It was a sad start to the New Year for the Brazilian community in Laois and further afield, particularly Cork, as news of the murder of Bruna Fonseca (28) spread.
Labras, the Laois Brazilian Support Association, carries out ongoing training with Offaly domestic violence support services and is available if anyone in the region is experiencing difficulties.
The Brazilian community in Laois celebrated Christmas at a party in Portlaoise before Christmas where over fifty people got into the festive spirit at the gathering, with about 20 of them children.
There was a buffet with a mix of traditional Brazilian Christmas food as well as Irish fare. Santa dropped in on proceedings and all the children got a party bag. Music played and there was lots of chatter and some games for the children.
Labras doesn’t know the specific number of Brazilian people living in the county as the committee said the last census is very outdated.
“The number of Brazilians has been growing exponentially in the past few years. We see families arriving constantly,” said Cassia O’Neill who chairs the committee.
“Most people work but as there is a high number of families, we also have mothers or fathers staying at home and minding the children.
“What’s interesting to note is there are a couple of families who have been here for many years and the children have grown up attending local schools and are fully bilingual.
“Some members of the community who have been here for longer even have grandchildren who were born here,” said Cassia.
The Labras group was founded with the vision of creating a closeknit community, to unite members so that old and new could connect and support each other.
“We have been working towards strengthening our community for the last two years and we have noticed that people are getting closer and new friends are being made,” said Franca McManus, secretary of the group.
“What’s lovely to see is that some people attend our events even before moving to Portlaoise and this way, they already make new friends and get to know people which makes it so much easier to settle in,” Franca said.
“Mostly people interact with other communities if they are married to someone from another country, but it can be hard to make friends or get involved if you’re unsure of your language abilities because of cultural differences etc,” said Patricia Diottto, who looks after communications and admin in the group.
“We would love to see more Brazilian people engaging in other local activities and local community groups, and we have plans for the new year to work closely with Laois Sports Partnership and Laois libraries as well as other migrant groups to encourage cross-cultural friendships,” said Danielle Gibson, who also looks after communications and admin for the group.
Most people plan to stay in Laois, according to Cassia.
“There is a considerable amount of Brazilian people who have purchased property in Laois which of course means that they plan to stay in the country in contrast to Dublin where many Brazilian people have student visas which means they are only planning to stay in Ireland temporarily.
“One of the biggest challenges that Brazilian people face here is the language barrier which may prevent them from socialising with other nationalities and accessing public services. Also some people are not able to find jobs within their qualifications in Brazil,” she said.
“For example, there are members of the community qualified as nurses in Brazil who are struggling to get into the field here in Ireland.”
The World Cup provided a real focal point for the Brazilian community to get together. “Labras organised a get-together in Kavanaghs Bar & Venue, Portlaoise, to watch the World Cup matches.
“This was a huge event for Brazilians and it’s a time we long to be home as our country literally stops whenever the World Cup is on. Many of us are truly passionate about football and of course we have some very famous players. Everyone knows Pele for example,” Franca said.
“It was great to have so many people coming together to support our team. We really felt at home. Such a shame that Brazil didn’t go forward.”
Apart from the World Cup and Christmas, the group usually has at least two big events a year to celebrate traditional Brazilian festivals, one in June, the Festa Junina which is similar to many traditional midsummer celebrations across Europe which was brought to Brazil by the Portuguese, and Children’s Day which is, of course, all about the children and an event with games and sweets and lots of fun for the little ones.
“Christmas in Brazil is normally celebrated on Christmas Eve. “Both the gifts exchange and the meal take place after midnight.
“You’ll be surprised to learn that many people eat turkey and ham, just like here in Ireland. Since Christmas in Brazil is in summertime, many people go to the beach where they can enjoy the weather and relax,” said Cassia.
“Going home for Christmas is a real treat for us but due to the flight fares, unfortunately not everyone can go, especially when it’s a whole family travelling. Thanks to technology we can stay in touch with our loved ones over the festive season but it’s not always the same thing.”
SEE ALSO – Check out a selection of stories and photos from the LaoisToday archives here
