PECULIARITIES OF THE FUNCTIONING OF THE IRISH DIASPORA IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE

Abstract

The article defines the role and place of the Irish diaspora in European countries. It is established that the Irish diaspora in Europe has had a significant impact on the formation of pan-European traditions and values, which in turn has contributed to the formation of the Irish identity in the world. Steady migration to Europe has characterised the history of Ireland over the past 1,500 years. Close ties with the papacy and Europe’s largest universities, religious institutions and organisations, the English crown’s extensive holdings in France, and the lucrative trade in fish, wine and wool across the Irish Sea and the English Channel determined much of this international flow in the Medieval period. It is emphasised that the experience, life story and contribution of Irish emigrants to the life of their host European country, as well as the Republic of Ireland, remain virtually unexplored history of the modern Irish diaspora, which requires new research on the Irish diaspora in European countries whose ties with the Republic of Ireland remain strong. In the EU, thanks in no small part to the Irish diaspora and the fact that a large number of Europeans have Irish roots, the Republic of Ireland has shown real diplomatic agility. Although it is now one of the richest countries in the EU, it started out as the poorest, relying on EU funding to drive growth. It has been proven that the virtual space of the Irish diaspora is developing rapidly and has a significant impact on the Irish in Europe. In the context of rapid development of information and communication technologies and globalisation, the role played by the latest technologies in transnational exchanges between the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe is significantly increasing. It is also noted that the level of exchanges and contacts between the country of residence of the Irish and the Republic of Ireland in the virtual space of the diaspora is increasing. These ties certainly have consequences for both the European country of residence of the Irish and the Republic of Ireland. The development of information and communication technologies is bringing the Irish closer together around the world. The number of virtual trips to the Republic of Ireland and communication between the Irish on various virtual platforms is growing. Easy accessibility of air transport and the development of modern communication methods have created the basis for the emergence of transnational migrants. The life of the Irish, in the context of globalisation, encompasses both the native and the host society, and many of them lead a double existence.