Joanna Baumgart and Fiona Farr Polish Teenagers’ Integration into Irish Secondary Schools: Language, Culture and Support Systems Introduction Social demographics in Ireland have changed dramatically over the last thirty years: from joining the European Union in 1973, through the 1980s recession, to the economic boom of the Celtic Tiger in the mid-1990s, and back to the current downturn. With its competitive economy, Ireland became an attractive destination in recent decades and immigration num- bers grew extensively, albeit not consistently. However, it was not until the enlargement of the EU in May 2004 that Ireland was faced with mass net migration from the newly admitted states (EU10). In 2005, the estimated number of immigrants from EU12 (EU10 plus Bulgaria and Romania) was 329,000, while those from EU15 (excluding Ireland and the UK) accounted for only 133,000 (www.cso.ie),1 and this trend was unremitting until 2008. Most immigrants came from Eastern European EU12 states, and the over- all number of PPS numbers issued between 2005 and 2007 indicates that Polish nationals were the dominant group (over 50 per cent in 2005, over 60 per cent in 2006, and 70 per cent in 2007).2 he rationale for so many Polish people choosing Ireland as their new home can be analysed from two economic perspectives: macro and micro.3 On the macro-economic level, decisions to leave the home country were brought about by the unstable 1 <http://www.cso.ie>, accessed October 2008. 2 <http://www.welfare.ie>, accessed October 2008. 3 See K. Kropiwiec and R.C. King-O’Riain, Polish Migrant Workers in Ireland (Dublin: NCCRI, 2006).