Write a comment
Since Eid is around the corner I’m dedicating this article to the festival.
The word 'Eid' means 'feast' or 'festival'. Each year Muslims celebrate both Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha - but the names often get shortened to just 'Eid', which is why it can be confusing.
Eid Al-Fitr - which means 'festival of the breaking of the fast - is celebrated at the end of Ramadan, month when many Muslims fast. Eid Al-Adha - which means 'feast of the sacrifice' - is celebrated just over two months later, at the same time as when many Muslims perform the Hajj. Every year, approximately 3 million Muslims travel to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.
Eid Al-Adha coincides with the end of Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, and is generally considered the holier of the two. Hajj is a once-in-a-lifetime activity that is a duty for those who can afford it, and who haven't already performed it.
Eid Al Adha is a celebration to honour the Prophet Abraham's willingness to listen to what Allah had asked him to do, which was to kill his own son. Abraham was willing to do that as he had so much faith in God and as he was about to do so angel Gabriel sent down a lamb and told him to kill it instead and eat it with his family. This proved Abraham’s faith and trust in God so during Eid Al Adha Muslims slaughter a lamb in remembrance and if can’t do so, like in western countries, you send money to the Middle East so someone can do it for you.
During Eid people go to the mosque (Islamic church) and pray and go and have a meal with their family and spend time with each other, basically like Christmas. Those who live in Newry or Northern Ireland generally don’t have family living here so we go out with friends and family to a park or ice skating and have a meal together.
Both Eids and Ramadan dates change every year because the Islamic calendar is lunar, meaning each month begins with the new astronomical moon. As lunar months are shorter than solar, the Islamic calendar does not correspond with the Gregorian calendar which is followed in the west and means Ramadan and Eid occurs around 11 days earlier each year. This years Eid is on the 19th of July.
Since there is nothing going on here for it in Newry and we don’t have other family over here we’ve decided to go to Let’s Go Hydro in Carryduff and have dinner with friends. Eid use to be really boring when we first moved to Newry but now we’ve found ways to make it work.
Inas Abdulrazzaq - A Teenagers Perspective
Write a comment
Inga is from Latvia born in a very small village with only 100 people very near the Russian border. The village she comes from is very small and everyone knows each other. Surrounding Inga were her relatives, they were everywhere, they were that close they even knew what every family ate for dinner. There was no hiding there at all.
Inga tells us she lived there up to the age of 16 years old when she left her home place and even to this day she has loads of contact with her friends and family back in Latvia who she speaks to up to the present day. Inga reflects “Me and my friends have been raised in the spirit of helping people and hard work. Of course, even we had to help our families and work from a young age but we still managed to have a fun. After our work day we went to the local pond for swim. We were definitely not spoiled children and it did not take much to bring us happiness”
Inga came to Rostrevor at the beginning of 2006 and has always known she would be living abroad. Her dream was to move to Germany but soon as she finished her A -levels in Latvia she then emigrated to Germany but did not like it very much. Inga says “I lasted only 3 months and then went back to Latvia. I got full time job in Latvia but it was extremely low paid post because I had not got any experience. In the same time one of my friends was already here in Rostrevor and asked why would I not try to come over to Ireland. I have to say that I fell in love with Rostrevor right away. I loved the all the mountains and the nature was so amazing. Not long after I arrived to Rostrevor, I met my husband to be and we have 3 amazing kids and are together 14 years.”
Ingas kids enjoy living here as they have everything, they want at their door step right outside they have Kilbroney Park and the sea side with beaches nearby. They love activities around their home including playing with St Bronagh's GAA club.
Rostrevor is very different from her little village in Latvia and Inga thought that coming here that Rostrevor as a village would be similar in size to her home town in her village. But how wrong she was when she seen Rostrevor for the first time. In fact, Rostrevor is bigger than the nearest city from her village in Latvia. Inga says “The people in Rostrevor and Newry are very friendly. The people do not even know you but they are greeting you on the street. You will definitely not get this in Latvia much”
You can tell how in love Inga is with the whole area of Rostrevor, Warrenpoint and Newry. She tells us that Newry is only 10 mins away from Rostrevor in the bus for her and shares with us Newry has absolutely everything she needs from big shopping centres and swimming pool. With a grateful attitude Inga says “There is nothing I could ask more in my life. Every morning when I wake up, I just ask myself How did I come here? I am so grateful to be here”
When Inga reflects on where she lives, she feels there is not much she would change or improve in Rostrevor. If there was anything she could improve in the area in which she lives then it would definitely be to put speed bumps on the roads in the Rostrevor area but she is aware that one of her local councillor’s is dealing with this issue already. She feels strongly about this as she feels it would improve the safety of the pedestrians and all drivers including herself.
