By Maura McBride From Irish Independent

For Ireland’s young professionals, utopian destinations are no longer just to be explored while on holiday.

Twenty and thirty-somethings are moving to far-flung destinations in search of higher pay and a better quality of life. Three Irish expats living in the Caribbean share their experiences of living and working in paradise.

Fund accountant Colin Meegan was so taken by the mix of white sand, clear blue waters and tropical climate during his three-month stint in the British Virgin Islands that the 29-year-old asked to relocate to the Caribbean idyll.

“I have had a very positive experience since I moved to the BVI last year,” says Colin. “I am working for the same company that I worked for in Dublin and am in the same role.

“The only thing that has changed is the location. I used to work in Harcourt Street, and when I looked out the window all I could see was a concrete jungle and the coming and going of the Luas. Now I look out the window and I see a blue sky, palm trees and the Caribbean Sea.”

Now that the Limerick native is working and living in the British Virgin Islands, or the “BVI” as it’s known by locals, he pays income tax at a rate of 8pc which is substantially less than the 41pc he would be paying if he was still working and living in Ireland.

“My take-home pay is higher because of the lower tax rate so I can save more money living here than I could save at home. To be honest, for me the tax rate was not an incentive to extend my contract. I was drawn by the sunshine and friendly expat community, but better pay is certainly an added bonus.”

Colin lives in Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands and home to the financial services hub of Road Town. The British Virgin Islands has one of the most prosperous economies in the Caribbean as a result of a thriving financial services sector which generates approximately 60pc of government revenues.

“You meet people from all over the world who have moved to the BVI to work in finance. I have made friends from places close to home like London and from farther afield like Toronto, Sydney and Cape Town. Expats are keen to gain offshore work experience as well as to give island life a trial run.”

Despite being a financial hub, Tortola is by no means metropolitan. The island is 12 miles long and three miles wide with one traffic light and chickens running around freely. There is also a strong American influence, even though the island is a British overseas territory.

“The US dollar is the official currency, and some people speak with an American accent. The supermarkets sell American products and the TV stations and programmes are largely American. It makes it hard for an expat to become exposed to the local culture when they are surrounded by American products and people.”

The majority of goods are imported, making grocery shopping expensive for BVI residents. There is very limited farming and not much of an agricultural industry, so most of the produce is imported from the United States and other countries.

“I spend a fortune buying groceries. My weekly shop is about three times more expensive than what I would spend at home because everything is imported. There is also a lack of selection when it comes to buying fresh fruit and vegetables in comparison to what is available at home.”

Unlike the majority of goods sold in the BVI, alcohol and cigarettes are quite cheap.

“A bottle of beer and a pack of cigarettes cost about €2. It’s actually more expensive to stay sober on a night out and drink water than to have a few beers. This is the main reason why drinking is such a big part of expat culture — it is one of the cheapest things you can do on the island.”

Pat Conway, a hotel and resort manager, has been living in the Caribbean for almost 30 years. He spent time in London before moving to the BVI in 1985. He worked for the elite Brooks’s Gentleman’s Club in St James’s Street while it was under the direction of Earl Spencer, father of the late Princess Diana. Pat was then offered a two-year contract at a hotel and resort in the Caribbean and he decided to leave the London aristocracy behind for Caribbean casual.

“My initial plan was to spend two years in the Caribbean. I certainly did not intend to spend 30-odd years away from home. I had a case of wanderlust and felt the need to move on from my native Shannonside.”

Pat’s first year working in the Caribbean was a culture shock. Caribbean casual and the slow pace of life were in stark contrast to his previous role in London where he catered to the elite.

“On my first day of work I was met with the task of getting a cow out of the hotel’s freshwater swimming pool. It is not uncommon to see wandering livestock like cows, goats and chickens, but I didn’t expect to find these farmyard animals in the pool!”

Pat’s initial plans of spending two years in the Caribbean came to a halt when he met his wife of more than 20 years, Rosa Maria Restrepo, a Panamanian lawyer.

The couple were introduced by a priest from Waterford and a year-and-a-half later were married. The couple have two sons, Desmond Antonio (21) and Laurence Jose (19).

“My sons love their Irishness and spend every August in Limerick. Laurence loves hurling and has played with the South Liberties GAA club. Desmond hopes to complete a master’s degree at Trinity College. They are very much Irish and Panamanian and speak English and Spanish fluently.”

Panama, unlike the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands, is a part of Central America with the northern tip of the country bordering the Caribbean. Like many Caribbean islands, Panama is an offshore jurisdiction and its economy is heavily geared towards financial services.

“Rosa and the boys live in Panama as Rosa works for a prestigious Panamanian law firm. I am primarily based in the BVI and I spend time in Panama every month to be with my family and travel home to Limerick as much as I can. Last year I was lucky enough to make it back to Ireland four times, so I didn’t feel the distance too much from my family and friends at home.”

In the 28 years that Pat has been living in the Caribbean, he has met many Irish expats who have had positive and negative island experiences. Some expats struggle to make friends or miss the comforts of home and move back to Ireland after a few short months in the Caribbean.

“Home birds usually don’t last very long abroad. They find it hard to mix with people from other countries and are just not comfortable outside of their element. I would advise young people to keep an open mind if they decide to move to the Caribbean. I am a believer that paradise is more of a state of mind than a location, and the success of the journey is up to the individual.”

Declan Cassidy has been living in the Caribbean for the past seven years. After six years of studying and working in Galway, he was approached about a job opportunity in the Cayman Islands. Having only just returned from a year in Australia, he decided to continue travelling and made the move to the Caribbean.

Since moving to the Cayman Islands in 2006, the Mullingar native has lived in several other Caribbean destinations including the Turks and Caicos, Curacao, Honduras and, most recently, the British Virgin Islands.

“I would have to say that all of the islands are beautiful in their own way, but I preferred living in Cayman and the BVI the most because the people are so friendly. There is a larger Irish population in Cayman,” says Declan.

The Cayman Islands Gaelic Football Club has about 300 members and is made up of players from all over the world, not just Ireland. The club is socially active and holds an annual St Patrick’s Day party and several GAA pub quizzes throughout the year.

“The Cayman club was like having a little bit of Ireland in the Caribbean,” says Declan. “I grew up playing Gaelic football so it was great to be playing again while I was living in Cayman for three years.”

Like the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory in the Caribbean.

It is a major international financial centre and is ranked the fifth-largest banking centre in the world.

“Cayman is considered to be much more built up than most Caribbean islands. In comparison to the BVI, it is much larger so there are more job opportunities, but expats must be granted a work permit before they can enter the territory and start working.”

Declan’s wife, Regina, gave birth to their five-month-old daughter in Ireland last August.

“Lexi is our first child and we wanted to be at home for this special occasion. We thought about having Lexi in the Caribbean, but it just felt right to go home to Ireland.”

The Cassidy family didn’t stay at home for long, though. When Lexi was three-weeks-old, Declan and Regina took her to the BVI.

“Lexi did great on the journey as it’s a long way from Dublin to Tortola. We travelled from Dublin to New York to San Juan and then Tortola. She was an angel and didn’t shed a tear throughout the three flights.”

PHOTO: Gaelic Football From Cayman Islands Gaelic FC

For more on this story go to:

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/destination-paradise-29920133.html