Eire force

As Madrid prepares to celebrate another St Patrick’s Day this 17 March, Peter Dye and Lauren Finch get the Irish take on Madrid from some of the city’s residents from the Emerald isle

Throughout the world St Patrick’s Day is generally regarded as a wonderful excuse to drink a few pints of Guinness and toss back a shot or two of Irish whiskey. And that’s as true in Madrid as anyway else. The city may not dye the Retiro boating lake green or host a shamrock-themed parade, but with a strong Irish presence and Madrileños’ any-excuse-for-a-party attitude, there will be plenty of people celebrating this 17 March. InMadrid tracked down some of Madrid’s Irish residents to discuss their Paddy’s Day plans and reveal a bit more about Irish life in the city…

The office worker
Emma Hill
Age: 24
From: Dublin
Length of time in Madrid: Nine months
Occupation: EuroCar call centre worker
What made you originally come here to Madrid?
So I could learn Spanish. I used to live in Amsterdam and I made a lot of really close Spanish friends and I always felt bad that I couldn’t speak Spanish with them.
What do you miss most about Dublin?
I wish my friends were here with me, but they are like everyone else back in Dublin. They have their job, they have their friends, they have their life and it’s all so well and good for them, but I wish more for them because there’s so much more to life than inside of Dublin, and Ireland.
Favorite Spanish food?
I love croquetas. Oh my God, I love them!
How are you going to celebrate St Paddy’s Day?
I’ll probably come here and drink. It’s what I do every year, I go out and get drunk. It’s the one day when every Irish person really gets drunk, you know? It’s not that it’s our culture, but it’s a lot of fun.
What do you think the Spanish do better than the Irish?
I think by and large, we’re about the same. We have the same ideas. We have a good time. We like our music, we like our alcohol, we like to party, we’ve got the same culture.
What advice would you give the mayor of Madrid?
Create more jobs for all the talented people who are on the streets performing. They’re wasted on the street. They’re working for change. These people deserve more opportunities. There need to be more jobs in the city, without a doubt.

The linguist
Patrick Donnellan
Age: How about 54?!!
From: Tuam, Co. Galway
Length of time in Madrid: 20 years
Occupation: Irish-language teacher
Why did you come here?
Holidays.
What struck you most about Madrid on your arrival here?
Peace, though also a dynamic, exciting city. A city that never sleeps.
What strikes you most about Madrid, now that you have been here some time?
The hustle and bustle. Friendly people. Respect for others.
What do you miss most about home? 
Irish breakfast, the wonderful Irish way of life. We work to live.
If you go back to Ireland, what would you miss most about Madrid?
The weather and the late closing hours.
What pastimes do you have?
Golf, Irish literature, Irish social groups, opera.
What do you think the Spanish do better than the Irish?
Learn Irish (Gaeilge) faster.
What advice would you give to Mayor Gallardón about improving the city?
Don’t stop now. Keep at it. Other mayors should come and see and copy and do likewise.
How will you be celebrating St Patrick’s Day?
Hopefully organising a St Patrick’s party in the Escuela, Irish songs, Irish dancing, Irish Music and then…

The Escuela Oficial de Idiomas (Jesús Maestro), C/Jesús Maestro, 5 (Metro: Islas Filipinas) offers Gaeilge classes for around €80 a year. On 9 Mar at 6pm, in the presence of the Irish ambassador, the Escuela and the Irish department will be launching the first ever Irish/Spanish dictionary. See www.eoidiomas.com, email irlandes@eoidiomas.com or phone 91 533 58 02 /03/04 /05 for more details.

