are friendly,'' he says.
''I find very little racism. It is good here.''
Teenager and church member, Florin Covaciu, said his faith and his church is of upmost importance to him.
''Church is important because everybody loves God and everybody needs God,'' he said.
''We meet each other, our families, and we sing together, which is important. Singing is everything.''
He added: ''We are Christian. We don't smoke, we don't drink, we don't take drugs. We are good men.''
A 14-year-old student at Newry High School, Florin said he feels at home in his new surroundings.
''Newry is so good,'' added Florin.
''Some people, not everyone, say things about me being from Romania. It isn't nice, but it doesn't make me sad. It happens. We get on with it. Not everybody is like that.''
Florin still has family at home.
He misses them, but is happy here as he wants to learn to become a mechanic, an opportunity that may not be available to him at home.
But he says the Romanian community settled here still need more help.
''We need more space,'' he added.
Teofil Covaciu, the son of Pastor Gaspar, also attends nearby Newry High School.
The 14-year-old said he is enjoying school life.
''My favourite subject is mechanics,'' says Teo.
''I want to be a mechanic when I grow up.''
He said life can be difficult for a teenager living away from home, but he added: ''I like Newry. This is my home now.''
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“Ja lubie mowic po Polsku wlasciwie ja kocham to jestem caly ja”, powiedzial dziewiecioletni Oliver Arczynski.
“Ja urodzilem sie w Irlandi ale cala moja rodzina jest z Polski.Moj plan jest ze kiedys wroce do Polski aby mieszkac tam na stale i dlatego jest bardzo wazne zebym mowil i pisal w moim ojczystym jezyku”.
Oliver jest uczniem Polskiej Szkoly Uzupelniajacej w Newry.
Ponad 100 polskich dzieci uczeszcza do Polskiej Szkoly Uzupelniajacej mieszczacej sie w budynku Wyzszej Szkoly dla chlopcow im.Sw jozefa w Newry.Zajecia odbywaja sie co Sobote od 10-14ej godziny..Dzieci uczeszczajace na zajecia sa w wieku od trzech do dwunastu lat.
Te same dzieciaki uczeszczaja do lokalnych podstawowek od poniedzialku do piatku.
Zdjecie:uczennica Ewa Dubas
W kazda Sobote uczesczajacy do Szkoly Uzupelniajacej ucza sie ich rodowitego jezyka jak rowniez szkolnych przedmiotow elementarnych takich jak Matematyka czy Chemia.
Klasy sa podzielone na szesc kategori wiekowych gdzie sa takie przedmioty jak Dziennikarstwo czy Informatyka.
Zdaniem Dyrektora szkoly Katarzyny Weber glownym mottem szkoly jest Propagowanie i Kultywowanie Polskiej kultury przez mlodych Polakow/ek urodzonych w irlandi.
Szkola zostala otwarta 10 lat temu po to aby dzieciaki ktore opuscily ojczysty kraj mogly swobodnie wciaz uczyc sie Polskosci.
Teraz wszystko wyglada inaczej
“Wiekszosc dzieci uczeszcajacych na zajecia juz urodzily sie w irlandi i ich jezyk polski nie jest na wysokim poziomie:-powiedziala Katarzyna.
Zdjecie:Dyrektor Szkoly Katarzyna Weber
Dzieciaki urodzone w Irlandi posluguja sie glownie jezykiem angielskim.Ze wzgledu na to ze ich lokalni rowiesnicy posluguja sie jezykiem angielskim w szkole czy tez na podworkach.
Dlatego tez przykladamy duza wage do tego aby dzieciaki nie zapomnialy naszej historii czy tez kultury polskiej i kladziemy nacisk na nauke naszego ojczystego jezyka.
Nie chcemy aby nasi podopieczni zapomnieli o naszych Polskich korzeniach.jest to dla nas rzecz bardzo wazna a wrecz priorytetowa.
“Wszystkie dzieci ktore przyjechaly z Polski raczej pamietaja historie czy kulture naszej Ojczyzny.Niestety te dzieciaki ktore urodzily sie w irlandi tego nie pamietaja i nie znaja.Dlatego tez wazne jest aby droga edukacji pokzac im skad pochodza i skad sie wywodza.Nie chcemy aby zapomnialy one w przyszlosci swoich Ojczystych Korzeni.”
