Not emigration, but an adventure: Slav Smilyanov’s life path in Ireland

Bulgarian compatriot Slav Smilyanov is not one of those people who
choose emigration in order to save money or because he was striving
for a better life. 13 years ago, he took this step because he is a
person who loves diversity, travelling, meeting different people and
exploring the world. Over the years, he had the opportunity to live
for several months in Cyprus, and in 2002 and 2005 – to be part of
students’ Work and Travel programs in the USA.

“The thing that attracted me to Ireland was the experience of a
classmate of mine, with whom we are very good friends. I settled in
Ireland in 2013. Two years earlier I went on a trip to see him and
stayed there for a month. I liked the place where he lived and when I
went to visit him again two years later, on the third day of my stay
I received a job offer and I said to myself – why not, let me try!”

Slav settled in Strandhill – a small village on the coast of the
ocean, in the Northwestern part of Ireland, already with a clear
professional dream – to devote himself entirely to cooking as a
vocation:

“Strandhill is very famous for surfing. Years ago, the
government built a base for the Irish national team in this sport
there. In the winter about 1,500 people live in the village and in
the summer it is visited by 150-200,000 tourists. There are many
restaurants. Over the years, I have worked in two of the busiest ones. At
first, it was very interesting and quite difficult for me, mainly
because of the many new products that I had never used in cooking, as
well as many spices that are more typical of Asian cuisine.”

Culinary art in Ireland has been developing actively in the last two
or three decades, the Bulgarian tells us. Together with his friend
from the school years, they decided to take a risky step and open
their own restaurant, which differs in concept in comparison to most in
the Irish town:

“We did something that the village was missing. It offers the
typical things that people like in the country – burgers and
traditional fish and chips. Everything is served in cardboard boxes
that people can take away. Our menu is not large. As we have
completely eliminated waiters and managers, our prices are a bit
lower and our quality is quite high, as we use products of the
highest quality. A very big bonus is that we always use fresh
seafood.”

It is hard to find accurate statistics on the number of
Bulgarians living in the Republic of Ireland. According to Eurostat
data for 2022, quoted by DW, the official number of Bulgarians who
have lived in the country for more than a year is 2,508, but
unofficially there are many more. Slav Smilyanov says that in the
town of Sligo, about 20 kilometers away from the village where he
lives and works, there are between 20 and 30 Bulgarians. In Northern
Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, about 3,000 compatriots
live in the city of Armagh. There are also many Bulgarian shops
there, so he and his business partner sometimes travel there to buy necessary Bulgarian goods.

The seasonal nature of Slav Smilyanov’s business also divides his
time between Ireland and Bulgaria. He returns to his homeland most
often in the winter. During one of these “escapes” home, he
meets the lady of his heart, with whom he is about to get married,
and we wish them a happy life together, combining the best of both
cultures.