The Irish in Melbourne: Culture, community and connection
Ireland has a vast global diaspora, with tens of millions of people across the world who proudly celebrate their Irish roots. This widespread community forms a natural network with influence that extends worldwide.
Few countries have as deep a connection with this network as Australia does. Diplomatic ties between our two nations date back to 1946, and the partnership is strengthened by close people-to-people bonds. In fact, around one in ten Australians trace their ancestry to Ireland, reflecting the enduring links between our countries.
The Irish impact on the Australian way of life
For a small island nation, Ireland has achieved disproportionate “great heights” across numerous fields, from literature and arts, to business and economics, science and innovation, and music. Irish people have had an enormous impact on the Australian way of life, and helped shape the country as we know it today.
Our diaspora continues to support one another through a rich tradition of community, cultural connection, welfare organisations and volunteers who help those in need.
A focus on Melbourne
The Irish Government recognises the huge importance of Australia in our Diaspora Strategy, our Emigrant Support Programme and, in a most concrete fashion, in the decision to open our newest diplomatic mission in Australia, a Consulate in Melbourne. The timing is auspicious, as we celebrate 80 years of diplomatic relations with Australia this year.
Irish voices in Melbourne: A diaspora round table
Meet the participants
Meet some of the Irish community members in Melbourne, who serve as excellent ambassadors, proudly representing Ireland in Australia
Founder and Managing Director Riva Tech Consulting and the Co-Founder of Digital Irish Australia
Kian Jackson
Jackson is a globally recognised payments founder, entrepreneur, and consultant with over 20 years of experience leading innovation and growth across the fintech and digital payments industry in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
He is also the Chairman and Co-Founder of Digital Irish in Australia. He launched the Sydney chapter and scaled it to Melbourne, where he now leads one of the most dynamic international business communities in the country.
Literary academic and Artistic Director at Bloomsday in Melbourne
Dr Frances Devlin-Glass OAM
Dr Frances Devlin-Glass is an Honorary Associate Professor at Deakin University (Melbourne) and has worked since 1970 in the fields of Australian Literary Studies and Irish Literature, as well as Feminist literature and theory.
She has been Creative Director of Bloomsday in Melbourne since 1994, mounting full professional productions of original plays about, and adaptations of, James Joyce’s oeuvre each year.
Dr Devlin-Glass is an active member of the Irish community in Melbourne. She serves as an editor of Australasian Journal of Irish Studies and the online magazine, Tinteán and she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to Education and the Irish Community.
General Practitioner on the Great Ocean Road and Organiser at Pop-Up Gaeltacht in Melbourne
Dr Austin Duignan
Dr Austin Duignan, originally from County Roscommon, is currently a GP at Great Ocean Road Health, having studied in Ireland before moving to Australia.
He is also an Organiser at Pop-Up Gaeltacht in Melbourne, an informal gathering for Irish speakers and learners to converse in the Irish language, typically in a public venue like a pub or café. These events are relaxed, friendly, and open to all proficiency levels, from beginners to fluent speakers, and provide a secure space to practice using Irish.
Founder, CEO of Quitch and Professor of Entrepreneurship at Swinburne University of Technology
Dr Gráinne Oates
Dr Gráinne Oates is an Associate Professor in Accounting at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.
Dr Oates founded Quitch in 2015. The idea stemmed from her observation that, before her lectures, many of her students were ‘hooked to their phones’, and so she sought a solution that would integrate phones into the learning process. The aim of Quitch is to ‘gamify’ learning to make it more engaging.
President of Irish Australian Support and Resource Bureau (IASRB)
John Rodden
John Rodden serves as the President of the the Irish Australian Support and Resource Bureau (IASRB, or the Australian Irish Welfare Bureau as it was originally known).
It was founded in 1978 by a group of Irish men and women to assist recently arrived Irish immigrants and those in the community in need of support. It was the first of its kind in Australia, and served as an example for Irish community support organisations that have since established in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
Owner and operator of the Drunken Poet
Siobhán Dooley
Siobhán Dooley is the much-loved Publican at the Drunken Poet, the only Australian establishment to make the 10 Best Irish Pubs in the World (outside Ireland).
She opened the Drunken Poet in 2006, with the intention of creating the most authentic Irish pub in Melbourne, blending tradition with modernity. In the decades since, she has built a community here that fosters easy discussion, and honours the poetry and music of Ireland.