Pierwsza Polska Szkola Uzupelniajaca powstala w Belfascie w 2007 roku ze wzgledu na duza liczbe naplywajacych polskich rodzin.
Dlatego tez jeden z polskich nauczycieli mieszkajacych w Newry Grzegorz Wawrzynski wpadl na pomysl otwarcia takiej samej placowki w Newry ze wzgledu na duze zainteresowanie polskich rodzin.
Grzegorz stworzyl strone internetowa “Newry.pl” gdzie Polska spolecznosc w Newry mogla swobodnie komunikowac sie czy tez dzielic sie uwagami dotyczacymi Polakow mieszkajacych lokalnie .Razem z kolega z Belfastu Grzegorz stworzyl sonde na jego stronie gdzie osoby mogly glosowac czy chcialyby aby taka Polska Szkola powstala.Dzieki pomocy Anety Dabek,ksiedza Stanislawa Hajkowskiego i pomocy Jeroma Mullena Honorowego Konsula Polskiego w Polnocnej Irlandi i pozytywnej sondy gdzie 60 osob zaglosowalo za otwarciem szkoly.W Listopadzie tego samego roku czyli szesc miesiecy pozniej Polska Szkola Uzupelniajca zostala otwarta w budynku Podstawowej Szkoly Abbey na Courtney Hill(stary budynek).
Generalnie dzieciaki ktore sie zapisaly do szkoly byly to dzieci ktore przybyly z
Polski i juz mowily dobrze po polsku.
“W 2008 roku wiekszosc dzieci mowila plynnie po polsku dlatego tez nakladalismy duzy nacisk na inne przedmioty takie jak Matematyka czy Chemia. Jezyk polski czy Historia czy Kultura.”-powiedziala Katarzyna.
Razem w szkole probowalismy celebrowac wszystkie wieksze Swieta Polskie takie jak Gwiazdka,Mikolajki czy Dzien Niepodleglosci.Staralismy sie klasc duzy nascisk na to aby nasi podopieczni mowili w naszym ojczystym jezyku bo wiedzielismy ze po angielsku mowia od poniedzialku do piatku w ich lokalnych szkolach.
Zdjecie:uczen Oliver Arczynski
Katarzyna mieszka w w Newry juz ponad 11 lat.
Mama dwojki dzieci pracuje w Szkole od trzech lat.Na poczatku byla na stanowisku pomocy nauczyciela gdzie w tym czasie konczyla studia.
Po skonczeniu wyzszych Studiow Katarzyna zostala wybrana na Dyrektora Polskiej Szkoly Uzupelniajacej.
“Na poczatku zaczynalismy z 60 podopiecznymi gdzie dzis liczba siega ponad 100 dzieci.”-powiedziala Katarzyna
“ Ja bym bardzo zyczyla sobie zeby bylo tych dzieciakow wiecej dlatego ze wiem ze jest bardzo duzo rodzin ktore nie poslaly swoich dzieci do Naszej Szkoly.”
“Moze dzieje sie tak dlatego ze niektorzy rodzice nie wiedza o Naszej Szkole albo tez nie maja czasu bo pracuja i tak naprawde nie zdaja sobie sprawy jak wazna jest nasza Polska kultura i jej propagowanie.”
“Wydaje mi sie ze rodzice ci moga kiedys zalowac ze ich dzieci nie mowia dobrze po Polsku i po powrocie do Polski na stale nie beda mogly sie swobodnie porozumiec ze swoja rodzina z Polski czy tez rowiesnikami.” Czasami dzieciakom nie chce sie isc do Szkoly Polskiej w Sobote ale tak naprawde to ich rodzice powinni naklaniac swoje dzieci azeby uczyly sie Polskosci,ich jezyka i naszej kultury.”
“Ja bardzo lubie moja prace nawet jesli naprawde wszystkie Soboty musze byc w szkole minimum po 4 godziny.Jest to bardzo pracochlonne ale robie to z pasja.”
