ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the readjustment that Irish return migrants experience in re-settling in small communities in western Ireland. It provides the case study that was conducted in the eight western counties constitute the poorest and least developed region of Ireland. A study of the attitudes toward emigration among young people in one Irish county found that 36 per cent of the youths surveyed definitely intended to emigrate and an additional 40 per cent were seriously thinking of it. A comparison of the place of residence of the migrants before and after their return reveals that return migration for the majority was essentially an urban to rural movement. The experiences of many of the returnees surveyed suggest that readjustment may be difficult. When asked how satisfied they were with their lives in Ireland during their first year back, over half of the returnees said that they were not satisfied and would have been happier had they stayed abroad.
