Immersing himself in the local community

SLAVEK Kazek came to Ireland to visit a language school when he was a teenager. He instantly fell in love with the country and later in life decided to make Ireland, and specifically the Midlands, his home.

Slavek, who is from, Szczecin, a Polish city close to the German border, lives in Ballymahon with his wife Joanna and three children Emilia (14), Julie (10) and Ian (3). 
He works in the Ulster Bank in Longford town and is very much involved in several local community projects in his local town.
When Slavek first arrived in Ireland 12 years ago, he worked in the Glasson Hotel & Golf Club. He enjoyed his time there, but as his background was in banking, he was keen to continue his career in this area. And it all worked out!
“Ulster Bank were looking for staff who would easily communicate with different nationalities living in Ireland like Polish, Czech and Slovakian so I got a job there and I have worked there for the past 11 years,” he beams.
Initially, his job entailed travelling around to various branches, before taking up a role as a customer service advisor in Longford. His wife Joanna is employed as a secretary in a local school.
The Kazeks lived in rented accommodation in Athlone when they arrived here initially and later moved to Ballymahon where they purchased their own home.
“We were renting for a while and we wanted to settle in Ireland so we bought a house. Our children are going to school locally,” says Slavek.
They are very happy in Ballymahon and he is delighted they took the plunge to leave their native country.
This decision was made after Poland joined the EU in 2004. They were mulling over their options and Slavek recalled an enjoyable experience he had when he was just a teenager . . . in Galway.
“When I was 14 or 15 I went to a language camp in Salthill. I fell in love with Ireland, with the green, the landscape and I said one day I will go back to Ireland again. Then in 2004 we chatted about it. We were looking for an English-speaking country. We looked at the UK and Ireland and we chose to go to Ireland,” he says.
In 2006, they arrived here: Slavek, Joanna and Emilia, who was then aged three. Julie and Ian were both later born here.
“I was one of the wave of migrants who came to Ireland after 2004 when Poland entered the European Union,” he says, proudly.
Ballymahon is now his home, so much so that when he returns to Poland, he says he feels “like a tourist”.
“So much has changed there. We are delighted with the move. We are settled here now. We will stay here until retirement,” he says.

READ SLAVEK'S STORY IN THIS WEEK'S WESTMEATH INDEPENDENT