Zdjecie::Hubert swierczynski i Mateusz Laskowski
Polska Szkola Uzupelniajca w Newry placi czynsz za udostepnienie budynku klas i mediow. Dyrekcja Szkoly Sw.Jozefa jest bardzo przychylna i pomocna dzieki temu nasi podopieczni bardzo lubia uczeszczac na Sobotnie zajecia aby podtrzymywac nasza polska kulture.
“Ja uwielbiam moja szkole i traktuje to jako zabawe.”-powiedziala Ewa Dubas osmioletnia uczennica Szkoly Uzupelniajacej.
“Ja lubie moich nauczycieli i moich przyjaciol ze Szkoly Uzupelniajacej.”
Dzewiecioetni Hubert Swierczynski dodal:”Gramy duzo w pilke i uprawiamy wiele sportow. Uwielbiam uczyc sie naszego Polskiego jezyka.”
Oliver ktory dodatkowo uczy sie jezyka Irlandzkiego w Szkole Sw.Jozefa w wojewodztwie Monaghan dodal rowniez:”My pracujemy ciezko w naszej Polskiej Szkole.Przygotowujemy wiele Polskich uroczystosci takich jak Swieta Bozego Narodzenia itd.Ja naprawde rekomenduje Nasza Szkole do wszystkich dzieci.”
Te wszystkie mile slowa i rekomendacje dzieciakow daja Katazrzynie sile i duzo pozytywnej energi aby dalej pracowac w (PSU) Polskiej Szkole Uzupelniajacej w Newry.
“Najbardziej pozytywnym akcentem mojej pracy z dzieciakami jest to ze moge im pomoc wykreowac lepsza przyszlosc.”- dodala Katarzya.
''I like speaking Polish. I love it. It's me,'' says nine-year-old Oliver Arczynski.
''I was born in Ireland, but all my family is Polish. I am planning on living in Poland when I grow up. So it's important I can speak and read Polish.''
Oliver is a pupil at the Polish Supplementary School in Newry.
Over 100 pupils attend the classes at St Joseph's Boys' High School each Saturday from 10am-4pm.
The children are aged from three to 12 and attend local primary schools from Monday to Friday.
At the Saturday morning lessons, they learn how to speak, read and write their native tongue, as well as studying curricular subjects such as math and chemistry.
The classes - divided into six age groups - also learn about journalism and IT.
School prinicpal Katarzyna Weber said the school's main objective is to preserve and promote Polish culture for the many young Poles who have been born in Ireland.
The school initially opened 10 years ago for Polish children that had recently left their homeland and wanted to continue learning their language.
Now, the emphasis has slightly changed.
''The children are no longer new to here - they have been born here - and the Polish language is not very spoken well amongst these children,'' said Katarzyna.
''They are born here and their first language is mainly English because of their education, their friends and that. ''English is the number one language, so here we mostly focus on Polish language and history and culture as well because we don't want them to forget about their roots, which is very important.
''The children that came to Ireland remembered their history, where they came from, but the ones that are born here, if they don't get that information, if they don't get that education, they will not know it and it's very important for the future to know who they are, where they came from. Their identity.' They need to know this.''
The first Polish school in Northern Ireland opened in Belfast in 2007 as increasing numbers of Polish familes made their home here.
One of its teachers, Newry-based Grzegorz Wawrzynski, realised there was a growing need for a similar facility in Newry for its growing Polish population.
He had created a website and Facebook page - 'NewryPL' - to provide information or services and facilities in Newry for the Polish community and allow those to share information with each other.
Grzegorz and a teaching colleague in Belfast then explored the idea of opening a Polish school in Newry.
They helped by Aneta Dabek, the school's first chairperson approached Fr Stan Hajkowski in the Newry Parish and Polish Hononary Counsel, Jerome Mullen.
A questionairre was submitted on the NewryPL site to gauge potential interest in a school in May 2008.
The feedback was positive with almost 60 replies expressing a keen interest.
In November - just five months later - the school opened at the former Abbey Primary School on Courtney Hill with 60 pupils enrolled.
They were mainly children who had emigrated from Poland having started their education in their homeland.
