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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.
“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. Construction continues on South Africa's Ben Schoeman Highway where Moville emigrant Brian Keogh works as a site agent.
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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