I was born at the end of the eighty's in a small rural area. Luckily none of my immediate family moved away. As I grew older I would hear how people around the area were getting on in America or Australia. I never knew who these people were only to me known as "brother of Frank who lived over the road" or "Dads first cousin".
My aunt did ten t o travel alot she was not around during my early child hood much but did come home for holidays so I never did really see her as some one who emigrated. The only real Idea of emigration I have is looking at Realling in the years on rte after the news and looking at Irish people in the queue for the american embassy. Queue for there Visas and the sound of Mary Black playing in the back round.
I talk of this because back then it was a touch decision to make. They were going through a rescission and there was no jobs going, something like we are going through now.
I have friends that who have left the country to go to Australia and China and the difference between now and back then is that Because of technology it is much easier to get in contact with home as for back in the 1980's people could only write or ring home. Fair enough a letter from you son in america is heart warming but you cant reply to him straight away.
As for now we have Skype, Facebook and Email just to name a few, a person can Leave home but talk to home by the touch of a button.