During Ireland’s years of economic prosperity, the country opened its borders to Polish and other eastern European immigrants to fuel the good times. And they came in record numbers.

Poles have changed the face of Ireland. Bars sell Polish beer alongside Guinness; butchers advertise Polish sausages and pork cuts along with Irish beef.

In all, 1.2 million Poles may have moved to the U.K. and Ireland since 2004, according to Warsaw-based Centre for International Relations.

With the global economic crisis and ensuing downturn the Irish economy, hundreds of thousands of Poles are expected to be out of their jobs and many of those are expected to leave Ireland and look for work elsewhere.