Irish people in mainland Europe

Irish people in mainland Europe are members of the Irish diaspora who reside in mainland Europe.

This article is about contemporary Irish presence in European countries. For past Irish migrations, see Flight of the Earls and Flight of the Wild Geese.
European Irish
Total population
3,900,000 Irish trips to Continental Europe in 2006. 70 million Irish 1st and 2nd Generation live abroad, 4% in Continental Europe, equates to 2.8 million Irish people in Continental Europe(Central Statistics Office (Ireland).)
Regions with significant populations
All over continental Europe, particularly France and Spain
Languages
English, Irish
Religion
Christian (Roman Catholicism, Protestantism), Atheism
Related ethnic groups
Irish people, Overseas Irish

Demographics

While the Irish population in Continental Europe is about 450,000-550,000, it was estimated that there are 2.8 million first, second, and third-generation Irish living there. There are an estimated 5 million people with active interests in Irish music, Irish sports, Irish dancing, Irish culture and Irish literature. For example, Poland's Irish Embassy has confirmed that while there are approximately 500 Irish residents in the country, there are between 50,000 and 100,000 people involved in the Irish music, dancing and cultural scene. Italy, with an estimated Irish population of 2,000 to 5,000, has a website receiving 100,000 regular visitors, mostly covering Irish music and culture in Italy. Similar levels of interest in Irish culture exist all over Europe.

Western and Central Europe

France

30,000 Irish live in France, including more than 15,000 in Paris.[1]

Germany

Over 2,800 people moved to Germany from Ireland in 2012, including almost 800 German citizens.[2] As of 2021, about 35,000 Irish live in Germany.[3] Together with Germans interested in Irish culture, some of these emigrants organise Irish cultural events across the country.

Eastern Europe
Main article: Irish Russians

6,000 Irish live in Eastern Europe: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Belarus, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Irish culture, Music and Dancing is growing in Russia and Nations which were part of the former USSR. There's Irish dancing in Cyprus, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Greece, and Bulgaria. Many of the more than 125 Irish bars have regular live Irish music, as well as live Irish sports coverage - GAA, soccer, and rugby. Irish singers and European-based Irish music groups tour here regularly, as do Irish dance shows. There are Irish societies in Cyprus, Russia, Greece, and Belarus, promoting cultural and social links between the host country and Ireland. Locally based Irish regularly support visiting Irish sports, both men's and women's, such as Irish boxing, Irish golf, motor rally, rowing, association football, walking and athletics, rugby, cycling and show jumping teams, which were all in this region this year. Irish charity groups and defence forces also have centers and commitments based in the region.

References
  1. étrangères, Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires. "Présentation de d'Irlande". France Diplomatie : : Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  2. "Irish Times". Irish Times.
  3. "Irish People in the World".
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