A POLISH man walked 50 miles looking for the address of a butcher and found himself at Omagh Meats. It was not the butcher he was looking for but he liked the look of Omagh and decided to stay.
That was three years ago and Jerzy and Anna Stachura both work in McDonald's restaurant on the Dromore Road and live in the town.
They hail from Nowy Sacz, a town about twice the size of Omagh and about two hours drive from Krakow, Poland's second city. They moved to Ireland in 2004 in an effort to make a better life for themselves.
In Spring 2004, Jerzy left his then fiancée in Poland while he came to liaise with an acquaintance who had already set himself up here. Jerzy travelled for three days by bus with £200 in his pocket. He was due to meet with the acquaintance but found himself stood up and holding an address in his hand that didn't exist. All he knew was that his contact was a butcher, so enquiries led him to Omagh and the meat factory on a whim to find his contact.
Upon arrival, he found out that he had been left abandoned as no such person worked there. With money and morale fast running out, Jerzy determinedly decided he would find work in Omagh. Walking five miles a day in and out of town for ten days eventually led him to find work in McDonalds where he was later joined by Anna, now his wife.
The Stachuras' plans include staying in Ireland for many years and starting a family. They have encountered tough times here. Instances of racism and exclusion have made them feel ostracised but they have a philosophical outlook as they feel that people who have abused them racially don't appreciate what they have, and they can't understand what they are going through. In a way, they feel more grateful that they can rise above potential trouble as the rewards are here for them.
Jerzy explains, "In our country, everybody looks for work so they can save even a little amount of money."
In Omagh, Anna and Jerzy feel safe and feel part of the community.
Anna says, "For me I can't imagine going back to Poland and living there. Here everything is so much easier. People here should be so happy. In Poland everybody is so grey."
Ireland provides immigrants with a certain amount of job security they didn't have at home. They have money, a future and hopes. Anna's father is part of a population which is increasingly ageing and, after working for 40 years, he suddenly finds himself fearing for his job and his future when he should be looking forward to retirement.
Jerzy and Anna both fear for Poland's future as the continual stream of Polish citizens abroad and they believe that the ensuing membership of the Euro single currency don't bode well for their homeland's prospects.
The Stachuras have not had it easy since they came to Ireland and they are grateful for the opportunity they have been given. They know that this is a special place and have always had a warmth towards the country and its people despite the segregation that can occur. They have more local people as friends than Polish people and are mature enough to progress as far as they want in their lives.
Anna says, "I'm not made to feel like a second-class citizen just because I'm from Poland."
The tale of the Stachuras isn't unique to them. Many of their countrymen and women have made the same journey into the unknown, just like Irish people have done for generations. Just like the success story that many of our ancestors have experienced, with the same work ethic and determination, migrants such as Jerzy and Anna know that they can make it and fulfil their dreams of owning their own property.
Who knows, maybe someday their name, Stachura, will be commonplace alongside those of our own children?
