To be Irish in Tanzania: Culture, community and service
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 that extends worldwide.
Ireland has a longstanding connection with Tanzania. With diplomatic ties dating back to 1979, Ireland continues to develop its political, economic, trade, development and cultural relationships with Tanzania. This partnership is strengthened by close people-to-people bonds, reflecting the enduring links between our two countries.
Tanzania has a thriving, strongly embedded Irish community, who have contributed to the country in many ways, including through work in the development sector, in business, health, and education.
For many years, these individuals have worked and lived in Tanzania, strengthening their communities and sharing their cultures.
Meet some of the Irish community in Tanzania
Here we meet just eight of those individuals from the Irish diaspora in Tanzania, who have shared with us their unique experiences of being Irish in Tanzania, how they engage with Tanzanian culture and how they thrive as diaspora through a rich tradition of community, cultural connection and service.
Jonathan Sutton
Jonathan Sutton is the CEO of Radar Recruitment, one of the premier recruitment companies in Tanzania. Since 2004, he has helped many Tanzanians develop their careers.
Speaking about how he stays connected to Ireland, he references St Patrick’s Day celebrations each year, and the strong connection within the Irish community in Tanzania and neighbouring Kenya, who keep in touch and support each other.
He believes Tanzania to be a beautiful country, with many sites to see, and is thoroughly enjoying living and working between Tanzania and Ireland.
Dr Trish Scanlan
Dr Trish Scanlan is a children’s cancer specialist based in Muhimbili National Hospital. She is the founder of Tumaini la Maisha, an organisation that provides life-saving services to children with cancer and their families, with support from the Embassy of Ireland.
TLM has treated over 10,000 children in the last 19 years. Dr Scalan has helped set up a national network of hospitals across Tanzania and partnerships with institutions and medical experts between Ireland and Tanzania including Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Crumlin and University College Dublin.
Speaking about what she is most proud of, she mentions building childhood cancer services for Tanzania that has saved countless children’s lives. She also notes the annual St Patrick's fundraising ball that has developed as part of this work, and the unwavering support TLM gets from the Irish people and the Irish Government. TLM has trained numerous Tanzanian medical experts who now continue the work she started.
Dr Scalan is very proud to be Irish, and she sees similarities between Tanzania and Ireland in the scale of warmth, humour and generosity. Ultimately, they both feel like home.
Sr Annette Farrell
Sister Annette Farrell is a Sister of Holy Union Congregation in Tanzania, with many years of experience in expanding education infrastructure. From Arusha to Dar es Salaam, she has helped build many primary and secondary schools in underserved communities with support from the Embassy of Ireland and working with local government.
Her work has created jobs for teachers and has been instrumental in helping people to get education for their children.
Still supporting community development, Sister Annette enjoys reading, visiting people and watching the news in her free time. She also participates in agricultural activities, and poultry and dairy keeping at the congregation’s residence in Majimatitu, encouraging healthy eating.
Dr Peadar Brehony
Dr Peadar Brehony helps organisations, companies, policy makers and communities to find long term solutions to conservation challenges, making conservation more sustainable.
There are a lot of opportunities in conversation in Tanzania, as the country is already an active leader in conserving its natural resources. Dr Brehony expects that Tanzania will continue to play animportant role in looking after, managing and stewarding natural resources and wildlife.
Speaking about why he moved back to Tanzania after his PhD, Dr Brehony mentioned Tanzanians’ resilience despite their tumultuous history and their cultural and heritage pride, something he sees as a similarity to Irish people. Whether its football, music, or the weather, you can talk to Tanzanians about almost anything, much like Irish people.
Moira Brehony
Moira Brehony has been living in Tanzania since 1999, with her husband, two children, and now grandchildren. Originally from Limerick, Moira trained as a nurse midwife and worked in different parts of the world before moving to Tanzania to work in health under Concern.
In 1999, her family settled in Arusha, and she began working with the Medical Missionaries of Mary to set up a community development training program. Speaking proudly, she notes the programme trained and helped many individuals from Tanzanian and neighbouring counties, especially community-based organisations and local NGOs, to get off the ground. Now retired, Brehony is still involved in many projects, with the biggest one being supporting children’s education.
On being Irish in Tanzania, she mentions the Embassy’s annual St Patrick’s Day reception as a highlight, as an evening for music, dancing and celebration of Irish-ness, with everyone wearing a touch of green.
She encourages everyone to not be fearful and to enjoy and experience what other cultures have to offer – sharing true Irish hospitality along the way.
Sr Helen Mc Kenna
Sister Helen Mc Kenna lives in Arusha and worked for the Medical Missionaries Mary. Originally from Northern Ireland, she trained as a sister in Dublin, then moved to Tanzania in 1984.
Sr Mc Kenna spent many years working in health with underserved communities in Manyara, where she first took up reflexology. She later professionally trained for reflexology, counselling and psychotherapy, applying it to help her many patients and clients, working as a Natural Therapist and Counsellor in Tanzania.
Speaking about how she maintains her Irish traditions, it’s all about adaptability,, sharing how she prepares roast goat and pilau (a local delicacy) for Christmas instead of a ham.
On what she likes the most about Tanzania, she mentions the variety of vegetables and the many sites to visit including Kilimanjaro, Serengeti, and Olduvai Gorge - there’s so much to see.
Alexis Cronin
Alexis Cronin and Evanna Lyons are an Irish couple and the founders of Dunia Designs in Arusha, who are investing in furniture design and production with plastic waste, with focus on education, enterprise, employment and environment.
Originally from Cork, Cronin moved to Tanzania in 2014, and through Dunia Designs, he and Lyons have recycled thousands of kilograms of plastic waste for the design of furnishings and construction materials. They have also employed and trained many artisans, creating social and economic impact and protecting the environment.
Although the Irish community in Tanzania is small, Cronin notes that it’s an exciting one with occasional gatherings and room to grow. He hopes that Dunia Designs will pave the way to show that Irish businesses can successfully exist in Tanzania, expanding on its legacy where they employ more people and increase their social and economic capacity.
Aaron Cunningham
Aaron Cunningham is a Project Manager at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Tanzania. He first came to Tanzania in 2010 as a volunteer, after finishing his undergrad at NUI Galway. He is back in Tanzania for the third time since 2022, managing projects on energy efficiency and climate change and working closely with the Government of Tanzania to bring in strategies and new policies.
Reflecting on his work in Tanzania so far, Cunningham highlighted the Energy Efficiency Action Plan project, which is funded by the Embassy of Ireland and the European Union, and the National Energy Efficiency Strategy he is currently developing. This project works to introduce energy efficiency standards, and develop professional qualifications and skills, including through a Master’s scholarship programme at Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology, to promote more women to enter the energy sector.
Speaking about being Irish in Tanzania, he says that no matter where in Tanzania you are, you always feel part of the Irish community and connected to home.