A fascinating series on TG4 presented by Mary Kennedy is following the lives of people who moved or are in the process of moving to a new home along the Atlantic coast.
Over the course of six half hour episodes, the series helps viewers discover a genuine message, that life, and in particular careers, won’t take a step back for those considering a move West.
In a relaxed and entertaining fashion, each episode explores the many opportunities that the region has to offer.
In the fifth episode on 8 February, viewers meet Sinead O’Kelly originally from Mayo and her husband Bernhard Bauer from Austria.
Sinead left home at 17, first to attend college in Cork and then to work as a holiday rep in Bulgaria, Italy and Austria where she settled for nine years and met Bernhard.
In 2016, they decided that we would both like to live in Ireland and have a little farm. After looking at places in Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo, they spotted Lough Atorick North Farm on a random website.
They say the move was easy enough. They both work in tech, run the farm and have two Airbnb’s in South Galway.
Also featured is Darren Burke, who wanted to start a career in medical devices. Galway, being a global gub, was therefore an obvious choice.
The move itself was relatively painless.
Since then, Darren has made many friends, joined a football team, met his now wife and founded a start-up company with two colleagues at the Gteic Hub in An Spidéal.
The couple live in Maigh CuilinnÃand are expecting their first child.
In the first few weeks of Covid, Carol Tallon from Blessington bought an old homestead in Connemara through an online property auction.
Due to Covid restrictions, she could not see it in advance or travel to inspect it until after the conveyancing closed.
Carol runs a property communications company out of the Gteic hub in An Cheathrú Rua. She is learning Irish since moving and has taken on gaeilgeoir BrÃd Molloy to ensure they can offer all existing communications services through Irish.
Sinead Nà Fhatharta is Head of Enterprise and Employment at Údarás na Gaeltachta in Na Forbacha.
Her primary role is to work with her team to encourage and support entrepreneurs (movers and locals) to develop their concepts, to establish their business and scale it through both financial and non-financial aid along with a property offering within the Gaeltacht areas.
She talks about the fact that movers west are welcome.
Moving West, TG4, Wednesday 8 February 8.30pm
