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Brian's new life in South Africa
26.06.09
Inishowen construction
workers on the move
by Simon McGeady, Inishowen
Independent
THE BOOM in the Irish construction industry is a
distant memory but in South Africa it’s a very
different story. The country, which will host the
football World Cup next summer is one giant building
site at the moment and a number of Inishowen people
have travelled there to take advantage of the jobs
on offer.
Moville man Brian Keogh and his wife Emma, left for
a new life in the southern hemisphere at the end of
January.
In February, the 31 year old began work as a site
agent, working on the upgrade of Ben Schoeman
Highway, South Africa’s busiest motorway which links
the neighbouring cities of Johannesburg and
Pretoria.
“My wife Emma had worked for the Irish Red Cross in
Africa previously and we had thought about moving
before, but with things quietening down in Ireland
and when I saw that there was such a boom going on
in South Africa with infrastructure, the sort of
work I was used to, it made up our minds,” said
Brian.
Work is plentiful at the moment, but demanding, as
the country races to finish infrastructural
improvements in time for next June’s tournament. |
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“I look after the
surfacing - asphalting and chipping – on the
highway. There are road works everywhere at the
minute. There is an embargo on all construction work
during the World Cup, so with five highways getting
upgraded the whole thing is being fast tracked,
which means we’re pulling 24 hour shifts at the
minute. |
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The company I work for
have just completed the World Cup Stadium in Port
Elizabeth. They’re also doing Soccer City in
Johannesburg.”
South Africa is attracting an influx of Irish
workers at the moment.
“There definitely is work out here, any kind of
infrastructural work that has to be done. Two weeks
ago I met a Carn girl, Aine McLaughlin, in a pub
while watching the Ireland Bulgaria soccer game. She
was sitting with 40 Irish people, most of them on
contract with Eriksson, who are getting the Mobile
network upgraded in time for the World Cup.”
Even though the global recession has seen many South
African workers come back from Dubai, Australia and
Europe, Brian believes there will be work in the
Southern part of Africa for the Irish until well
into the next decade.
The former City of Derry and Inishowen rugby player
is looking forward to attending the next two Lions
tests in nearby Pretoria and Johannesburg. He is
also looking forward to meeting up with his old
Irish Colleges team mate Paul O’Connell, captain of
the touring Lions.
“It will be good to meet up with Paul and the gang.
Both of us were involved in the Irish Colleges team
in the 1990s. In fact this week ten years ago we
played together in East London and Port Elizabeth,”
added Brian.
As to how long the Keoghs will be in South Africa,
they know only that there will be no return to
Ireland in the short term.
“I will be on this job until the end of 2010. They
reckon there is 20 years work here. Whether or not
we stay here for that long I don’t know. We’re
working off a five year plan at the moment. I’d like
to come home someday.” |
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