WATCH: Syrian activist tells Tommy Tiernan how she saved for 10 years to come to Limerick

A SYRIAN refugee and international woman of the year award winner has told Tommy Tiernan that she saved for 10 years to come to study at a Limerick University.

Razan Ibraheem left Syria in 2011 and decided to study a Master’s Degree in teaching English at the University of Limerick, having studied the greats of Irish literature in her war-torn home country.

The journalist and Dublin based activist recently appeared as a guest on the Tommy Tiernan show, where she relayed her story of strenuous saving over a ten-year period.

“I was fascinated by Ireland as a country,” she told the Meath-born comedian, adding that when looking for the best place to study English, UL came “at the top of the list.”

Coming in as an overseas student, she explained that her fees were considerably higher than that of EU based students, with the full course costing a considerable €10,0000.

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“My dream was to continue my studies. It was my ultimate dream,” she continued.

Looking into her pockets at the time of consideration, she recalls seeing only €1, and told herself that she had “nothing to do but work.”

“I worked for the next 10 years, saving each year, between €800 to €1,000. After 10 years, I had enough for my full fees and then I arrived at Limerick,” the former assistant editor at Storyful said.

After coming to Limerick, she worked in what she described as “a wonderful Lebanese restaurant” and later became a translator, as the war in Syria, which was five months old at the time she left, took a turn for the worst.

Razan, who now works as a Senior Editorial Analyst at Kinzen, a website that protects online communities from harmful content, praised the 52-year-old host for his warmth and empathy.

Tommy Tiernan is different. He asks questions no one would think to ask. He listens & gives all the time to refect & answer. It was like a therapy or a random chat with a dear friend. Thank you @Tommedian & to the incredible team for giving me this opportunity. #TommyTiernanShow pic.twitter.com/J7gdfc0ULX

— Razan Ibraheem (رزان) (@RazanIRL) February 20, 2022

“Tommy Tiernan is different. He asks questions no one would think to ask. He listens and gives all the time to reflect and answer.

“It was like therapy or a random chat with a dear friend. Thank you Tommy,” she said.

Catch the full episode on the RTÉ Player app.