Limerick man shares his plans with family for Christmas in Dubai

SPENDING Christmas in the sun on a sandy beach is not something every Irish person can say they have the luxury of doing, but for one Patrickswell man, it has become somewhat of a tradition.

Wesley Morrissey and his family live in Dubai UAE, and have been there for the last six years.

A typical Christmas Day for them includes a swim, mulled wine in flasks and a festive picnic under the hot middle-eastern sun.

This year is extra special, as the Morrisseys will have one special visitor, along with Santa.

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“For the last couple of years, we have stayed put [in Dubai for Christmas].

“My mother Sheila, in Patrickswell, is coming out to visit my sister Dervilia first, who lives in Saudi Arabia, and then she is coming to us for Christmas. The kids, Barry, Ella and Éabha will be delighted to see their nanny!

“Christmas morning we get up and go to the beach, something you don’t get to do at home - my wife Sarah makes mulled wine and pigs in blankets, the kids go for a swim, we drink the mulled wine in a flask!

“We go back and open presents and then meet some Irish friends that we have here. Not much different from home, but we aren’t wrapped up in jumpers.”

Saying that, the family did “have a bit of adjusting to do” for their first Christmas abroad in 2018. Wesley said there are “so many Irish and Limerick people here” that serve a slice of home for when they need it.

“This year, we are going out for dinner because there’s a lot more Irish pubs that have opened up here in the last couple of years and McCafferty’s pub is doing a Christmas dinner day, where 250 Irish people are going to it!

“There’s a musician from Askeaton, Joe Sheehan, that’s playing in a pub on Christmas Day as well, so we will be going to that too.”

Working with a dairy company, Wesley said that the plan was to go there for a couple of years along with Sarah, who is a teacher and originally from Tipperary.

There are more pros than cons with living in Dubai it would seem, as Wesley explains: “the weather is one thing, the tax free salaries is another big plus, and the kids, they just love it”.

“Two years became three and four.. for the time being, this is where we’ll be.”

Wesley said that while they love living there, they “do plan on coming home, but there’s no rush”.