Irishmen Lorcan Duffy and Prof. Ciaran Buckley sit down to compare and contrast American and Irish culture

Despite a relatively small student body, Hampden-Sydney College boasts a rich and diverse group of international students and professors. Although some of these individuals are half a world away from their home country, many of them quickly come to think of Hampden-Sydney as a second home. Two such people are Professor Ciaran Buckley and Lorcan Duffy, both of whom hail from the island of Ireland. Buckley, who was born and raised in the Republic of Ireland, was Hampden-Sydney’s Visiting International Scholar from the fall of 2007 until the summer of 2009. Duffy, a native of Northern Ireland (United Kingdom), is a junior who is attending H-SC through a one-year exchange program, a program under the auspices of his alma mater, the University of Ulster. Buckley, back at H-SC for a week-long visit, and Duffy, starting his final semester on the Hill, were kind enough to sit down with me, and say a few words about their experiences at Hampden-Sydney versus their experiences in their respective home countries.

When he was living and working at Hampden-Sydney, Professor Buckley was particularly struck by how remote and small the College is. This seclusion stands in stark contrast to his hometown of Dublin, Ireland’s largest city. In addition, Buckley noted some of the geographic differences between Ireland and Virginia. “If I drive one and a half hours from Dublin, I pass through four or five major cities,” said Buckley. He continued, “but here, a similar trip will take me through open country and only get me to Richmond.” Although things are smaller and much more spread out, Buckley found the Hampden-Sydney community to be extremely welcoming and courteous. Duffy echoed Buckley’s sentiments—“the people around here are so helpful and friendly and the alumni connections are fantastic…” he said.

The Irishmen also discussed some of the similarities and differences between European and American social life. In Duffy’s mind, attitudes towards collegiate sports vary greatly between American and Ireland. Duffy, a member of the H-SC golf team, noted that in America, there is a heavy focus on winning; in Ireland, the focus is more on fun and participation. Accordingly, Duffy has found American college rivalries to be quite spirited. “Macon Week was crazy,” he said, “and it was a great experience.” Despite the intense rivalries in American sports, Buckley found the Irish to be the more intense partiers. “Hampden-Sydney students tend to study during the week and party on the weekends. In Ireland, there is raucous partying just about every day of the week among university students, especially in larger cities.” In addition, public drinking is permitted in the Republic of Ireland, unlike in the United States.

Although there are notable differences between life in America and life in Ireland, both Buckley and Duffy agreed that the people of the two countries are surprisingly alike. Buckley even went so far as to call Ireland a “mini-United States,” because it has emulated American culture in many ways. Indeed, many Irish have developed a taste for America’s staple beers, Budweiser and Miller. Regardless, Ireland will always have characteristics which give it a special place in both men’s hearts. Even so, Buckley and Duffy have both enjoyed their time in states and are thankful to have found Hampden-Sydney. “This place is special and it feels like home to me…” said Buckley. “I’ll have no hesitation,” said Duffy, “to come back to this school in later life, as a proud and grateful alumnus.”

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