Each chapter captures unique narratives and case studies. These range from the story of a young Polish child growing into adulthood, who navigates identity in a new country, to the choices made by parents to balance Polish cultural heritage with integration into Irish society. There are accounts of the challenging experiences of young Poles who arrived in Ireland as teenagers and entered the Irish education system, as well as the perspectives of Polish families in Ireland who worked to keep up their connections with Poland. Of particular interest, from a life course perspective, is how Irish Poles see their future in terms of ageing and retirement.

The photo above features the editors, Dr Alicja Bobek (left) and Dr Michelle Share (right) and was taken at the launch of the book at the Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation on 7 November 2024.

 

Availability

Polish Families in Ireland: A Life Course Perspective is available for purchase through Palgrave Macmillan and major booksellers in print and e-book formats. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-54634-1

 

About the Editors 

Michelle Share is a Senior Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, and Alicja Bobek is a Senior Post-Doctoral Researcher at Technological University Dublin. Both bring extensive expertise in migration studies, family sociology and social policy.