Although it is just a few miles away it’s a completely different country with different people, accents and attitudes. When speaking to some Irish students studying at the University of Wolverhampton, the biggest difference they have noticed between England and Ireland is lifestyle; could this be one of the biggest influences that Ireland has had on England?

‘The two countries are quite similar, we’re not absolutely different cultures but we concentrate on different things at home. Not to be stereotypical but we’re a very social nation.’

‘I know the English tend to like the Irish because of our laid-back attitude and maybe that has affected their friendliness towards us. Everyone I’ve met is really nice to us.’

‘People in supermarkets and in the streets, everyone seems to be astoundingly friendly. It was a big shock actually as we weren’t expecting it at all. It’s great, really positive, but in social circles, I think it’s a little bit more cliquey.’

The whole aspect of lifestyle could be seen as being the cornerstone of what it is to be Irish and the essence of Irishness. Lifestyle is a way of showing outsiders what a community is like and what traditions are important to them. Whether it is the social aspect of being an Irish student in a foreign land, the summer marching season for the Protestant’s in Northern Ireland or the celebration of St. Patrick’s day on the 17th March the world over - this no longer being just the celebration of a saint’s day but is now an international celebration – all these are socially based activities and continue the feeling of Irishness.

There is a long list of famous Irish and some you may not even realise are Irish. All these people have enriched not only Ireland but England, the world and fields they have worked in.

Artists and Designers   

Francis Bacon, Eileen Gray, Philip Treacy

Writers
Samuel Beckett, Roddy Doyle, Seamus Heaney, Neil Jordan, Edna O’Brien, George Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde

Musicians and bands

The Corrs, Bob Geldof, Sinead O’Connor, The Undertones, U2, Westlife

Actors
Pierce Brosnan, Gabriel Byrne, Niamh Cusack, Colin Farrell, Brenda Fricker, Sir Michael Gambon, Liam Neeson

The students in Wolverhampton believe that the Irish are travellers and looking at the history of the people, they are right. They are able to travel and adapt to other lifestyles but always there is their own essence that they take and share with others.