I made the transition from Co Wexford-living to Caribbean-living at the end of September 2022, but somehow the move doesn’t feel that drastic.
With a population of just under 300,000, Barbados doesn’t feel that far away from life at home – where you find yourself bumping into the same people randomly around the island.
I moved here to work with the United Nations, specifically UN Women MCO Caribbean, and I’d be lying if I said I knew much about the Caribbean before arriving. My job sees me working across several thematic areas, such as climate change, disaster risk resilience and women’s economic empowerment and operations.
I had barely heard of many of the islands I now work with and was blind coming in, but nothing could have prepared me for how easily I have made Barbados a second home.
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The Irish connection with Barbados dates back centuries, primarily through the migration of indentured servants during the colonial era under Oliver Cromwell. Those Irish men and women, who were nicknamed “redlegs” because pasty Irish skin couldn’t hack the Caribbean sun, contributed to the island’s development, leaving an indelible mark on its cultural fabric that I can see all around me.
I take a short drive from my home in Bridgetown Barbados (not to be confused with the equally lovely Bridgetown in Wexford) and I find myself suddenly in an area called Waterford, where you’ll find a sign for Leinster Road adjacent to Waterford Road. I don’t know if this is from our Irish ancestors’ humour, leaving their mark on the island and bringing with them the durable Leinster v Munster rivalry, but driving past the Leinster Road sign always makes me smile.
The remnants of our historical migration to the Caribbean can still be felt in local surnames. The Builders of Barbados Wall monument in Golden Square Freedom Park, Bridgetown is where the surnames of the “nation’s builders” over the island’s 600 years are recorded.
Though my surname is Scottish originally, Auld is embedded in the wall, among bricks telling of other strong Irish names, such as Boyd, Ryan, McBride, Power and Rowe.
Barbados and Ireland have been recently reigniting and strengthening their ties. Last year a Barbados consulate opened in Dublin and the Government of Ireland recently appointed the first Irish Ambassador to Barbados. In November, EPIC Museum in Dublin ran an exhibition called Entangled Islands on Ireland’s connection with the Caribbean.
Unsurprisingly, one cannot escape the global phenomenon that is Irish pubs appear in the most remote corners of the world. I swear you could be up in the Himalayas and find an Irish pub.
Here in Barbados, we have two Irish pubs. And though Guinness is drunk here in impressive volumes, it’s not the creamy pints I’m used to. However, the bottled Guinness from Nigeria that Bajans love so much is good. My Bajan friends don’t believe me when I tell them Guinness actually tastes better out of a pint glass, and look at me puzzled when I try to explain what a real pint should look like.
Through my job I’ve had the opportunity to travel around the Caribbean – to Antigua, Jamaica, Grenada and St Lucia. On a personal holiday in May, I ventured to the other so called “Emerald Isle”, Montserrat, with a population of about 5,000. Here it seems the Irish history in the Caribbean is the strongest.
[ Montserrat, the Emerald Isle of the CaribbeanOpens in new window ]
My flight over from Antigua took only 20 minutes in a seven-seater plane – one so small that I got to travel in the front with the pilot. Upon touchdown and arrival at immigration, my passport page was stamped with a shamrock. Here, Irish traditions are not just remembered but actively celebrated.
Montserrat is the only country outside of Ireland to celebrate St Patrick’s Day as a national holiday. It is a joyous reminder of the enduring connections between Ireland and the Caribbean, where history has woven together stories of struggle and resilience.
Here in Barbados, there’s basically 12 hours of daylight from 6am to 6pm all year round, but I do miss the grand stretch of a long summer evening back home.
Though I come from Ireland’s sunniest county, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t living for the all-year sunshine here.
I’m an island girl at heart (albeit from a much colder island), so who could say no to Caribbean living?
- Isabel Auld studied International Development at UCC, graduated in 2021, and left Ireland in September 2022, She is from Fethard-on-sea, Co Wexford.
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