''In 2008, they were teaching the children similar things that they were taught in Poland because this was new immigration and the children knew Polish quite well and they wanted to continue that education here,'' said Katarzyna.
''They had maths, chemistry, Polish language, and Polish history and culture, which we still do but with Polish children born in Ireland.
''We try to celebrate all the holidays that we celebrate in Poland. We have our Christmas play, we have our own Independence Day and we encourage parents to speak Polish at home because they know English anyway because they go to local schools and speak English, so we focus on Polish here.''
Katarzyna has been living in Newry for 11 years.
The mum-of-two joined the school three years ago as a teaching assistant while studying for her degree in Early Years development.
She enjoys her principal role and said she hopes to see the school develop and expand, and perhaps having their own premises some day.
''We started with 60 children in 2008, now have over 100,'' she said.
''I would love it to grow more because I know there are loads of Polish families here that could send their children to Polska Szkola.
''There are a lot of parents that are maybe not aware of how important retaining your own culture and language is.
''I think some parents regret if they don't teach their children their langauge and when the return to Poland, they can't speak the language to their aunties or undles or grandparents.
''Sometimes they don't want to come, it's Saturday, the children don't want to get up early, but I would love all the parents to be aware of retaining our language and culture as well as embracing the culture here.
''I do enjoy the role, but there is a lot of time involved. We are four hours on Saturday but there's also a lot of preparation.
''We also have to find the funds to make lessons fun and interesting for the children to come here.''
The school pays a monthly rent to St Joseph's, whose staff and management they say have always been very welcoming and supportive.
And the pupils clearly enjoy a few hours each week finding out about the language, history and culture of their homeland.
''I like all the work, it's very fun,'' said Ewa Dubas, an eight-year-old pupil at St Ronan's PS in Newry.
''I like to meet my teachers and all my friends. It's a happy place to come to.''
Hubert Swierczynski, nine, added: ''We can play loads of sports. I find the language interesting. I really enjoy it.''
Oliver, who is also learning Irish at St Joseph's National School in Co Monaghan, added: ''We do a lot of work. Sometimes we do special events like Christmas plays and things like that. I really recommend it to other children.''
These sort of responses are why Katarzyna has dedicated her life to working with children.
''The best part of my job is working with the children, knowing that I can help make their lives better,'' she added.
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"Wszędzie, I na kazdym szczeblu Emigranci wzbogacali i wzmacniali sfere Amerykańskiego życia"-napisał John F Kennedy w swojej książce z 1958 roku"Naród Emigrantów".
Wszyscy czterej dziadkowie byłego prezydenta USA byli dziećmi irlandzkich Emigrantów, którzy uciekli z Ojczyzny w 1840 roku, aby uniknac niszczycielskiego głodu ziemniaczanego i znalezc dla siebie nowe, prosperujące życie.
Kennedy był ogromnie świadomy siły napędowej, że widział prawie 2 000 000 zdesperowanych ludzi ryzykowalo wszystko podrozujac notorycznie tkzw "trumnami statków" conajmniej dwa miesiące przez Ocean Atlantycki.Po to aby doznac lepszego zycia.
Mark rozumie doskonale również kluczową rolę Irlandi i wielu innych narodowości, które sprawiły, że Ameryka byla na owczesny czas byla ich domem. W tym czasie narodowosci te ukształtowaly w USA bardzo silne korzenie Ekonomicznie, Kulturowe i Społeczne.
W latach od 2004 do 2014, około 6 000 Emigrantów przybylo do Newry, Mourne i Down, aby zaczac nowe zycie na stale..
Podobnie jak przodkowie Kennedy'ego, przybyli oni po to, aby polepszyc jakośc ich życia.Zarowno dla nich jak i ich rodzin.
I rzeczywiscie wspaniale zaklimatyzowali sie w Irlandii I przyczynili się do wielkich pozytywnych zmian i duzego wkladu w przyszlosc miasta Newry.
"Przybycie osób z Polski i innych krajów Europejskich od 2004 miało bardzo pozytywny wpływ na nasza społecznośc", mówi polski Konsul Jerome Mullen.