Speaking to her kids and asking them what would they think Newry really needs? They tell her “If Newry had the water park that would be great. I think big water park would attract loads of people to Newry”
For Inga, if she could, she would change the weather. It took her a long time to get used to the weather here. Inga says “There are still days that I cannot get used to at all. It is too cold for me especially in the summer when in Latvia we have much hotter summers. I do appreciate the winter here as it is much warmer than in Latvia where in Latvia the winter temperature can go minus 30 Celsius”
Inga can’t stress enough that Rostrevor is definitely her home now. She built her life and her family here. Rostrevor gave her a life and a hope for a better future and everything she could ever dream of.
There is only one thing Inga really misses from Latvia and that is her family. She says “I would love to build a big house and bring them all over her to live with me”
In her spare time if she gets any, in between looking after 3 kids, she likes to write poems and she has published a few of them already. For Inga, writing poems is her hobby ever since she was a kid. Inga even had published few of her poems in the local Latvian paper. When she cannot sleep, sometimes she grabs a pen and a piece of paper and creates poems. Another passion is the love of reading she can’t get enough of reading and has loads of books.
Write a comment
The journey from Syria which ultimately took me to Newry, no doubt many people would expect to be traumatic, and for most people it was, but as for me I was lucky enough and got it easier than others.
I didn’t experience the war as I had gotten out of the country in 2012 which was just before the war started, many fled the country in order to be safe but in my case I fled as my dad has been working in Northern Ireland since 2005, therefor we came here to be with him, to be a family.
There was war happening all over Syria but it still hadn’t reached Aleppo yet so we weren’t in much rush, but one day a shooting happened and we all decided to sit in the hall way as there was no windows there, so if a bullet was to ever go through no one would get hurt ... And we were right one bullet did go through the living room window although luckily no one was hurt by it. That was when we packed our bags in a rush and drove to the countryside of Aleppo where we had a house that we use to go to during the summer,
I was so emotionally attached to a doll that I made my mum go back to the city to get it for me and there she found our house bombed. I still have that doll right here beside me. We stayed there for a while and my dad got us to move to Turkey to get a visa in order to come and live here.
We stayed in Turkey for a few months until our visa arrived and for me and my brother who were 5 and 6 at the time it was fun for us, we went to the park all the time made new friends had fun, after all Turkey is a very beautiful country. But for my mum it was constant stress thinking “are things going to be okay?” - “How much longer do we have to wait?”
As well, us living in a hotel obviously wasn’t ideal but it was temporary and we never ended up getting a house. Our visa’s finally came and we went to the airport and flew to Belfast airport where we saw my dad waiting for us to take us home to Newry.
This was October 2012 and I went into P3 in November 2012 while my brother went into P2 also at the same date. Everyone was so friendly in our primary school (Windsor Hill Primary School) and we didn’t feel left out.
It took 3 planes to get there but I feel like I was luckier than others, as a lot of people died trying to escape the war and had to go through it and still are to this day. I think everyone including myself should be grateful for the conditions they are in.
Inas Abdulrazzaq - A Teenagers Perspective
Write a comment
Today we start a wonderful new series on Newry.ie in conjunction with the Community Relations Council "A Teenagers Perspective - From Syria to Newry and Everything in Between"
We will dip into the experiences of 15 year old Inas Abdulrazzaq who was born in Syria but has spent a significant portion of her young life here in Newry. We find It is always useful to look at life from someone elses perspective!
We begin with her talking about her home town.
Aleppo
Aleppo is a city in northwestern Syria which lies about 30 miles south of Syria’s border with Turkey, it was my hometown.
Before the war, it was absolutely beautiful with so much life in it, all u had to do was open your window and look down and see crowds of people with a lot of noise.
it was a big difference when I moved to Newry because even if you were to go to the city centre you’ll barely see much going on. In 2010 Allepo had a population of 4.6 million which is 4 times more people than Northern Ireland’s population combined!
In Syria, Aleppo is known for “the city that doesn’t sleep” that’s because you will see people at 3 am doing their shopping and day to day things, they love staying up.
