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Home Page > News > Actor Gabriel Byrne slams The Gathering as ‘a scam‘ aimed at gullible Americans

Actor Gabriel Byrne slams The Gathering as ‘a scam‘ aimed at gullible Americans

Tourism Ireland defends initiative saying ‘Irish people don't laugh at U.S. visitors’

JAMES O'SHEA,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, November 6, 2012, 7:05 AM

Updated Tuesday, November 6, 2012, 9:22 AM

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Irish actor and former ambassador for culture, Gabriel Byrne, has called The Gathering a "scam"

Photo by Time Out

The Irish actor Gabriel Byrne has slammed The Gathering 2013 initiative as 'a scam'.

He was speaking on “The Last Word with Matt Cooper” radio program on Today FM. The Last Word is broadcasting live from New York this week.

Byrne, who previously served as Ireland’s Cultural Ambassador, said many who left Ireland for the US feel abandoned by the Government - and that the bridge between Ireland and its Diaspora is broken.

He also said Irish Americans are not receptive to being 'shaken down' for money.

Speaking on The Last Word on Today FM, Gabriel Byrne described Prime Minister Enda Kenny's speech launching The Gathering as 'offensive’.

“People are sick to death of being asked to help out in what they regard as a scam.”

However, Joe Byrne, Tourism Ireland Executive Vice President for North America, has strongly defended The Gathering.

Speaking to Irish Central he stated, “Respectfully I have to disagree with nearly everything Gabriel says: Visitors from the U.S. to Ireland do not feel "shaken down" - far from it, in fact Irish people don't laugh at U.S. visitors but welcome them sincerely and warmly.

“Irish Americans do not feel the Gathering is a scam, most have bought into it enthusiastically. I do agree with Gabriel that many in the Diaspora have a deep spiritual connection to the island of Ireland.”

Gabriel Byrne however claimed the Diaspora link was broken. “I wish The Gathering the very best of luck but they have to understand that the bridge between the Diaspora and the people is broken and I tried to fix that for two years and it’s still broken.”

“Most people don’t give a s... about The Diaspora except to shake them down for a few quid.

“The Diaspora has a very powerful spiritual connection to the Island of Ireland.

“I remember when I was growing up in Dublin those buses would pull up and those people in Burberry coats would be laughed at because they’d say “Here come the yanks looking for their roots.”

“Well, as far as I’m concerned one of the most sacred things you can do is look for your roots.

“If your grandfather left during the Famine that’s a very sacred journey that you make back there but we laughed at it.

“The other day I was talking to a group of people. One of them was an illegal immigrant. His father died, he couldn’t get home. He feels abandoned by the Irish Government. He feels an alien. He can’t go back.

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IrelandNorth | Nov 14, 2012, 08:15 AM EST

dia deity; god. as prep from. pór m breed. a pn their (elipse); rel pn what; who. *adj her; his ;(( aspiration); its; *conj that (relative). ie They who are a breed from God!

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esatdigiwank | Nov 13, 2012, 05:21 AM EST

The Gathering surely a marketing scheme. And so inauthentic and phoney in itself. An Gaeilge/ our native language, taught to near death by Classical methods is conveniently put to the side. Diaspora need to take ownership of both An Cruinniú/the gathering if not the language. And more importantly, to save Ireland from itself.

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esatdigiwank | Nov 13, 2012, 05:15 AM EST

AengusOg: Will the alcohol check points disappear or proliferate during the Gathering? They are destroying the craic and pub life" I would have thought alcohol is destroying the Irish. But keep on elbow-bending, there will soon be no public drinking water you can afford if British Gas get their claws on it..

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WoundedKnee | Nov 09, 2012, 02:41 AM EST

Leahkinsela; People use the internet in Ireland? Wow, you don´t say. Sure and they´re mighty modhern altogether. What a stupid post you wrote.

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Will Hamilton | Nov 08, 2012, 08:59 AM EST

The Gathering is aimed at making money from Americans who delude themselves into thinking they're actually Irish. I know dozens of people in business who are figuring out ways to get a piece of the action. It's just a marketing exercise in the same way Arthurs Day is a brand promotion. The aim of the Gathering is to increase revenue from tourism. They should call the closing ceremony the Scattering!

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Happyhippo | Nov 08, 2012, 06:51 AM EST

@Reilleyfam,WRONG,our family were emigrants in the 1950s some to the the US,some to UK,after nearly 60 years we are still friends and visit regular with people we went to school with and and they visit the US and the UK its like a family reunion every time,so don't paint most Irish people with your negative brush,its anything but.

