During his program in Hungary, Seán Ó Fearghaíl, the President of the Lower House of the Irish Parliament, visited the University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest on November 24th. The guest was greeted by Dr. Péter Sótonyi, Rector, and met with the young students studying at our institution from the Republic of Ireland. The politician reciprocated the earlier visit of László Kövér, the Speaker of the National Assembly, in Hungary.
Professor Tibor Bartha, vice-rector of International Relations, informed that Seán Ó Fearghaíl has agricultural roots and requested from the parliamentary protocol department organizing his visit to Hungary to meet with Irish students with similar backgrounds. The choice fell on our University because it is well-known that many Irish students, usually from farming families, study here.
During the visit, Dr. Péter Sótonyi first introduced the University and outlined the institution’s plans. In the subsequent conversation, the guest expressed his high regard for the work of veterinarians who, in the practice of their profession, “go to the house” and, in addition to their professional knowledge, genuinely love animals.
One of the most memorable events of the five-day program in Hungary for Seán Ó Fearghaíl was the meeting and conversation with the students. Two students from each year were invited to the rector’s office, and in the end, a total of 11 students came. The Irish students have a football team that plays Gaelic football. This sport is similar to soccer in that it is also played on a rectangular grass field. The goal of the game is for the teams to score by kicking or hitting the ball into the other team’s goal.
Two girls from the university team presented the team’s jersey to the Lower House President. Seán Ó Fearghaíl gratefully thanked them for the gift, and of course, joint photos were taken with the players and all the students.
The Speaker places great emphasis on preserving Gaelic traditions. He also mentioned that veterinary education in Ireland cannot fully meet the demands. Hungary is a significant partner for his country because it contributes the most to their supply of professionals. He meets many veterinarians and farmers in his work, and they all mention how well veterinarians trained in Hungary work in Ireland.