"Ci Europejscy Obywatele pokazali nam wiele nowych umiejętności, których my nie posiadamy.Jak rowniez pierwszo-rzedna etyke w pracy, która jest bardzo profesjonalna i bardzo mile widziana przez naszych pracodawców tutaj w Newry.
“Emigranci bardzo wzbogacili nasze życie i uważam, że nasze własne tło kulturowe I naszej przeszlej Emigracji do wielu części świata pomogło nam samym zrozumiec I zaakceptowac ich obecnosc”.
"Ta akceptacja była dla nas bardzo ważna i zrobiliśmy to bardzo szybko,z czego jestesmy bardzo dumni".
Obywatele Polski, Litwy i Bułgarii tworzą największą liczbę 6 000 Emigrantów żyjących obecnie na obszarze Newry.
Jednak wiele innych narodowości nazywają nasze miasto “Swoim Domem”; Rumuni, Słowacy, Chinczycyi, Filipińczycy, Łotysze, indyjczycy, Portugalczycy, Pakistanczycy, Syryjczycy i ludzie z różnych krajów Afrykanskich.
W przeciwieństwie do nieuzasadnionych stereotypów, większość Emigrantów zamieszkujących w Newry jest w rzeczywistości zatrudniona I pracuje na stale.
W istocie wielu z nich odgrywa kluczową rolę w licznych przedsiębiorstwach miejskich.
Nie oznacza to jednak, że “podbieraja" lokalne miejsca pracy,jest to bez zasadne roszczenie malej grupy nie przyjaznych obserwatorow. Bezrobocie zmniejszyło się dramatycznie w ciągu ostatnich dwudziestu lat za ich przyczyna.Młodzi ludzie ktorzy przybyli ze wszystkich części Europy pracuja ciezko i nazywają Newry ich “Domem”.
W 1991, Newry miało jedną z najwyższych stóp bezrobocia tak samo i Wielkiej Brytanii bezrobocie siegalo ponad 26 procent.
Do 2008 roku na obszarze 4 lat stopa bezrobocia spadła do zaledwie dwóch procent za zasluga nowych obywateli..
Liczba nowych uczniów, którzy zapisali się do lokalnych szkol, nie posiadajac perfekcyjnuch umiejętności językowych poprawila znaczaco poziom Edukacji w Szkolach Irlandzkich.Od 2008 do 2014 roku uczniowie z różnych środowisk Etnicznych i Kulturowych wzbogacili i wzmocnili życie szkolne w Polnocnej Irlandi wzrostem uczniow o ponad 75 procent.
W tym tygodniu, Newry, Mourne i Down przewodniczący Rady, Mark Murnin, spotkał się z Syryjskimi rodzinami, które niedawno osiedlily się w naszej dzielnicy.
Powiedział, że Rada Miasta jest wiodącym przykładem w obejmowaniu nowych Wspólnot i promowaniu nowych kultur społecznych..
"Jako przewodniczący Rady Okragowej Newry, Mourne i Down, jestem bardzo dumny ze Zróżnicowanego charakteru naszego Okregu..
"Ten region zawsze był gościnny i wierzę, że tak zostanie na zawsze.A jest to za sprawa naszych nowo przybylych przyjaciol ktorzy czuja sie jak u siebie w domu i przyczyniają się w znacznym stopniu do jego dobrobytu Kulturowego, Społecznego i Gospodarczego.
"Naszym zadaniem jako reprezentantow Spolecznosci Newry i Rady Miasta jest zapewnienie absolutnej równości i integracji wsrod naszych mieszkancow.
"Centrum Wsparcia Mniejszości Etnicznych jest wyraźnym przekazem pracy partnerskiej, która odnosi się do społeczności mniejszościowych.
"Wspólnie jako Wspólnota budujemy wspólną przyszłość dla wszystkich.”
Newry-zróżnicowane miasto
Jest to pierwszy z serii co tygodniowych artykolow pod tytułem "Diverse City"?Zroznicowane Miasto
Fakt ten pokazuje ze Newry jest ich domem I dzieki temu ze sa tu z nami przyczynili sie do rozwoju i wzbogacenia naszego, tętniącego życiem miasta..
