Grandparents sell up home to join family ‘Down Under’

Two Irish grandparents will “finally be living the dream” when they are reunited with their family for the first Christmas in 13 years.

Janet and Eugene Bennis sold their Limerick home earlier this year and emigrated to Australia to live near their four grown-up children and four young grandchildren. The couple said spending Christmas days away from their Brisbane-based family had become too painful.

But their permanent move to Brisbane in February has paid off, as they fulfil their long-held dream of spending Christmas Day with their four young granddaughters, Saoirse, 5; Isabelle, 3; Teegan, 3; and Alexia, 1.

Janet said: “In Ireland our lives were so empty without the children and grandchildren, particularly around Christmas time. We are so excited about our first Christmas together in 13 years and for me and Eugene this really is a dream. We missed so many of the grandchildren’s birthdays and milestones when we were living in Ireland, but now we see them all the time. It’s very hot over here at the moment and that takes some getting used to at this time of year but we have waited 13 years to be together as a family and that makes this the perfect Christmas for us.”

However Janet, who worked as a University of Limerick catering supervisor before emigrating, admitted life ‘down under hasn’t all been plain sailing: “We moan a lot about the heat. And it may be hard to believe but I even miss the Irish weather. Also, we can’t work until we get our permanent residency sorted out which will hopefully be in May. But I think our only regret is that we didn’t make the move sooner.”

The pair have kept themselves busy since emigrating — with Janet, 54, working with suicide group Pieta House’s Darkness Into Light campaign in Brisbane, and Eugene, 59, joining up with the local Men’s Shed group.