It is obviously a very warm country as it’s located in the Middle East of Asia with the normal of 50 degrees nowadays.
The President is called Bashar al Assad, he is hugely disliked by the population long before the war. Many people protested to kick him out, I’ve witnessed many protests but that actually resulted in the war, which you’ll hear about later on. You don’t have the right to vote who you want as the President it’s more like an heir like a King and Queen of England. No one can choose who they would like as it’s whoever is next in the blood line that takes over, Bashar's dad died there so he became President.
As you may or may not know although majority of the population was Muslim there was a number of Christians too, and there would be so many things going on during Christmas.
Aleppo is known for its soap and pistachios nuts, which are sold around the world. Silk weaving, textiles, and pharmaceuticals once made up a significant portion of Aleppo’s economy.
“Where do you feel at home?” Or “would you consider yourself Irish or Syrian” is a question I get a lot and the answer to that is neither! I don’t think I’m Irish as I have a completely different culture and religion than everyone around me but at the same time I don’t feel Syrian because I moved out at 6 years of age and if I were to go back now I wouldn’t feel at home as I grew up here, I wouldn’t feel at home as I don’t have any friends there and It wouldn’t feel like home.
I don’t feel like I fit in in any country , that’s the only downside of it.
Write a comment
A new collaborative cultural project entitled ‘Sing 2 Songs’ will show the connection between Bulgarian culture and the district’s local music, dance and traditions. The project is a partnership between Beyond Skin, Blueprint and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. It is supported by the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Match funding for the project has also been provided by The Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department for Rural and Community Development in Ireland.
The project workshops will both take place online via video conferencing and in natural shared spaces throughout the area, such as the Mourne Mountains. Events will take place over three months from May, June and July 2021. The first of these events will be an online workshop session next Friday, 7 May, via Zoom. There is no cost to participants, and there is a budget to assist participants with any accessibility barriers such as childcare. Details on the project can be found at WWW.BEYONDSKIN.NET/SING2SONGS
The ‘Sing 2 Songs’ project will be a sensory experience of Bulgarian and local culture, celebrating the human spirit, and strength in togetherness as we all navigate through these challenging times. The workshops will give participants the opportunity to learn more about Bulgaria and its geographical, historical, contemporary and traditional treasures through the medium of music and song.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Laura Devlin said, “The songs of the Balkan Mountain are symbols of freedom and strong devotion to the traditions, culture and history of Bulgaria. The Bulgarian calendar is full of celebrations during the summer months. People young and old go out on the mountains, gather together and dive into colourful festivals dedicated to life, the spring and summer with songs, dances and food. There is an old tradition in Bulgaria during these celebrations where one village sings to another close village and mountain peak sings to mountain peak, sharing different songs. We look forward to our residents exploring this cultural programme and reaching out to our neighbours all the way from the Mourne Mountains to the Balkans.”
The collaborative work will showcase the connection between Bulgarian culture and the district’s local music, dance and traditions. Audio and video of the two prepared songs (Bulgarian and local) will be recorded to represent the togetherness of two nations, connected through the beauty of their traditions. Through creative collaborations with our local and global neighbours, the project will also enable moments of reflection for those loved ones we have lost whilst also nurturing our own mental health and wellbeing.
The project’s activities will be facilitated by professional Bulgarian musicians who live and work in Northern Ireland in collaboration with local musicians. The work will include consultations with participants, providing all involved with an active role in discussions and the opportunity to voice their interests, opinions and input.
For further information and to access the workshops and the ‘Sing 2 Songs’ programme of events please visit WWW.BEYONDSKIN.NET/BLUEPRINT
Bulgarian Cultural Diversity Project Launched in the District
Нов съвместен културен проект, озаглавен “Запей 2 Песни” ще бъде организиран, с цел да демонстрира връзките между българската култура и местните за областта музика, танци и традиции. Проецтът се осъществява със партньорството на Beyond Skin, Blueprint и Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. Проектът е подкрепен от програмата на Европейския съюз PEACE IV, изпълнявана от Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Допълнителха финансова подкрепа е осигурна от The Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department for Rural and Community Development in Ireland.
