Our roaring 20s: Meet six Irish people making their way through their twenties

From a content creator to a taxi driver, an artist and our youngest TD, Rebecca Daly profiles six Irish people navigating a defining decade

Being in your 20s today can look so different from one person to the next

Welcome to Roaring 20s – a special edition of Weekend where we look at all things related to 20-somethings in Ireland.

The song ‘Vienna’ by Billy Joel often trends on TikTok. “Slow down you’re doing fine, you can’t be everything you want to be before your time,” the New Yorker sings on the iconic track. It’s not hard to see why it resonates with so many of us navigating this defining decade.

Being in your 20s today can look so different from one person to the next – some are working full-time in careers they are passionate about, others are just finding their feet; some are
exploring creative endeavours in Ireland’s arts scene; others are travelling the world; some are still living with parents, while others themselves are parents.

We hope to illustrate a range of these realities in this edition, and if you are in your 20s, we hope you’ll find yourself represented in these pages. For readers outside that bracket, we hope it will offer some insight into our roaring 20s.

Le grá,

Rebecca Daly, commissioning editor

Ahmed Karim Tamu, Musician and student

“I would like to stay in Ireland for as long as possible, and I would like Ireland to have me.”

Ahmed Karim Tamu known as Ahmed, With Love, musician and multidisciplinary artist. Picture: Moya Nolan

“It’s kind of like the Batman or Clark Kent situation of working during the day and doing all my creative bits afterwards or in between, like during lunch breaks and stuff like that,” he says.

Ahmed recently moved into an apartment in Inchicore with his girlfriend, after having lived with a friend’s family from the age of 13. He was born in Ireland and his family moved back to Sierra Leone when he was nine but he made a return on his own four years later.

“Dublin is a place where if you do want to find stuff to do, you can do it. It’s not as easy maybe in bigger places like London.

“I’m always doing stuff for my music or, even just beyond that, in other forms of artistry, be it acting or producing shows. I always feel like I have people I can talk to satiate that thirst for creative outlets.”

On the other hand, however, when it comes to renting, the capital isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

“It does not make sense to be spending €2,000 a month for an apartment in Dublin. I don’t feel like your return on investment is ever earned when you’re renting in Ireland.”

When asked if he’d consider moving abroad, it’s a no-brainer for Ahmed. Wherever there is a home or an opportunity, he’d be happy to lay his hat. For now, though, he has plenty to tie him down.

“I would like to stay in Ireland for as long as possible, and I would like Ireland to have me.”

As well as rent, there are other issues he finds with the capital — from public transport and how lengthy journeys can be to dying nightlife in the city. But he’s counting the blessings Ireland has to offer.

Irish people’s creativity is something Ahmed loves about being a 20-something — and how many people are “unapologetically themselves”.

The culture scene, in particular, has grown exponentially in recent years. “If you asked me 10 years ago did I know anything about Irish music, Irish hip-hop, I’d be like, ‘There’s not really much there.’ But now I can happily say there’s a community.”

Lara Quinn, Artist

“I have all these opportunities happening at once but I am also trying to make enough money to be able to pay rent and bills.”

Lara Quinn at her Backwater Artists Group studio space on Wandesford Quay, Cork. She’s preparing for an upcoming exhibition, opening April 3, at The Lavitt Gallery. Picture: Larry Cummins

The 25-year-old studied fine art at Crawford College of Art and Design and was awarded a studio space on Wandesford Quay for nine months.

She describes her situation at the moment as a “weird limbo”. Having earned a number of residencies, Lara is trying to strike a balance between her craft and working for money, and says financial stability is the biggest issue for her now.

“I have all these opportunities happening at once but I am also trying to make enough money to be able to pay rent and to pay for art supplies and bills and everything else, which is really hard because I just don’t have time.”

While there are a lot of grants out there to support Lara and her peers, their prospects for the future look to other lands.

“The majority of people want to do a master’s abroad. I know that’s where I want to go. Doing my degree in Ireland was great but master’s programmes, from what I’ve heard, have been dwindling in a lot of places [here].”

This not only means uprooting your life and base, it also means trying to secure a scholarship that will pay for the course in the likes of Britain. There is competition to deal with too.

While Dublin could offer more for Lara, she says the rent is simply unaffordable. For now, she wants to spend some time making a name for herself in Cork and the rest of the country.

Trying to find the sweet spot in working, taking time out from formal studies, and creating is hard.

“You don’t want to rush into [a master’s] straight away because you want to build a nice foundation where you’re from. But you also don’t want to wait too long because then you’re losing that momentum.”

One of her favourite aspects of being an artist in her 20s, though she jokes that it’s cheesy, is that it’s easy to feel part of the community because everyone knows each other.

“There’s a really lovely, flourishing art scene in Cork but it’s not huge either. Now that I’ve gotten a feel of some of the communities up in Dublin, it still feels tight-knit compared to living in London and trying to be an artist over there.”