My jako mieszkancy staramy się pokazać naszym nowym sąsiadom, jak to oni są bardzo cennym wzbogeceniem naszej społeczności w Newry.To oni którzy podobnie jak wielu naszych przodków, szukali możliwości lepszego życia, przyczynili sie znacznie do pozytywnego wpływu na nowe otoczenie.
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''Everywhere, immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American life,'' wrote John F Kennedy in his 1958 book 'A Nation of Immigrants'.
All four of the former US president's grandparents were children of Irish immigrants who had fled their homeland in the 1840s to escape the devastating potato famine and make for themselves a new, prosperous life.
Kennedy was acutely aware of the driving force that saw almost two million desperate people risk everything by boarding notorious 'coffin ships' and making the treacherous two-month journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
He also understood the crucial role the Irish - and the many other nationalities that made America their home at that time - had in shaping the US economically, culturally and socially.
Between 2000 and 2014, around 6,000 international migrants moved to Newry, Mourne and Down to live permanently.
Like Kennedy's forefathers, they moved to pursue a better quality of life for them and their families - a basic and fundamental human right.
And like the Irish diaspora before them, they came to contribute, to be accepted, and to make a difference.
''The arrival of people from Poland and other European countries from 2004 onwards has had a very positive effect on our communities here,'' says Newry-based Polish Consul Jerome Mullen.
''These European citizens have brought many skills that we no longer have, and a work ethic that is very refreshing and greatly welcomed by our employers here in Newry.
''They have also brought with them their own unique culture and traditions and this has been a very enriching experience for us to see.
''I have had the honour over the past 10 years to represent Poland and its citizens all over Northern Ireland, who are by far the largest of the European communities living here and while there have been some challenges, especially around language, they have integrated very well with our local community.
''They have greatly enriched our lives and I believe our own cultural background of emigration to many parts of the world has helped us in embracing their presence amongst us.
“That was a very important thing for us to do and we did it.''
Nationals from Poland, Lithuania and Bulgaria make up the greatest number of the 6,000 migrants currently living in the Newry area.
However, many other nationalities now call this city their home; Romanians, Slovaks, Chinese, Filipinos, Latvians, Indian, Portuguese, Pakistan, Syrians and people from various African countries.
And contrary to lazy, unfounded stereotypes, most immigrants that live in Newry are, in fact, employed.
Indeed, many play a crucial role in numerous city businesses.
This does not, however, mean they have ‘stolen 'local jobs’, another unfounded claim; unemployment levels have decreased dramatically over the last two decades.
In 1991, Newry had one of the highest unemployment rates in the UK at a staggering 26 per cent.
By 2008 – at the height of movement into the area by new nationals - it had dropped to just two per cent.
The number of Newcomer Pupils - children that have enrolled in a school but may not have the satisfactory language skills to participate fully in the school curriculum - rose by almost 75 per cent in Northern Ireland between 2008 and 2014.
Again, rather than a burden or setback to local schools, local principals say pupils from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds have enriched and enhanced school life.
This week, Newry, Mourne and Down Council chairman, Mark Murnin, met with Syrian families that have recently settled in our district.
He said this Council has been a leading example in embracing new communities and promoting inclusion.
“As chairman of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, I am very proud of the diverse nature of our district.
“This region has always been a welcoming one and I believe those that have this district their home have and continue to contribute greatly to its cultural, social and economic wellbeing.
“In our civic leader function, our Council has been an exemplar in ensuring that equality and inclusion is at the forefront in how we embrace communities.
“The Council’s Ethnic Minority Support Centre is a clear demonstration of partnership working which addresses affecting our minority communities.
“Together as a community, we are building a shared future for all.”.
Newry - A Diverse City
This is the first of a series of weekly essays and videos under the title 'Diverse City'.
These will showcase and personalise the people that have made Newry their home and have helped develop and enrich our diverse, vibrant city.
We will strive to show our new neighbours as what they are - valuable members of our Newry community who, like many of our own ancestors, sought an opportunity of a better life and to have a positive impact in their new surroundings.
Contact Us
If you have a story for our Diverse City section on Newry.ie please email us on news@newry.ie
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