Why I Moved: How Family—and Humor—Made Ireland Home

This is part of Why I Moved, a recurring series about Americans building a life abroad.

While Michael Sable had never given much thought to living in a different country, Ireland had always been at the back of his mind, thanks to his family history there. So after an unexpected career change in 2016, he decided to take a chance on Dublin. Cut to eight years later, and he’s still there—running his own string of comedy nights, documenting his life as an American in Ireland on Instagram, and building a robust life filled with friends, family, and community. Does he ever contemplate moving back? “I wouldn’t be opposed to it in the future, but not right now,” the 31-year-old communications manager tells Condé Nast Traveler over the phone. “The people really keep me here.” Below, Sable shares how he started a new life in the charming Irish capital, how he settled in, and the one thing he thinks could keep him in Ireland forever.

PROFILE

NAME: Michael Sable

LOCATION: Dublin, Ireland

JOB: Communications manager and comedian

DATE OF MOVE: 2017

FROM WHERE?: Washington DC

Where did you move to, and why this place?

“I had been to Ireland twice, once when I was 6 and once when I was 18—two very different trips. But I'd met some family there, and some had also visited DC, where I’m from. So [living in Ireland] had been something that was just kind of in my head. I also had a very lucky situation: my grandparents emigrated from Ireland, meaning I was able to get Irish citizenship through descent. My dad had actually gotten it for me while I was growing up, so once I decided I wanted to move to Dublin, all I had to do was apply for a passport. That was back in 2016. I figured, you know, I'll try it for three months and if I don't get a job I'll just move back and call it a really long vacation. But here I am, eight years later. ”

What prompted you to move out of the US?

“The joke answer is that in 2016 I had been saying that if Trump won the election, I would move to Ireland—and the second part of the joke is that they kicked me out for saying that [laughs]. But in reality, the company I was working for was bought out by a different company and moved their offices outside of DC, which meant that at the ripe old age of 24, I had a severance package that I could use to move somewhere. I suddenly had this opportunity where all the pieces—citizenship, finances, having family already there—lined up.”

Did you move alone or with a partner, family, or friends?

“I moved by myself—but it was made easier knowing I had an uncle and cousins to help me get set up.”

Give us a top-level explanation of the process of moving.

“I was very lucky having family members who were willing to help me settle in and provide me with a place to stay for a few weeks. That was massive, even just in terms of having an Irish address while I was looking for a job—employers could see I was committed to living there. I work in communications and so it was also, of course, helpful that I was moving to an English speaking country, where I didn’t face that barrier to entry when it came to finding a job. Being a citizen also meant I didn’t need to apply for any sort of visa. I really had the easiest possible immigration experience one person could have, even if, at times, it didn’t always feel so."

What was the biggest challenge or obstacle to moving, or navigating your new life?

“It really helped to have cousins who introduced me to a bunch of people [who then became my friends]. I even live with my second cousin now. But I’ve noticed that making friends here can sometimes be difficult, especially for Americans, just because in Ireland Who do you know that I know? is kind of the opening question. It’s a small country, meaning everyone feels two degrees of separation from each other. It can be difficult for immigrants who have just moved, are looking to make friends, and don’t have those connections.”

How did you build community or meet new people?

“I do stand up comedy, so that was a good way to meet people. The comedy scene in Dublin is really nice. I mean, you can’t make money doing it professionally here, like you would in London or New York, but in terms of practicing and getting spots it's a very accessible community. Once, I was hanging out at the International Bar, which is the oldest running comedy club in Dublin, and mentioned I was a comedian. Before I knew it, the runner had given me five minutes up on the stage. I actually run my own comedy show in Dublin now. The city also has a great food and bar scene. It has real character to it like New York does, even if it’s not as busy or crowded. The people are just so incredibly friendly here, always happy to strike up a conversation and look out for each other.”

What was it like adapting to a new culture and language?

“I couldn’t fully keep up [in conversations] when I was learning Hiberno-English. It feels a bit embarrassing when your first language is English. But after, say, three weeks I probably got the gist of it. That said, I still occasionally will learn a new phrase that I’ve never heard of before, and I’ll still say the wrong words. It’s given me a lot of jokes. ‘Giving someone a ride,’ for example, means something very different in Ireland than it does in the US…”

Do you ever think of moving back to the US? Why or why not?

“I wouldn't say never to moving back—if there was a really good career opportunity I’d consider it. But I have a lot of friends here now, and my girlfriend, who I’ve been dating for a year, is Irish. Plus, I don't really look forward to the next four years politically, so as it currently stands, there's nothing really drawing me back to the US at the moment. I often think about the hyper individualism in US society; everyone is kind of just looking out for themselves. In Ireland, there is a culture of community and collectivism—I really felt that during COVID.”

If you could name just one thing, what is keeping you in Ireland?

"The Irish are some of the funniest people on earth. Visit and your taxi driver is going to be better than most stand up comedians. I mean, half of them will be, and then the other half will think they are!"

Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler