Britain and Ireland: Fraternal twins

By Luke O'Neill

For an Irishman, coming to work in the UK is part of a heritage that spans back centuries. Terry Wogan, Graham Norton, Bob Geldof, Roy Keane... Seriously though, in making the journey from Dublin to London, I traced a well worn path made by thousands before. I'm sure it will be made by thousands after me, too.

My trip was made in vastly different circumstances to those who came before. They came by boat mostly, forced to leave Ireland in search of work. Some left their families behind and sent their pay back across the Irish Sea. It was not an easy thing to do, I imagine. Ryanair wasn't around either (a fact that can be seen as good or bad), so the trip over was expensive and none too convenient.

How times have changed. Luckily, I live in a more certain era - Ireland is modernising, there are plenty of jobs and public services are beginning to improve.

So, I know I can and will return. The Irish who came here years ago were not afforded that luxury. Shamefully forgotten by successive Irish governments and hardly a priority in Whitehall, many fell between the cracks and became part of a ghettoised working class. The complete foreignness of that scenario to me is a welcome sign of how greatly Ireland's fortunes have improved.

All that aside - what have I got to say about London and Dublin?

Well, Ireland and the UK share many, many similarities. I had no initial culture shock when I arrived here, unlike there might be, say, for a person arriving in New York from Dublin.

So, what do I miss about Dublin, Ireland even? Nuanced things, I suppose.

Dublin has its own charms. For me, it is the wind funnelling down the Liffey and sweeping across the Ha'penny Bridge as I cross. It never quite looks stable, the Ha'penny, but somehow it bears the footfall. Dublin is small and somewhat like a puzzle or a trick image. Over the years it slowly reveals itself, rather like that picture of the vase that shifts to reveal two adjacent faces.

In my hometown, Balbriggan, the sound of children playing outside my house on a Saturday morning is soothing. The screeching sirens of police cars outside my Islington flat don't quite compare. Friendly greetings as I pass someone on the footpath or the honk of a car horn as I stroll into the village are other welcome thoughts.

Initially a fishing village, and then home to a thriving textile industry, Balbriggan is now one of the largest commuter towns in North Dublin. In 1780, the Smyth & Co. factory began producing quality hosiery and underwear. It has a rather unusual link to the British monarchy. During the reign of Queen Victoria she insisted on only wearing stockings from the Smyth & Co. factory. The company's long-johns became known as 'Balbriggans' and to this day a definition for that term can be found in the Oxford dictionary.

Outside the capital, I love visits to north west Donegal - home to my girlfriend. The county's beauty nearly matches hers - not quite though. There, you are given a liberating feeling of space, of opening up and taking a visual deep breath. The panoramic horizon stretches over a violent landscape of rock and mountain - it is a place that would be alive, even if it had no inhabitants. "It's different up here," so the saying goes.

London, conversely, is a kinetic force. It's New York that never sleeps but London isn't getting much shut-eye either. It's a place that is much bigger and bolder than I am used to. I heard recently that 3 million passengers travel on the tube each day. That is phenomenal. In fact, that's over 75 per cent of the population of Ireland using the underground system daily. The brain is too small to process statistics like that. Well, mine is anyway. The tube, of course, is central to London life. For me, it is also a fascinating study into human behaviour. For example, take the near-silence that occurs when the train stops halfway between two stations. It seems that when the frantic hustle strops for just a few moments, people don't know what to do with themselves.

Freshly made sandwiches - they can be tricky things to hunt down for the London newcomer. The ubiquitous nature of chains like Pret-a-manger and Eat is a worrying sign. Their pre-packed sandwiches seem to me a real indicator of the need-now have-now side of London. They are character-less places where people are processed like part of a customer assembly line. The European Union won't take over Britain - I reckon Pret, Eat and Starbucks have more chance of carving up the regions by 2009. One of the few areas nearby that does fresh(ish) sandwiches is situated by a market. I refer to it as Eastenders, as it reminds me of Albert Square. (I'm sure one of these days I'll see Pauline giving Martin a clout around the ear for getting the takings wrong.)

I am lucky to work in Westminster. Much of the architecture is grand and there is a sense that many of these buildings will last forever. It's easy to say that we don't make things the way we used to, but, in this instance, well, we just don't. Many of London's parks are beautifully tended, with swan-occupied lakes, ornate (but rickety) bridges and mature trees. My office overlooks St. James's Park - a lovely haven of respite from the busy city. Of late, marching bands have been practising their routines for their annual performance for the Queen's birthday. It adds a touch of pomp to the area - it's not that helpful when you're trying to speak to someone on the phone though!

The differences between London and Dublin are not stark. That is because of the interwoven relationship between Britain and Ireland. They are there though and they are enough to make me miss the auld sod from time to time. Below are some pieces of home.





I recommend...

FOOD & DRINK: Irish stew/coddle. A speciality of my mother's, this dish is for warming the cockles of your heart after a particularly miserable winter day (we tend to have our fair share in Ireland). The Guinness is good. And a nice Jameson can't be beaten when it goes along with some good conversation and the snug of an old Irish pub. FILM: Lenny Abrahamson is a talented young director. His last film, Adam and Paul, with its echoes of Beckett's Waiting for Godot is a quirky and original take on drug addiction and social exclusion in Dublin. His next release, Garage, has just won the Prix Art et Essai at Cannes. BOOK: John Banville's The Sea is a poetic book that won the 2005 Mann Booker Prize. Roddy Doyle remains the voice of Dublin. Flann O'Brien's books are undergoing a revival - The Third Policeman is probably his best known. MUSIC: Director are promising, Damien Rice has gone on to success in America and BellX1 (of which Rice was once a member) have made a name for themselves in their own right.

Luke O'Neill is a recently graduated journalist from Dublin. His love of travel and his admiration for British journalism led him to his current role as a stagiaire in the UK Office of the European Parliament. His perspective on Britain and the EU has developed through his work in the UK Office's Press Section, where he helps to compile daily summaries of EU-related stories in the British media. Previously, Luke has worked as a news reporter for the Irish Times as part of a two month internship.

© Luke O'Neill. All views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to the European Commission.