Eddie Bowen

which is not an industry for years that would have provided pension as such.

So you're kind of living off your wits.

My family home where my mother lived, I was living with her.

She passed away, so the house was sold.

So I looked at the finances I had and I had a look at houses in Ireland.

I travelled all over Ireland from Dock to Strokes Down to Newcastle West to Yall to all over the country just to try and stay in Ireland.

but simply couldn't afford it it's just it's madness you know like four stone walls rubble basically just the rubble was a hundred thousand and then when you try and look for a builder to come do some work you know well we don't know when we can the expenses are going up so you're probably there were very few houses where a turnkey that you could walk in and live in and at that stage you know

when you start looking at your finances for the rest of your life, you're kind of thinking, I need to have a house.

I need to have somewhere to live.

Don't get me wrong, I can afford to buy in France, but the cost of buying somewhere here in France is just, because I bought a three bedroom house here in France, fully furnished for 64,000.

Wow.

No, no, because I spent all my life in Ireland, loved the country.

I've been heavily involved in history in Ireland, heavily involved in doing radio history, part of the Irish Pirate Radio Archive over in DCU.

I was chair of the local historical society for a couple of years.

I spent my lifetime in the bar trade.

I loved Ireland.

I always loved going back to Ireland, but, you know, when I came back,

looking at the you know when you sit down with the pros and cons and you sit down with the bank balance and you're kind of looking at it you know say if I keep myself in a straight and narrow there's probably 30 years left in my life so what am I going to do with it so it became a no brainer Set aside the stifling heat there I mean are you excited about the adventure ahead or how are you feeling about it?

That's a brilliant question Ciarán

I'm good at that I have to leave Ireland.