The ambassador
Justin Harman
Age: 57
From: Dublin
Length of time in Madrid: Seven months
Occupation: Irish Ambassador
Why did you originally come to Madrid?
I arrived in Madrid in August 2009 to serve as Irish Ambassador. My previous assignment was as Irish Ambassador to Russia where I served for six years. Prior to that, I worked as Ambassador in Vienna and in Strasbourg in France. However, I had studied and worked in Spain in the 1970s prior to joining the diplomatic service and it was a great pleasure to have been asked to return here to represent Ireland.
What strikes you most about the city?
In my visits over the years, I have witnessed the dramatic transformation of Madrid. In contrast to the 1970s, it is today a bustling cosmopolitan capital with a hugely impressive infrastructure, particularly in public transport. Spain, and Madrid in particular, has used the past decades, and particularly its EU membership, to reshape the urban environment to great effect. Despite the present economic crisis, this will be to its lasting benefit. I am particularly impressed at the modern and efficient community services provided by the city.
When you go back to Ireland, what do you miss most about Madrid?
Without doubt, the excitement of working and living in an energetic Spanish-speaking capital with some of the world’s finest museums and galleries. Being fluent in Spanish (I am married to an Argentine—in fact an Irish-Argentine!), I have been able to take full advantage of the wealth of Madrid’s cultural life, including its theatres. I was very taken with recent productions here by the Teatro La Guindalera of some of the works of Brian Friel, Ireland’s foremost dramatist.
In Madrid, what do you miss most about Ireland?
Social interaction in Ireland is unique. I miss the joy and spontaneity of Irish life, not least our culture of conversation which I think is an art form in itself! I also miss Irish music, although I know that there are now various groups in Spain playing Irish traditional music.
What pastimes do you have?
I have two very active Red and White Irish Setters so a large part of my non-working life in spent exercising them, either in the Casa de Campo (which is a fabulous amenity for Madrid) or in El Pardo with its magnificent views over to the Sierras. I also enjoy history and am developing my knowledge of Spanish history, particularly in the 20th century.
How will you be celebrating St Patrick’s Day?
This year, we will be focusing our efforts on using the day to promote Ireland both as a tourist destination and to promote the best of Irish drinks and foodstuffs. There will be many events around Madrid in the period around St Patrick’s Day. We are very happy that this year Ireland has been chosen as the “guest country” of Madrid’s prestigious international Club del Gourmet exhibition in early April.

The businessman
Joseph Haslam
Age: 37¾
From: Grew up in Limerick City but my parents now live in Blarney, Co. Cork
Length of time in Madrid: Nearly seven years. I arrived in the summer of 2003, the same month as David Beckham.
Occupation: I am part of a boutique consultancy called Stratemic. We work with large Spanish companies to identify successful business models from overseas and adapt them for the market here in Spain.
Why did you come here?
To study at the Instituto de Empresa Business School. The MBA there is ranked sixth in the world, the same as Stanford GSB in Silicon Valley.
What struck you most about Madrid on your arrival here?
That I could just decide that day to go to a Champions League match. It didn’t take months of planning.
What strikes you most about Madrid, now that you have been here some time?
A great place to live but a terrible place to work. I don’t know how the Spanish put up with the caudillismo of the typical “jefe español”. Although I think the coming “Se lo que Hicisteis” generation are less tolerant of these imbéciles.
What do you miss most about home?
Sally O’Brien and the way she might look at you.
If you go back to Ireland, what would you miss most about Madrid?
Bringing my kids to the Retiro Park on a Saturday morning.
What pastimes do you have?
I am President of the Spanish Irish Business Network, so a lot of my free time goes into organising events. I also play Gaelic Football with the Madrid Harps and I go to the Sticky Fingers playgroup so my kids can practise their English.
What do you think the Spanish do better than the Irish?
Public services. My experiences with the seguridad social have been fantastic and tell me where there is a better metro in the world than Madrid. At home we went all American and let our public services decline. I hope the Spanish don’t let this happen.
What advice would you give to Mayor Gallardón about improving the city?
He should insist that all English translations done by the Ayuntamiento de Madrid are done by native speakers. It’s not for people like me who live here but for the many people who visit. Translations are either badly done or non existent. The standard should be as high as in the Nordic countries, especially as there are so many native English speakers living here who can provide this service.
How will you be celebrating St Patrick’s Day?
I guess I’ll be in The James Joyce, which has kind of become my local.

The bartender
John O’Raghallaigh
Age: 37
From: County Mayo
Length of time in Madrid: Over ten years
Occupation: Bartender, Finbar’s
Why did you move to Madrid?
It originally was a holiday with my ex-girlfriend. I went to London afterwards, met about five people from the Basque country, and we got on pretty well, but I didn’t move immediately. I went back to Ireland for a year. Not much work going. I saw a sign that said “live and work in Spain”, so I gave it a go. I first lived in the Basque country before moving to Madrid.
What struck you about Madrid in comparison to Ireland?
The size, really. The nightlife was way crazier, with people out until six in the morning, which I couldn’t really get my head around. And blue skies all year round. And then it was only after a while that I noticed the people. The people here seem to be a lot more serious. As a bartender, they are more rushed to get served. And they didn’t seem to drink as much as the Spanish in the north. They don’t really go out to get drunk. They go out to be seen.
What do you think about Spanish food?
I’m a huge jamón fan now, where I hated it before. But I miss home-cooked food—roast beef, roast lamb. But thankfully I’m a fish fan, so I love the seafood.
How do you celebrate St Patrick’s Day?
I usually have to work it, but I try to get a good Irish breakfast in before going to work, or an Irish roast dinner. But the Spanish love St Patrick’s Day. They’ve nearly taken it as a new national holiday. And the atmosphere on St Patrick’s Day in an Irish bar is pretty unique. It’s the closest way to seeing Ireland without actually going.

