The Social Side of Ireland and Irish People in Continental Europe
June 11th, 2008
As the Irish take a media break from The Lisbon Treaty, it is a great time look at the other side of Irish life in Europe.
The influence of Irish Culture, Irish Music & Dancing, and Irish Sport on the rest of Europe has been quite phenomenal”, reports Siasy Collins, Editor of EuropeanIrish.com.
Here are some eye-opening facts:
- Emigration from Ireland is now at its highest level since 1989.
- More Irish people now emigrate to Continental Europe (39%),
- than to the UK (24%) and America (7%) combined.
- 1/4 Million Irish people now live in Continental Europe.
- Almost 60% of all foreign trips by Irish people last year, were to Continental Europe.*
*According to CSO, (Central Statistics Office),”The number of Overseas Visits by Irish Residents on Continental European routes totalled 4,583,000 in 2007, an increase of 19% on 2006.” That is more than 12,500 trips to Europe every single day, 88,000 trips to Europe each week.
The Irish people in Europe over the past 30 years have settled and introduced Irish Music, Irish Dancing, Irish Sport, Irish Literature, Irish Culture and Irish Character to many of our European neighbours.
Irish people living in Europe are now central to many Cultural societies in Europe, as well as keeping alive the ties with Ireland.
Expat Mary Norah Ryan has recently been elected President of the Greek Irish Society in Athens, Galway emigrant Mary Gavin has been central to the Irish Club in The Hague Netherlands for many years. These are just 2 of 100’s of great Irish people based abroad in Europe, voluntarily and selflessly helping Irish society and communities based locally there, as well as newly arriving.
There are 500 Irish & Celtic Music Festivals across Europe.
There is a fulcrum of Irish Music in Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic, with more than 650 Irish Music Bands now based in Europe.
Brittany on the West Coast of Europe hosts the Brittany Gaelic Football Championship, with 6 teams, and no Irish player on 5 of those teams. In fact Gaelic Football is now played in 30 clubs across 14 European nations (as well as in Ireland and UK).
The Nordic Irish Dancing Feis attracts 200 Irish dancers young and adult, from Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Russia, Germany and Belgium.
In January it was reported that the Irish population in Spain is in the region of 78,000, roughly the same as Galway city, and 20,000 more than Waterford city.
With Irish people at the heart of their communities in Europe, supporting 10,000’s of Irish people arriving over the past decade and more, it is no surprise to find today more than 2,500 Irish Pubs on the Continent, a social venue for Irish to meet, and relate to home.
Finding where to watch the All-Ireland, the Irish Rugby & Soccer Internationals is always a favourite, as well as finding a venue where other Irish people go.
Irish people living in Europe, Irish residents traveling to Europe, and non-Irish Europeans interested in Irish Culture, no longer have to search 100’s of different resources to find
- Irish News in Europe,
- Irish Events in Europe,
- Irish Sport,
- Irish Entertainment,
- Irish Pubs,
- Irish Bands,
- Irish Festivals
- Irish Dancing,
- Irish Societies,
- and Irish Embassies in mainland Europe.
EuropeanIrish.com connects all of these resources together, and connects these 3 Irish groups with these Irish resources and with each other.
Today, while the calm is there before the storm, come and discover the Social Side of the European Irish world on www.EuropeanIrish.com , supporting the social & community side of the Irish in Europe, for the past 12 years.
Information:
Siasy Collins,
Editor / Publisher,
EuropeanIrish.com
