POWER OF TWO In it together

In2009, William and Laura Donnellan travelled from their native Galway to Vancouver with a one-year visa. They knew no one, didn’t have a job and were unsure how to secure one. William was a carpenter and Laura had been working as a HR manager for Dunnes Stores. “We didn’t have connections, so we had to make them,” Laura says.

“The 2010 Winter Olympics drew us and many others to Vancouver, which also meant a lot of construction. William was sending out his CV but not getting feedback; I wasn’t getting feedback either because my HR manager title didn’t really translate here and with a short-term visa, companies assumed I’d be leaving. So, William bought a hardhat and walked onto a site… he got a job straightaway. I went to a recruitment agency, got temping work and was hired to work in reception at Bell Mobility, one of Canada’s largest telecommunications companies. Ten months later, William was offered sponsorship by his employer, which meant I got sponsored too, and we received another two-year visa. I had a great relationship with the HR team in Bell, so asked them for advice on how to get into HR. As it happened, they had a role and hired me the next day. I did recruiting with them across Canada for three years. William meanwhile was building relationships in construction.”

William established IRL Construction in 2011 when he spotted a gap in the Canadian market for skilled construction workers and Laura brought her HR experience to the business. Not long after, they realised their new home lacked a proper Irish pub, one they’d want to go to. IRL Group was born, the IRL standing for Integrity, Reliability and Loyalty – values the couple bring to every aspect of the enterprise. With five pubs – and more in the pipeline – IRL Group has fast become a leader in the hospitality sector in British Columbia.

“We found ‘Irish pubs’ here weren’t really Irish pubs at all and yet they were doing well,” explains William. “You’d see someone pulling a pint of Guinness in one go, not realising it needs to settle! There’s so much to it, which we knew, as our families had pubs – kegs have to be stored at a certain temperature. It’s a process. We could see there was a huge opportunity here for a real Irish bar, owned and operated by Irish people.”

William and Laura Donnellan – cofounders of IRL Group – first arrived in Vancouver in 2009 with a oneyear visa. Today, the entrepreneurial couple are proud of the team they’ve built across their hospitality, construction and safety businesses. They talk to Meg Walker about why they’re keen to use their learnings and connections to help others arriving to Canada with dreams of their own.

Their first pub, Donnellan’s on Vancouver’s Granville Street, opened in 2017. “It was a huge investment – we put every penny we had into it, plus more we borrowed,” says William. “It was a big risk but thankfully it worked out. We got involved with the right people, the right community and groups such as the GAA. We sponsored jerseys, soccer teams, film festivals… They all rallied around us. It was honestly a side hustle at the time for a bit of fun – we wanted somewhere to go to watch the GAA matches. When you’re 5,000 miles from home, you long for that connection. Our business plan was that we’d offer a place that would bring people together.”

“We’ve created our own big Irish family,” he adds, proudly. “We have almost 200 full-time people, 80 per cent of whom are Irish, with musicians playing seven nights a week. We’re the most authentic Irish pub group here in BC and that’s down to the people.”

Extending their support to others like them, who’ve come to Canada not knowing what to expect, is something the Donnellan’s consider a privilege. “People find it relatively easy to get a two-year visa but when they want to stay is where the challenges come along,” says Laura. “We have great relationships with immigration lawyers and try our best to help the members of our team if they want to stay. It takes time and patience.”

“We recently held a speed networking event in Donnellan’s Irish Pub, which was an idea Laura came up with –‘New & Not So New in Vancouver’,” says William. “People were posting online saying they were lonely or couldn’t get jobs or accommodation, so we decided to have an event where business leaders would spend seven minutes at each table giving advice to young people who’d arrived from Ireland and beyond. Seventy people showed up. It was nice for attendees to hear that these people who are very successful now went through similar challenges. Relationships and talking to people are very important here in Canada – networking is of the utmost importance and it’s something I think few young Irish people have experience with. We served complimentary snacks, tea and coffee and said look, this is free – we don’t expect people to buy anything, we’re here to help. And they really appreciated it. We’ll definitely do it again.”

“When we asked the leaders if they’d do this event, there was no hesitation,” adds Laura. “They cancelled meetings, moved things around and said, ‘we want to help’. I want people’s experiences to be positive and hope someday when our sons travel, there are people there to support them.”

When asked what have been the biggest highlights since they made the move to Vancouver 14 years ago, the answer comes swiftly: “Our three kids (aged five, two and eight months) are definitely our greatest achievement,” says

William. “We’re also very proud of our IRL family – we always refer to it as a family or team rather than ‘employees’ or ‘staff’. Many have been with us for a long time. Our values – integrity, reliability and loyalty – our team really stand for these. When you’re good to your team, they’ll be good to you. It costs nothing to be kind and it goes a long way.”

IRL Group has big plans for expansion in all divisions, with new pubs currently being built, plans for IRL Construction to enter into development and further real estate investment on the cards.

I wonder what advice the pair have for anyone considering seeking the Canadian dream. “Embrace the people around you who have experience, connect with them – ask if you can go for a coffee,” advises Laura. “Don’t be afraid of the knock-backs – there will be knock-backs but you learn from them. It’s important to be confident in what you’re capable of. We’re very proud of what we have and the people in our lives and we believe in them –they’re the face of our companies, the people who represent us every day. And we continue to learn from them.”

“When we first came here, we didn’t know we needed to build credit – that wasn’t done in Ireland,” William adds. “You couldn’t get a credit card. That’s something I’d advise people do early on – get a prepaid credit card, keep it topped up and start working on your credit. People here – whether they’re Irish or Canadian or from somewhere else – are happy to help, so talk to them, ask questions. It’s all about having the right mindset and right attitude. That’s everything.”

Life in Canada

Laura shares some of the differences moving to Vancouver have made to the Donnellan’s lifestyles.

Family life Raising kids in Vancouver is different. I’m from a small farm and we’re in the middle of the city here. It’s a really beautiful place to live. The seawall is right outside our door and goes 11km all around the water. There are playgrounds everywhere. Both sets of grandparents are in Ireland. It is challenging not having family nearby. We’ve had to adapt and make new friends and we’re involved with things like the GAA, which is a lovely way to connect with other Irish families. Our eldest has just started school too, which has been a wonderful avenue for meeting new parents.

Staying connected to home We visit Ireland as often as we can. We’re fortunate with the direct flights. I try and time trips around the festivals, such as the Galway Races, Oyster Festival or Arts Festival –they embrace so much of the Irish culture. And, we often have family and friends visit us. In April last year, we launched Smith’s and had 50 of William’s family fly over. We’re great tour guides at this point.

Canadian pastimes The mountains are at our doorstep, so hiking and skiing are two things we’ve taken up. Our eldest just had his first ski lesson. There are so many activities throughout the year to enjoy. In summer, you get out on the water. Each season brings something different.