The bar owner
Cían Coyne
Age: 31
From: Sligo
Length of time in Madrid: 14 years
Occupation: Owner of the Pinta Cañas bar
Why did you originally come to Madrid?
I came for a change for a year, and I just kept putting it back for six months, six months, six months. Three years in I was just like—who am I kidding, I’m not going anywhere.
What do you miss most about Ireland?
The people. I find that Spanish people are lovely but Irish people are a bit more relaxed. Not as noisy.
How do you plan on celebrating St Paddy’s Day?
This is going to be our first year here for St Paddy’s Day, and it’s not really your typical Irish bar. We might have a few friends come over, a few Irish musicians. But we’ll do a big, huge pot of Irish stew for everybody that comes in. Big, thick chunks of potato and vegetables in a lamb stew, nice gravy and wash it down with several pints of Guinness.
What do you think the Spanish do better than the Irish?
I’d have to say the architecture. They’ve got that pretty much nailed.
If you were to leave Madrid what would you miss the most?
I would miss living here day to day. I just like the lifestyle here. There are so many things to do in Madrid, so many different barrios. I’d miss socialising. And every barrio is so completely different, it’s really diverse.
What advice would you give the mayor?
A lot of things have come in, like getting rid of the percussion in Retiro. Every Sunday in Retiro there were loads of percussionists around the monument just in front of the lake. I think that was a really nice thing in Madrid for a Sunday evening. But they just got rid of it. They said it was for noise pollution, but I lived just beside Retiro, just off of Menéndez Pelayo, for three and a half years and I never heard it once when I was in my house, so I think it’s a pretty lame excuse.

The Gaelic footballer
Louise Lenaghan
Age: 26
From: Collon, Co Louth
Length of time in Madrid: 1.5 years
Occupation: Online marketing executive and PRO of Madrid Harps GAA (www.madridgaa.com).
Why did you move to Madrid?
To work and for an adventure!
What struck you most about Madrid on your arrival here?
Big roads—nothing like the ones in Louth!
What strikes you most about Madrid, now that you have been here some time?
The size—I still get lost!
What do you miss most about home?
Family, friends and curry chips!
If you go back to Ireland, what would you miss most about Madrid?
The Gaelic team of course! Spanish lifestyle and the weather!
What pastimes do you have?
Gaelic football, dancing, roller blading, socialising, travelling and having fun!
What do you think the Spanish do better than the Irish?
Play soccer.
What advice would you give to Mayor Gallardón about improving the city?
Maybe enforce free tapas with all cañas?!
How will you be celebrating St Patrick’s Day?
Probably in an Irish pub in Madrid.

The new arrival
Rob Savage
Age: 30
Originally from: Dublin
Length of time in Madrid: Four months
Occupation: English teacher
Why did you come here?
Jesus, why didn’t I come here? Well, as we all know women can trap people, especially men, straight men that is, very easily.
What do you miss most about Ireland?
I really miss the polite madness. Not just madness, because in many cultures, you would find the Irish culture a bit full on. But there still is that red line where we still have to step over. And that’s what I miss. Here, no one dares go near that line ever. Where in Ireland it is almost a religion. A practised method to go near that red line and to push it.
How are you going to celebrate St Paddy’s Day?
I expect for me I’ll have a few beers and take it easy. I’m not going to go and fucking paint the streets red or something like that, like I would in Ireland ’cause if I did I’d get arrested. How do you go nuts in a conservative country?
What do the Spanish do better than the Irish?
They play football a lot better than the Irish.
If you left Madrid what would you miss most?
Free food.
When you first came to Madrid, what struck you most about the city?
When I came to Madrid, it was during the summertime. So what struck me was a hot country.

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