Сесиите на проекта ще бъдат провеждани както чрез интернет конферентна връзка, така и сред природата, в подходящи места сред планината Моурн. Тези сесии ще се проведад в следващите три месеца – май, юни и юли на тази 2021 година. Първата сесия ще се проведе на 7-ми май, петък, от 7,30 вечерта и ще бъде интернет сесия чрез Zoom. Сесиите са безплатни за участниците. Има осигурени финанси в помощ на хората, които биха имали нужда от асистиране във връзка с тяхната мобилност или грижа за деца по време на сесиите. Подробности за проекта можете да намерите на WWW.BEYONDSKIN.NET/SING2SONGS
“Запей 2 Песни” ще бъде едно сензитивно преживяване на българската и местната култура, което ще даде възможност да изпитаме празненството на човешкия дух, силата на единството когата сме заедно, особено в тези тежки и трудни за всички времена. Сесиите ще дадат възможност на участниците да научат повече ча България, за нейните географски, исторически, съвременни и традиционни ценности чрез помощта на музиката и песента.
Председателят на Нюри, Моурн и Даун Областен съвет, съветниц Лора Девлин каза: “Песните на Балканите са сивол на свобода, силна привързаност към традициите, културата и историята на България. Българският календар е пълен с празници по време на пролетните и летните месеци. Хората в България, млади и стари, се събират в планините на изпънени с цвят фестивали и празници, посветени на живота, на пролетта и лятото, като се потапят в звук от песни, ритъма на танците и споделянето на трапези. Древна традиция в планините на България (Балкана и Родопите) по време на пролетните и летните празници едно село да пее и да се чуе до друго село, както и от един връх групи от хора да изпращат песен до съседен връх, като си пеят едни на други. Ние очакваме с нетърпение нашите жители да се включат в тази културна програма, за да научат повече, да достигнат до нашите съседи и приятели от планините на Моурн чак до Балканите.”
Съвместната програма ще демонстрира връзките между местната и Българската музика, танци и култура. Аудио и видео на двете песни (местна и българска)ще бъдат нашравени/записани, за да представят единството на двете нации свързани чреч техните традиции. Чрез творческо съработничество проектът ще даде възможност за моменти на отражение на загубата на любими хора и приятели в този тежък период, както и специално внимание към нашето собствено здраве, умствено, емоционално и физическо.
Сесиите на проекта ще бъдат ръководени и изпълнени от професионални български музиканти, които живеят и работят в северна Ирландия, с помощта на местни музиканти. Паботата ще включва консултации с участниците, давайки възможност на всички да имат активна роля в проекта и да изразят своите интереси, предпочитания и разбирания.
За по-нататъшна информация и за достъп до участие в сесиите “на проекта “Запей 2 Песни, молим ви да посетите www.beyondskin.net/blueprint.
Write a comment
Thirty five year old Milena McArdle hails from Gorzow Wielkopolski in Poland, near the German border. She came to Newry in 2006 and is married to Pádhraic and the couple have three children.
Gorzow Wielkopolski the place Milena was born is quite a big city compared to cities here in the North of Ireland. The population in Gorzow Wielkopolski is about 120 thousand people which is a pretty small city for Poland. Milena recalls “When I was leaving my home town there was not much happening there. I have to say I only visit Poland for holidays and I’ve noticed my home town has changed for the better since. We have a very good speedway team in Poland. I lived beside the speedway stadium so I remember listening to loud noises every Sunday during the racing season”
When Milena was 19 years of age just after secondary school, she had planned to take a one year break before starting University and to travel somewhere abroad. At that time her friend was in Newry in 2005 and invited her to visit.
Milena's main plan was stay for a year, earn some money for Uni in Poland and brush up on her English which she says was not too good then. Then finally Milena came to Newry in 2006 and her friend said she would be studying here, so with that in mind Milena thought it could be a good idea for her too. She then applied to study here, even though her English was very basic. Milena gained a Bachelor of Arts degree. While doing her studying she worked full time in Nursing home. After working in the nursing home, she then moved to work in a coffee shop and stayed there for 8 years.
Milena says “I was thinking to go back home to Poland after I have finished my degree but then I met my husband. So, I am happy now. The main difference between Newry and my home town is that it is much smaller. Although Newry is lovely and community is lovely and the people. I cannot really say how different it is. I only grew up in Gorzow Wielkopolski but all my adult life I have been living here in Newry”
Milena works in a beautiful shop called Snaubs in Monaghan Street, Newry. After she got married to Pádhraic who was involved in the family run business, Milena started to work there as well. Snaubs will be open for 45 years this December. Her present role in the shop has changed since last year, when Milenas mother-in-law took a step back due to the pandemic. Milena deals with customers , visits London to source new trends and clothing brands and items. She also looks after the social media marketing of the business. "At the moment we are preparing to re-open for customers again. I am currently on my maternity leave but I call to the shop every day for few hours. I just love to work here” says Milena.
