Opinion: The life of an Irish man and teacher in Oman

'When you travel abroad, you expect that you will never find anything close to home (which is true!) but, you can find something very close.'

Meet 21-year-old Irishman Niall Connell (pictured right), a teacher, who's made the move to Oman in southwest Asia to make a better life for himself.

Here, in a personal piece for WorldIrish, he shares with us what life is like in a country so far from home.

I moved to the Sultanate of Oman in June 2012 in the hope of pursuing happiness, meeting new people, job satisfaction and a hot climate. 

I was a student in Dublin City University studying a B.A. Business and Irish when I decided to make the move. With the help of my loyal family and friends, I knew it was the right place and time to go. 

Luckily, my sister Aisling had been teaching there since 2009, therefore the ‘big move’ wasn’t all that bad as I had her by my side. I'd visited the country a couple of times and knew the beautiful culture and wonderful people – both expatriates and Omanis. 

I'm currently working in a Private school in Muscat teaching Grade 4 (Key Stage 2) – English, Mathematics and Science. 

The students are a good group of kids and I'm very lucky to have the chance to teach and gain experience in the classroom before I undergo a Postgraduate Certificate of Education. I'm also very blessed to have such a wonderful group of colleagues. 

The teachers provide a dynamic, unified approach to the education sector in Oman. I've been given a great opportunity to work with such excellent teachers. Although we are sometimes faced with certain obstacles, we all pull together and work towards our common purpose – the education and welfare of the students. The benefits here are plentiful. 

I recently had my appendix removed and the hospital was amazing; the staff were so kind and I didn’t have to pay a penny, unlike the health system at home!

Muscat. The building with Blue and Gold is the Sultan's palace via themaloryman

There is a beautiful culture and heritage in Oman. When you travel abroad, you expect that you will never find anything close to home (which is true!) but, you can find something very close. 

When I travel to Dubai, I truly miss the chilled-out vibes and homely atmosphere of Muscat, Oman. There is a big group of Irish expatriates living here in Muscat, and the numbers are increasing. 

There’s a good social scene here. You name it- you have it here. There’s plenty to choose from.

If you’re an outdoors type of person, the world is your oyster here. Although I’m more the indoor type of guy, I enjoy the nightlife here too. Not that they’re a patch on Ireland, but we do have a great time here.  If you like concerts, we’ve had quite a number of awesome celebrities here – Snow Patrol, James Blunt, Edward Maya, The Fray, Westlife, The Script, Sean Paul, Akon - the list goes on. You’re only a stone’s throw away from the United Arab Emirates, where the major concerts are held. Return flights to Dubai can be as little as €60 – probably the same price as a train from one side of Ireland to the other! 

I have to say I’m very lucky to be here, especially the way things are going at home. It’s so sad to hear the latest news updates from the Emerald Isle. Ireland is such a beautiful country and I am blessed to be Irish, but in my opinion, the Irish government has destroyed the soul of Ireland.

It’s an utter disgrace that so many people are leaving Ireland in their droves. 

Hopefully, they might start thinking about their fellow countrymen and stop driving nails into an already overcrowded coffin. It’s such a pity to see a wonderful country being dragged through the dirt. I hope and pray that we can get through the tough times and obtain a chance to rebuild our country.

Once again, I’m delighted to be living in Oman and live life as it should be lived. On that note, I will leave you with these truthful Irish words:

‘Is glas iad na cnoc i bhfad uainn.’ [Distant hills look green.]

Categories: Oman, Muscat, Irish, Emigration