Budapest’s Irish community

Hungarians tend to call the Irish “the Hungarians of the West”, whereas the Dublin phone book lists Hungary’s country code as “Far East Europe”. Still, the ties exist and Irish people here (too) seem to have a good time.


Irish people for the last two centuries have emigrated in large numbers to many near and far-flung countries all over the world. To say, at this point in time that Hungary, and especially Budapest is no exception would be an understatement.
Ireland recognises a special solidarity with nations which have achieved independence during the past one-hundred years and Hungary fits this bill perfectly. Hungary's accession to the EU was hosted and celebrated in Dublin in 2004 at a memorable say of welcomes and, since then, Ireland has played an important role in how this new Hungary develops and these new opportunities have been harvested to the benefit of both countries.
The flowering of ties in important areas of trade and investment, but also in culture, education, research and development and tourism has nourished this close relationship that shows no obvious sign of wilting.

exporting economic boom
As Ireland basked in its economic boom over the last fifteen years it took advantage of this new-found wealth and invested strongly in the Hungarian property market, resulting in Irish investors being the major purchasers of apartments in Budapest since 2005. This, even though property prices here have been rising at an annual rate of 20% since 2004.
Due to the recent global credit-crunch and recession, these figures have dropped, yet the Irish community is still prevalent and has a voice that is heard in most industry throughout Budapest, not least the bar and restaurant trade. It has been stated through the national radio and television network (RTE), in Ireland that said recession is having a significant effect on Irish investors' property interests here and cutting to the bone of their concerns regarding stability and returns on their investments. But if these worries are legitimate there are no noticable signs financially or otherwise.
These concerns aside, the Irish community in Budapest is alive and well. Dotted throughout this magnificent city can be found an abundance of Irish voices singing and reciting, the way only Irish people can, an ode to their adopted home, be it through work, study or just the journeyman's itch.
Through the institute of education alone there has sprouted a vibrant mix of eager minds from the Emerald Isle who have embraced the Hungarian way of life, that constitutes a heady concoction of serious work and a reckless inhibition towards enjoyment.
One such group of these intrepid Irish adventurers is the gang studying at the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Szent István University, which happens to be one of the world's oldest veterinary schools.
Some Irish students have, over the last few years, chosen Budapest as an alternative to Ireland to study veterinary, thanks to the Veterinary Council of Ireland concluding that the teaching and facilities at the college are up to the standards required in order to qualify to practice veterinary medicine in Ireland. This attractive proposition was snapped by one particular group of enthusiastic Irish students, who this writer had the pleasure of meeting recently. Their spirit and vivacity was infectious as they relayed their reasons for choosing Budapest and their reasons for wanting to stay here. One student, Padraig from Dublin, was eager to inform me of all the wonders of Budapest, ranging from, “the stunning architecture, the impossibly beautiful women and, last but not least, the weather! Actual proper seasons!
The Irish seasons consist of just different shades of grey, but Budapest has it all!”. The weather, it seems is a major draw, but there also is a genuine warmth and affection towards the Hungarian people and their way of life.
This particular group of students went on to educate me on the best bars to be found in Budapest. The Irish-themed bar is a staple of most major cities around the world and Budapest is no different. The best-known one in this city is undoubtedly Becketts, where you can find, obviously, a decent pint of Guinness.
The walls are adorned with Irish film and theatre posters and, of course the prerequisite portraits of Yeats, Joyce and the rest of the usual suspects. The place was, quite simply heaving recently when they showed a Republic of Ireland football match and it is generally true to assume that the Irish in Budapest gather to celebrate Ireland any time the team plays, be it football rugby etc. The Irish have, over the years, cultivated an image of themselves as a hard-drinking, jolly and boisterous lot and this image can be witnessed in places like Becketts, The Longford, and The Caledonia, which is a Scottish restaurant and bar but is frequented by many an Irish person.

culture is universal
Irish culture is universally admired and respected, be it through its literature, music, dance or film and it is culture that the Irish hold dear and so it comes as no surprise that there is always someplace to go here where you can enjoy Irish traditional music and other venues where Irish dance is taught. It is a rich culture that the Irish bring whereever they go.
For the last fifteen years trade between Ireland and Hungary has grown dramatically, with now more than thirty-two Irish companies having put down roots here, through sales offices, investment in production facilities, acquisitions, joint ventures, local partnerships, recruitment and out-sourcing. When an Irish company was given the sole responsibility for marketing and promoting the Budapest Corvin Project, the largest, at that time, of its kind in Central Europe, it reflected the growing influence of the Irish business community and Irish investors here. And this relationship continues today.
Teaching English is also another area where you can most probably find an Irish person. The Irish are known for their mastery of the language and around Budapest it isn't difficult to find an Irish person working as an English teacher. One such person is Martin O'Regan, a native of Cork who has been teaching English here for the last two years. “I have many Irish friends here, most of whom I met only since I got here, and they come from all walks of life. But sit them all down in a pub and it doesn't matter whether they are students, business people or just here to get some dental work done – the Irish love having fun and it is a big part of our culture, a few pints and then the singing starts or the stories begin and the Irish community here is strong.”
It is true that many Irish people come here for dental work, as it is a much cheaper prospect here than in Ireland. It is just another thread in the fabric of the Irish community in Budapest, a community that shows no signs of disappearing, but growing and thriving. Just as the dynamic increase and diversity of Irish businesses in Hungary is impressive, so too are the Irish people and their culture. As Padraig said to me before he left, “it's all about working hard, meeting people and having the craic!”. Spoken like a true Irish person.

Killian Prendergast

12.12.2008