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Reilleyfam | Nov 07, 2012, 02:24 PM EST

“Most (Irish)people don’t give a s... about The Diaspora except to shake them down for a few quid." TRUTH.

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leahkinsella | Nov 07, 2012, 12:44 PM EST

Loklione: You have nor been in Ireland since 1976? That's twenty six years ago! Ireland and it's people have changed so dramatically since then so it's time you came back even for a short visit to see the changes. You'll be surprised! Dublin is no longer "dirty" but a modern city. People use the internet, kindles, apps, skype, are highly educated, well travelled. The Catholic Church has no longer the power it used to have and most people think for themselves but until you come back and see for yourself, you will never know what you are missing. You'll be SURPRISED!. I have always adored, even fancied Gabriel Byrne, but he has turned into a grumpy old man lately.

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johnshiel | Nov 07, 2012, 10:28 AM EST

these actors... pretty faces, empty heads...

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cillowen | Nov 07, 2012, 10:25 AM EST

quisling leader lol sharks of dev and nigh all tripes playing poor souls like fiddles. Pennies for africans and constancy of concern for nigh all but self. Divided - divide and cpnquor still working to perfection - queenie needs to arrive for the gathering. Shame, acting out in mad drunken rage in lands where they happen upon. Been there.

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IrelandNorth | Nov 07, 2012, 08:20 AM EST

There may be a miniscule minority of adolescent Irish who from existential ignorance laugh at what they in their immaturity perceive as uncool heritage. But then, all teenagers everywhere consider their parents and grandparents square. Anyone under 40 in contemporary today is histoically amnesiac and politically illiterate through revisionist education and propagandistic media.

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kinvara7 | Nov 07, 2012, 07:31 AM EST

The Irish Diaspora needs to stop feeling so put upon and it needs to organize and to communicate a vision of a mature and beneficial relationship. It needs to have a good look at itself, and ask what it really wants, and whether it is willing to contribute in a real way. This idea of the relationship being a ‘shake-down’ needs to be examined. The people that visit do so because they want to. They have to expect to pay for that experience, just as I did when I travelled to America. Sadly, for some people within the Diaspora, tourism to Ireland must forever be seen as an act of benign charity…one which demands some sort of extra consideration, and I believe that this is a bad message for ‘Diaspora leaders’ to send out.

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kinvara7 | Nov 07, 2012, 06:59 AM EST

I can understand where Gabriel is coming from but in general I disagree with the tone of his comments. Around the time of the Notre Dame v Navy Game in Dublin (Go Irish!) there was a big influx of American tourists, and this was very welcome. However, I was struck by the amount of times I heard such comments as: “This is our first time in Ireland; we’ve always wanted to come” etc. Now, these were the words of affluent people in their fifties, the type who Gabriel and others talk about as having a ‘very powerful spiritual connection to the Island of Ireland.’ I’ve been to America a number of times; I’ve done the tourist stuff, and paid for it; spent my money in shops etc., etc. I love America. I don’t profess to have a ‘deep spiritual connection’ with the place, yet I have been there more often than the above mentioned have visited Ireland –How is that? How could they have such a deep connection, yet go over fifty years without visiting -only to be brought over by a well marketed football game? Now, some of you will say that those people will be back again, and maybe they will, but it seems like they took their time in deciding to visit and it seems a well marketed event gave them the push.

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kinvara7 | Nov 07, 2012, 06:24 AM EST

@MK: The President of Ireland recently visited a number of countries in South America and met with people from the Irish Diaspora. Speaking at the Fahy club in Buenos Aires President Higgins said: "Este Club constituye una pequeña parte de Irlanda en Argentina y me siento particularmente honrado de ser el primer Presidente de Irlanda en visitarlo. Mucho agradezco vuestra invitación y, a la recíproca, les hago llegar una invitación a ustedes, sus familiares y amigos para que participen del Encuentro en Irlanda en el año 2013."

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Mk | Nov 07, 2012, 12:20 AM EST

This gathering seems to be aimed at English speaking of Irish descent. I imagine that those of Irish descent in areas such as South America must feel out of it. At Australia's bi centenery in 1988 there were a number of tall ships from around the world in Sydney & the skipper of the Chilean ship was named Roberto Kelly. Surprised at this I found there are quite a few of Irish descent in that continent. I think there are quite a few of Irish descent in most area of the world even in the West Indies where many Irish were sent into slavery in the seventeenth century under Oliver Cromwell.

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