Milena likes Newry for its unique style. She feels that it is small town and there isn’t much for younger people such as Music entertainment or arts shows, but thinks that if you have a family and children, it is the perfect place to be. When reflecting on Newry Milena feels that “Newry is quite safe and there is not much crime happening. The schools are just lovely and people are very friendly”
In Milenas spare time she likes to play with her children. She is a very keen reader and likes to read books especially in the Polish language. She enjoys going to the gym and doing a little bit of gardening when she can get the chance.
Milena would love if Newry got a lovely park where she could take her kids in a safe environment for outdoor fun. She says “If Newry had a beautiful park that would be just perfect. That would be only one thing I would like to improve in Newry”
When reflecting on her future she feels It would be lovely to retired in Poland but most likely she is going to retire here in Newry but when thinking deeper on it Milena states “It depends what our children would think or do in the future. I strongly try to teach my children about the Polish heritage and my roots. So It is hard to say for now”
While being a very busy working mother Milena ensures that every year she and her husband take their girls to Poland for skiing. Milena tells us that It is really good fun over there, and cannot understand why there is nothing like this in the Mournes during the winter season.
Milena misses her family back home but is content knowing that we are living in era of video calls and instant messaging and it feels to her that they are just living in another part of Ireland. Milena is blessed that her Polish family do come and visit them regularly in Newry every year and they as a family from Newry always try to visit her family back home two or three times a year.
Write a comment
Bruce is from Zimbabwe Southern Africa and he came here on holiday 21 years ago. His brother got married here and Bruce had planned to stay here just for a couple of months to expand his passion for Irish music. Back in Zimbabwe Bruce had a passion for the flute and played Irish traditional music. Fortunately, he has stayed here ever since and is glad. The situation back where he was born, a place he once called home was not great then.
Bruce did not pick Newry It was Newry that picked him. He used to live in Banbridge and got engaged to a girl but unfortunately it didn’t work out for them. Working at a job that was based in Newry it made more sense for Bruce to stay here.
Newry is a lot different compared to where Bruce is from. In Zimbabwe its very hot so now he appreciates the rain. Bruce said “I used to be involved in the microbiology projects back home. We were concentrating on wildlife like snakes for example and I think for me wild life In Newry and Ireland is pretty boring. There are no elephants or lions. The people are different. In Zimbabwe people are very warm and nice people. Newry people are also nice but in a completely different way which it is hard to explain”
Being self-employed and working in Newry Bruce does a lot of things, he teaches English online 1 to 1 but his real passion is holistic healing and trauma resolution. In his office” Neu Lyf” he uses a bunch of NLP hypnosis techniques to help people with trauma. So many mental issues are related to mental trauma like depression, anxiety, grief and all kind of addictions. Bruce helps people with nutrition as well because once they are healthier and mentally stronger, he can guide them with what they want to do next in their lives. Bruce has been very privileged to have had fantastic self-development teachers such as Bob Proctor and Kim Calvert with whom he has done a number of great courses. Bruce is confident that he can teach people how to became the better version of themselves and fulfil their dreams and goals.
Bruce predicts an economical crash in the West. "I am very concerned about the future of people. I am encouraging people to do something which will contribute to their wellbeing and their health by growing their own vegetables, we need to grow our own food. I recently engaged with the Regenerative Agriculture Co-operative farm just outside Newry and we do amazing things. I really want to help people in the recent crisis from a place of real despair to a place of hope”
In Bruce’s spare time he plays music and really wants to get back on track with Irish traditional sessions again. He hasn’t played for a while because 7 years ago he had severe face paralysis and it has become very difficult now. Bruce really loves music and is also busy with growing vegetables. He loves studying stuff like geo politics, religion, climate change, and obviously hypnosis. He makes videos for his you tube channel, there he demonstrates what he does on hypnosis and uploads testimonials videos as well.
Being a resident Bruce feels that Newry is lovely and is very clean and the people are very friendly, where everybody greets you on the streets and is a very beautiful place to be.
