Homesick Lithuanians set up clubs in Ireland
Lithuanians are planning to set up a national network of clubs to combat loneliness and isolation in their community.
Thousands of people from the Baltic state have arrived since the expansion of the EU to bring the estimated number of Lithuanians in Ireland to 100,000.
But the Lithuanian Association in Ireland (LAI), which held its first annual conference today, said the community was spread out across the country.
“We met here because we want to be together. There are so many Lithuanians in Ireland just living their lives, not knowing who they are anymore. That’s the biggest issue,” said secretary Jurga Vidugirieme.
She said the association was hoping to set up clubs for Lithuanians in every county.
“There are loads of people in Dublin working with us but we need them in Cork, we need them in Galway, we need them across the country.”
Ms Vidugirieme said most Lithuanians were very happy working in Ireland but like many emigrants, were still thinking of returning home at some stage.
However, the community has been disturbed by recent reports of crime involving fellow nationals, which include stabbings, muggings and extortion rackets.
“We just want to show Irish people that we’re not bad, we’re good, we’re nice people,” said Ms Vidugirieme.
Around 300 people attended the association’s conference in Chef O’Neill’s hotel in Smithfield and discussed issues like visas, taxation and home affairs.
Around 30,000 Lithuanians have registered for personal public service (PPS) numbers in the last 12 months and brought their families with them. They have taken up work in building, computer programming, mushroom factories, crèches and other sectors.
There are two daily flights from Dublin Airport to Lithuania, which are regularly booked out as immigrants return home for the summer holidays.
The Lithuanian Association in Ireland estimates that about one third of the community lives in Dublin with the remainder spread evenly around the country.
It has 3,000 readers of its Lithuanian-language newspaper, up to 500 visits a day to its website and crowds of around 250 people at regular concerts in Dublin, Cork, Monaghan and Portlaoise.