Keelin Moncrieff, Content creator

“There would be good opportunities for me if I moved abroad but I wanted to be closer to home — that’s what your priorities are when you have a child.”

Keelin Moncrieff. Picture: Moya Nolan

Having built up her online platform, Keelin Moncrieff shares snippets of her life with her followers — from moving to London during the pandemic to having her daughter at 24.

At 27, her life looks fairly different to most others in their 20s with the arrival of her daughter, whose identity Keelin keeps private.

“I’ve kind of been catapulted into a sort of more ‘adult’ lifestyle. Most of the people I know, who I’m parent-friends with, are in their mid-30s and already have houses or are married.

“It was a new experience for me and I wasn’t able to relate to any of my friends.”

On top of this, becoming a mother has made Keelin consider things she may not have otherwise, such as finding a place to live with schools in mind.

Just as she did in her early 20s, most of her close friends have chosen to leave Ireland but that option just isn’t the same for her any more.

“Any of my friends who have had really good prospects in their career have decided to leave. There would be good opportunities for me if I moved abroad but I wanted to be closer to home and closer to a village, because that’s kind of what your priorities are when you have a child.

“I think the trajectory of my life just changed a little bit. I probably would have emigrated if I didn’t have a child. I also learned to love my community and have more of a drive to try help us, in a way.”

In her area, Keelin has noticed a lot of housing developments springing up but a lack of key facilities. She says she’d like to see money being put into the right areas in order to help communities thrive — and help young people to stay in the country they grew up in.

“Ireland never really cared about young people. I’m just hoping now that the housing market improves a little bit so that when my friends do want to settle down and have children, they can actually move home and do so.”

Asked if she feels supported in her career, she says, in a “general, social conversation sense”, probably not.

By the nature of her job, Keelin has to show a lot of her life online, which can attract a lot of hate. For her, the age-old Irish begrudgery appears to creep in.

When she lived in London, she got “way less hate”. She finds she gets more negative comments on her TikTok — where the algorithm is linked to an Irish location — versus YouTube, where the majority of her following comes from overseas.

“There’s a cohort of people in Ireland that would admire [creating content] because it seems very American. Especially in Ireland, the thing is you have to be modest and really humble. Filming yourself is the complete antithesis of that.”

That being said, she feels like attitudes are changing, with people not caring as much.

While working as a content creator means there is some flexibility, Keelin says it is the “only option” she really has as it has been hard finding childcare. There is “not really much longevity” to the job, however, once you become a parent.

“If you want to have the balance of privacy and then having your children involved, there’s an expiry date. Like, by the time she’s in school, I wouldn’t want to be online, which is why I need her in full-time childcare so I can actually start a career that doesn’t involve me being in the public eye.”

For those who are left in Ireland, Keelin believes there is an increased desperation to “have a good time” to convince themselves they are making the right choice by not emigrating.

“I would say that people in their 20s are so desperate to have a good time, to prove [to] themselves that they made the right decision to stay here. Everyone’s way more open to chat to each other and make friends and make connections.

“It’s different if you’re in London or in Australia. Everyone’s a bit more closed off. And maybe that’s just a cultural or social thing over there.

“But with Irish people, everyone is so friendly and up for having the chats.”

Eoghan Kenny, Politician

“We need to be the flag bearers in trying to solve the issues that this country faces right now.”

Newly elected TD Eoghan Kenny. Picture: Larry Cummins

Mallow-born and reared, Eoghan Kenny TD has a job like no other 24-year-old in Ireland.

He had worked as a secondary school teacher until his election to Cork County Council in 2024, followed by his election to the 34th Dáil — making him the youngest TD in the Cabinet.

“While it is a very difficult job, I’m absolutely living the dream as a 24-year-old to receive a mandate like this, to represent over 140,000 people in Cork North Central,” he says.

Eoghan has lived with his grandmother since he was 10 and says she “keeps him grounded”.

Like many others, the hope is to one day own his own place.

“I can see how difficult that is for people of my own age in their 20s. The average age of a person buying a house in Ireland now is 39 years old, which is significantly higher than it was 20 years ago.”

Despite the age gap between himself and some of the more senior members of the Dáil, Eoghan believes it is crucial to have people like him in the role.

“We, as 20-something-year-olds, need to be the flag bearers in terms of trying to solve the issues that this country faces right now. The way we can continue to do that is if we elect younger TDs, younger politicians in their 20-somethings, to be those representatives because we’re understanding the issues that are facing the country.”

As a home bird, Eoghan had no real desire to move abroad but has seen some of his friends emigrate — for the adventure or perhaps not feeling like they had a future here.

“I’m in a position where, hopefully, I could change that perspective for a lot of people, where I can try to get the narrative across that there is a future for people in this country if we elect people who are progressive and who do genuinely want change.”

Like anyone in their 20s, Eoghan likes to switch off with his friends, who will often tell him when it’s time to stop talking about politics.