Bruce feels “I am an emigrant and I have loads of friends and I love that Newry has loads of national communities here as it is nice kind of mix. I really like the local people of Newry. I cannot say if I see myself here in Newry in the next 5 years because before I was leaving Zimbabwe, I visioned myself living in two places really. It was Northern Ireland and the other was France as I studied French in school back home. I am involved in so many things here and have loads of friends and I think I would like to keep one foot here and the other in winter time in central France and do agricultural stuff. I possibly would like to do healing retreats here in Newry but more likely in France”
Whilst living here he feels that he doesn’t visit Zimbabwe often as he should and has been back there only 3 times this past 20 years. The last time he visited was in 2010. The reason for that is because he doesn’t feel home sick being here in Newry, but on his last visit home in 2010 Bruce felt like he did not want to comeback to Ireland. The people, his family and the wild life reminded him that Africa is still his real home.
Summarising our conversation Bruce added “Newry in my eyes does not need improvements as It is perfect as it is now. I really just want Newry people to go back to normal and have their way. Maybe Newry people should start growing organic food and have more connection to their land. I would like to see everything going back to normal in relation to the ongoing pandemic and to see socialising and businesses opening”
See NEULYF.COM to find out more.
Write a comment
Mario Siotto is from Sardinia in Italy and he came to live in Newry in 2002. He is here now 19 years and loves being here, as he loves Newry. Mario came to Northern Ireland in August 1988 to meet "a gorgeous woman from Belfast" who he had met earlier that year in Milan. Driving around at a time when there was a lot of tension in the north, the pair discovered Newry. Mario comments “I thought Newry had a load to offer and we decided to move in to this beautiful city. I could sense that the Newry community is growing together and I knew it was place for me and my wife” *
The couple came to live in Newry after Mario retired from his engineering job in Italy. At the beginning he tried to find a job which would contribute to the lovely community in Newry. He finally found a job in the one of the best organisations, St. Vincent de Paul. Which serves him so well as this is helping the people around him.
Mario was born in Iglesias in Italy and is the 'baby' of a family of 8! He still has relatives back home. In his early days he worked as a Mining engineer, spending 26 years of his life in Iglesias, but due to the crisis to the industry he had to emigrate and retire from his trade.
One of the biggest reasons why Mario loves Newry is that the community here and back home are very similar, for him there is no difference at all. Being here feels that he is home in Italy.
In 2009 having joined the society of St. Vincent de Paul for which he works full time until this present day. Mario is the Drop in Centre Manager in Newry. The Drop in Centre in Newry was opened in 2010 and through the economy crash in 2010 the doors were always open, until March 2020 when they closed due to Covid 19. With much regret he cannot serve hot meals no more for the moment and create this helpful atmosphere. However, he still helps people in need by sending food parcels out. Mario takes great pride in saying that since March 2020 until today they have given out nearly 9 thousand food parcels. Mario adds “A big thanks to the fantastic community in Newry who raised and gave very big support when it was very much needed, for me it is very rewarding because I love helping others”
Mario is a very kind and helpful man whose hobbies include walking in the countryside. Besides that he doesn’t have time or interest in anything apart from helping those in need as that is were his heart truly lies. He dedicates most of his time to the needy as much as he can. In his spare time, he collects donations for the shops.
Being a member of the Newry community he strongly feels that the city should build a shelter for the homeless saying that “Homelessness is not only the person who lives on the streets, it is people who are facing loads of challenges due to difficult circumstances. I have seen a lot of homeless people and it would be very important for me and it would be a very important improvement for Newry”
Reflecting on Newry if he could change anything it would be to see more tolerance in the city, as this is very important. There are many people coming to Newry to better themselves and improve their lives. Mario comments “If we could be more accommodating and more tolerant towards each other that would be a big advantage. Before Covid 19 in our Drop in Centre we were organising English classes for non-English speakers to help them to integrate in our society. I believe we have great community and everyone should respect each other’s. I would love to see more of tolerance and respect in Newry"
Mario concludes "It is very important to me to give something back to this lovely community because of the way I was treated. I was always welcomed and treated as one of the members of the community. I would call myself a “foster child of Newry”. I am very delighted to be here and just want to make at Newry's disposal my skills.”
* EDIT 12/4/21 - Changed first paragraph as dates were incorrect.
Write a comment
Elina Liepina came to Ireland from Latvia in 2005 and she has been here in Newry for over 15 years now and works at Newry Leisure Centre where she is truly passionate about her job.
