Irish-Hungarian relations at a glance
Historic forerunners
It is not widely known that Irish Hungarian relations date back to the Middle Ages, a surprising fact even though in those times one can talk about sporadic contacts between individuals rather than inter-state relations. In the 14th and 15th centuries two Hungarian pilgrims visited Saint Patrick's Purgatory at Lough Derg. The accounts of their visions in the Purgatory are exciting document of their times. In the mid 17th century Bishop Walter Lynch of Clonfert fled the Cromwellian troops and after a long journey through the Continent he found refuge at the Diocese of Győr in Hungary. A religious painting he gave to his host is still in the Cathedral of Győr and is respected as an important religious relic. Arthur Griffith, the great Irish statesman, in his book "The resurrection of Hungary - A parallel for Ireland", first published in 1904, put the example of Hungary's constitutional struggle for autonomy and socio-economic recovery as a model for the Ireland of his time. In our most recent history, Ireland generously received hundreds of Hungarian refugees after the fall of the 1956 revolution and freedom fight against the Communist dictatorship.
Current times
Official diplomatic relations between Ireland and Hungary were established in 1976 but for more than a decade bilateral relations were kept at a low profile. Following the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce Representation in Dublin in the late eighties, the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in Dublin was opened in February 1991, shortly after the political changes in Hungary. The Irish Embassy in Budapest was opened in 1996.
Since the early nineties, bilateral relations have developed dynamically at every level, political, economic and cultural. There has been a continuous exchange of visits among politicians, government officials, experts and businessmen. Regular contacts have been established between the Irish and the Hungarian parliaments and their committees as well as between ministries and state organisations. As an acknowledgement of the growing importance of our bilateral relations President Árpád Göncz of Hungary visited Ireland in April 1995. A couple of years later, in April 2000, President Mary McAleese visited Hungary. In February 2005, Hungarian President Ferenc Mádl paid a state visit to Ireland. Over the years, the two countries signed a number of agreements, including one on the abolition of visa requirements and one to avoid double taxation.
In September 1999, MALEV Hungarian Airlines commenced the first direct flight between Dublin and Budapest. As a response to the growing demand, MALEV now flies on a daily basis between the two capitals, while Aer Lingus started its direct flight in October 2004. From the end of April 2005, MALEV Hungarian Airlines operates a direct flight between Cork and Budapest and between Dublin and Athens in the summer months. The number of Irish visitors to Hungary is ever increasing, with about 50,000 visitors in 2005. Bilateral business contacts are facilitated by the Dublin-based Irish Hungarian Economic Association (IHEA) and by the Irish Hungarian Business Circle as well as by the Enterprise Ireland's Representation in Budapest.
There is an ever-growing interest in each other’s culture, resulting in festivals, concerts and related events both in Ireland and Hungary. The Budapest-based Hungarian Irish Friendship Association (HIFA) organizes Irish festivals on a regular basis. On 1 May 2004, the Day of Welcomes, Sligo hosted a major Hungarian cultural show. Encouraged by the fact that James Joyce referred to the hero of Ulysses, Mr. Leopold Bloom as a man of Hungarian origin, Bloomsday celebrations are increasingly popular in the western Hungarian town of Szombathely, a place where Mr. Bloom’s family had originated.
As part of the Enlargement Project of “Cork 2005: European Capital of Culture”, a Hungarian Cultural Month was organised in Cork. The main event of the Hungarian Cultural Month was a joint exhibition by two acclaimed contemporary artists, sculptor Mária Lugossy and painter József Gaál at the Cork Vision Centre. Additional programmes included a concert of the Auer String Quartet, a performance by the famous Győr Ballet and the screening of three recently awarded Hungarian films. Besides these highlights, there are numerous other Irish-Hungarian cultural events in both countries.
For further information see other sections of this website.