Penniless Canadian reaps the fruits of his success

A week ago at the Dublin Convention Centre, among nearly 900 invitees and their guests, Galway entrepreneur Bruce Henry stood with his hand over his heart as he recited the oath of fidelity to the Irish state, received his certificate of naturalisation and was officially made an Irish citizen.

For this Canadian turned Paddy, his story is one of tenacity, triumph and success and reminds us that with hard work, anything is possible. Almost penniless in his early days in Ireland, he now runs the hugely-successful Galway entertainment company Murder on the Menu.

While citizenship ceremonies are relatively new to Ireland, preparing for this moment has been something Bruce has looked forward to for the past six years since he first arrived in Dublin.

“I flew from my home of Winnipeg to Toronto, then onto Heathrow and from Heathrow into Dublin and even though it was raining, I was so excited for this new adventure I was about to embark on. My ancestors were Irish and left Ireland in 1838 so reconnecting with my Irish roots was really important to me. Having lived in Canada my entire life, I was ready to experience Irish culture in my own way,” says Henry.

Bruce arrived in Dublin on April 23, 2009 and immediately tried to find work in the nation’s capital. Unfortunately, at this time redundancies were skyrocketing at nearly 1,200 a week and after nearly three months, the job search seemed hopeless.

“Nobody was calling me back. After months and hundreds of CVs, I just couldn’t get an interview. I was starting to lose hope. I was living in a hostel on the Dublin Quays and shared a room with 17 other people and I was critically low on cash. I could feel my days were numbered”.

That is until a phone call from Ennis, Co. Clare changed everything.

“I received a call from a company in Ennis and they wanted to meet me for an interview later that week. I literally only had €50 to my name, so I knew I was going to have to ring my parents and ask to borrow the €25 for the train fare. Luckily they said yes!

“I made my way to Ennis and I treated this interview as if my life depended on it because in that moment, it really did. I didn’t sacrifice everything back in Canada to come to Ireland for just a few months. There was so much more I wanted to see and do and I wasn’t ready to come home yet, so I dug really deep and found the strength to make it work.”

After a three-hour train journey and an interview that lasted over an hour, Bruce Henry emerged triumphant and boarded the train back to Dublin with a signed contract of employment in hand.

“It was really one of those defining moments in my life. I had the choice to give up and go home or stay and fight for my place here. I choose to stay and while it has been difficult with a lot of obstacles to overcome, it’s all been worth it. Nothing worth having is ever easy to achieve,” says Bruce.

While living in Ennis, Bruce began taking the bus up to Galway on the weekends to experience the City of Tribes for himself. After his three-month contract in Ennis ended, Bruce decided Galway would become his new home and he made the move in October 2009. From there he worked in the hospitality industry for a number of different hotels and restaurants until starting his own business in the summer of 2013.

“I always knew I was destined to work for myself because regardless of where I worked, I always wanted to do things my way which as you can imagine, didn’t really work for many of my employers. I focused on entertainment and tourism and developed a business based on things that I was most passionate about. That’s where Murder on the Menu started.

“Since we started in 2013, we’ve become Ireland’s favourite murder mystery entertainment company for hen parties, birthday’s, anniversaries, corporate team building and sports and social nights out. Last year, we completed over 60 private parties and entertained thousands of people. This year we’re on track to doing 200 parties and we’re even developing a new murder mystery pub tour for Galway this summer.”

The company has grown since its inception and established a new office in Galway in March of this year. It currently employs two additional staff members and has been nominated for a number of local business awards.

“I came to Ireland at a time when the financial system was in such peril I couldn’t even get a bank account. I had to get my employer to write me a letter of introduction before the banks would even talk to me. To go from that to owning my own company, creating new jobs and now expanding, I’m proof that there are opportunities here in Ireland. The country is open for business, the economy is recovering and things are looking up.

“With that said, this has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life. I’ve changed and continue to develop and grow since I arrived back in 2009. I’ve truly learned what it was like to starve, take risks and work harder everyday than I did the last. For me, persistence is key and my strongest trait is my tenacity, my willingness to try try again.

“I love Canada and not a day goes by where I don’t think about my family and loved ones back home but I’ve worked hard to get where I am and I’m staying in Ireland. This is my home now and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.”

As one of the countries newest citizens, what was his first act as an Irish citizen.

“Immediately after the ceremony ended, I jumped on the Luas and headed to my favourite Dublin Pub where I enjoyed a pint of Guinness. Stereotypical I know, but I feel like I’d be letting the country down if I didn’t.

“On a more serious note, I’m proud to say that my first official civic act will be voting in the Marriage Equality referendum on May 22 where I’ll be certainly voting Yes for Equal Marriage. I feel like I represent a new generation in Ireland, one that’s more progressive, more forward thinking and more accepting. I’m so proud to be an Irish citizen and I can’t wait to see what the next six years are like”.