Elina says “I choose Ireland because my mummy was here at first. After I had finished my secondary school I emigrated and joined my mum. I didn’t have any plans to move abroad but I missed my mummy so much. I was and am very patriotic about my country and could not understand why people move abroad. I came to Newry because my mummy was working here already”
Coming from Latvia, Elina felt quite strange at the beginning, even going to the shops she felt like no one really acknowledged her. Because of how she felt, Elina had a conversation with her mother that resulted in them deciding that Elina needed to go further with her studies and that’s when she chose to study in Newry Tech in the arts. Between studies Elina managed to get a few jobs without speaking good English. Because of the lack of English Elina felt really afraid of speaking up. But this did not stop Elina. Elina explains “Irish people were so nice that they have never ever corrected me”
Coming from a small village of 49 people in Latvia she had a strong opinion that her community was everything and making the decision to leave was not a decision she made lightly. Elina stresses. "I really loved the place I was growing up in back in Latvia. I was into everything back then. All kind of sports and swimming and all. To be honest I have not been travelling much in Latvia really so I can openly say that I know and have seen more in Ireland than in my own home country. I have definitely explored more of myself in Ireland over the past 15 years that I am here. Unfortunately, I do not have much family back in Latvia now. Just my auntie and uncle so I have not left many behind really. When I do go back to Latvia, I just go to visit them and sight see”
Elina feels so lucky that moving to Ireland was never planned, that it just happened because of her mother. She always reminds herself how good it was that it all turned out so good and that she is still here after all these years. For Elina Newry is a very big deal for her, she loves the shops here and the night clubs and the people. Elina recalls “I remember when I started going out with friends from Newry and they were very open and very supportive in my company and I can openly say that I am very well integrated with the majority of my friends local people. I have lost loads of friends back in Latvia but I have adapted very quickly to the Newry environment which I call the new culture and I can now say that, because I have been living here for over 15 years now”
For Elina fitness is a true passion and she is so fortunate that she gets to do what she loves for a job working in Newry Leisure centre. There Elina works as the fitness instructor and feels so blessed that she gets to do what she loves everyday. Throughout her whole life Elina has always been an active person. Obtaining her degree in fitness which allows her to be a gym instructor, as well as a personal trainer. As the result of the current situation with the lockdown herself and her friend Dominika have started Zoom exercise classes called Me Time Studio. They decided to keep going and to keep the classes alive despite the lockdown to keep fitness in the community alive more than ever. She strongly feels that it was the best thing that ever happened as it brought more people together and got the best of them in the difficult times we are living in now.
Elina really enjoys reading in her quiet time and to learn new things, even with fitting it around her new-born baby. Elina says “I do read books from fiction books to the anatomy books. I love to study a lot and learn new things. Even though I have a new-born baby and it takes a lot of my time lately. I have managed during the lockdown to pass a few fitness related courses, I done this because fitness is not just my job but my passion. I think everyone should know that movement and fitness is very good for you and as someone once said our health is our wealth. In my eyes a balanced body is the core and road to physical and mental health”
Deep down Elina feels that Newry is her home now. It feels for her that it has been an amazing starting point and hope it will be for a long, long time. She has met amazing long-term friends and also her second half here. Newry gave Elina opportunities to grow and study and do what she really loves and for that she will be forever thankful. As a Newry native Elina really has a love for this place and feels fortunate to say that she has never come across a nasty person in her life. She does consider herself as living in a happy bubble. Elina does follow the news and shares her worries that she hopes her two girls can grow up in a safe environment in Newry,
Elina shares with me that she thinks there is a good community here in Newry and she has strong hope that Newry won’t be dragged down into an unsafe place as she knows the people would not let it happen. Elina says “I am pretty optimistic that we are in a good place. I think that at the minute we are going in a good direction. There are loads of changes happening right now. I would like to think as a young mummy I can go safely with my kids outdoor somewhere. On that topic Newry definitely is in need of a park. "I am aware there is talk about Albert Basin park at the minute. I do hope we will get lovely park in the heart of our city. I have to say even though the weather in this country is very unpredictable I believe outdoor places will make a huge difference for everybody. It matters even more now than ever especially from what happened last year”
Elina is a proud Latvian but she believes Newry is now her home and if you were to ask her the question would she move back to Latvia her answer would be no. She started her life in Latvia but spent the best time of her life in Newry. On that note Elina finalised by saying “My family and friends are here and I do not plan to leave anytime soon!
 |
 |
 |