And, like the others, getting to know his community is so important too.

“For a country of 100,000 welcomes, even in your own community, where you head into town on a Saturday morning and you are greeted with a smile on people’s faces and a hello — I don’t know... does that happen in many other countries? What brings me joy is the happiness that people share in their own communities, the comradeship that we share.”

Abi Mar, Taxi driver and student

“I feel the housing crisis is going to get worse but every country has their own issues.”

Abi Mar. Picture: Gareth Chaney

Like many 21-year-olds, Abi Mar splits her time between college and working. Instead of working in a typical student job in retail or hospitality, though, the Blanchardstown woman drives a taxi. After passing her driving test during the pandemic, Abi worked as a delivery driver until her father got her into the taxi business.

“[He said] ‘If you like delivery driving, you’re going to like this job a lot more. It’s less stressful. You pick your own hours. You won’t have to work at 12 o’clock.’ And that was pretty much it.

“Initially, I was like, ‘No, that’s a bit weird. You don’t really see female taxi drivers.’ I had excuses like I won’t get insured, it’s going to be awkward. My friends are telling me how dangerous it is.”

In the end, Abi decided to give it a go and now finds it to be flexible for going on holidays and fitting around her course. “The pros definitely outweighed the cons for me.”

Abi says she feels quite satisfied with her life at the moment, being self-employed at just 21. Her current PLC course is in criminology, law, and psychology — and, despite initially wanting to get a full degree, she’s been turned off the idea.

“I’ve had two friends who went on to get a degree. They were constantly struggling with money, unhappy as well. They were working the weekends after being in college all week, not having a social life. I feel like I have a really good balance of it all.”

Instead, she wants to start another short course when she finishes this one and have the opportunity to try new things.

Saving is a big issue for Abi and, unlike many other 21-year-olds, she’s thinking ahead to her future. In the next five years, she wants to be able to step onto the property ladder.

“I feel like [the housing crisis] is going to get worse. I don’t think it is going to get any better. Ideally, I’d like to live a bit outside Dublin — like Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin — have a bit of land, have a little cottage. That would be my vision and I just don’t think I’d be able to afford that.”

These concerns add to her reasoning for not wanting a degree, as studying will take away from the time she has to earn money. Some of Abi’s friends are not hopeful about ever owning a home, she says, but she wants to try.

With parents who came to Ireland from Romania to give her and her brother a better chance at life, Abi has no intentions of leaving.

“I think other countries are definitely far worse. I always try to put myself in someone else’s shoes. I think every country does have their own issues, especially capitals like Dublin and London.”

Having friends who are up for new experiences is hugely important. She says her group do more than just go out, they join running clubs and travel.

At the end of the day, she likes the capital.

“I really don’t think Dublin is as bad as people make it out to be, especially after hearing things about how my parents grew up.”

Seán Fitzgerald, Teacher and GAA player

“I would have gone to Australia but the thought of the lads winning the All-Ireland and me not being part of it would haunt me forever.”

Sean Fitzgerald. Picture: Gareth Chaney

For many young GAA hopefuls, playing county is the ultimate goal. Seán Fitzgerald is one of the lucky ones, as a defender for Galway.

The 24-year-old, who is also known as Fitzy, lives in Dublin and works as a primary school teacher.

There’s no way he could be accused of not being committed to his sport as he drives back home a number of times a week for training. Having gone to college in Dublin, he became fond of having “the best of both worlds” by spending time in the capital as well as back home.

It is stressful but it’s self-inflicted, he says. “It’s my choice to do the football and do things I want to do. It’s tough to just get a night out with the lads because if you have [football commitments on] Saturday and Sunday, you can’t really be going out. Or if you’re training during the week, [it’s] hard to go out.”

As a result of his lifestyle, a lot of Seán’s life has to be mapped out in advance — from meals to school plans. Most of the alone time he gets are the journeys to and from training.

Despite the chaos, he says he loves being a teacher and finds it very fulfilling. “When you have a kid in the class and they don’t understand something, you are the person that impacts them in a positive way. It’s wholesome. I just love it. I suppose, if I was getting paid for football as well, it wouldn’t be too bad.”

Saving money is a huge issue. Despite being reimbursed by the GAA for his journeys back to Galway, he says this doesn’t happen until afterwards, which means his pocket can take the initial big hit. Saving for the summer or the future can be tough.

“I’d like to go travelling but you don’t make too much money when you live in Dublin. When summer comes, you have a bit of money saved up but you’d have to be working for a fair few years, I’d say, for when you can go off travelling for a year.”

Asked if a move abroad was on the cards, Seán says if the football final last year had gone to plan, he would have left. “If I had won the All-Ireland last year, I would have gone to Australia. But the thought of the lads winning the All-Ireland and me not being part of it would haunt me forever. So we’ll just win it this year and then I can go off and do what I want.”