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Disney 'discovers' Ireland, thanks to IrishCentral columnist!

KENNETH HAYNES,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Thursday, February 25, 2010, 12:36 PM

Updated Thursday, February 25, 2010, 12:54 PM

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It looks like Disney World has "discovered" Ireland, thanks to IrishCentral!

Yesterday, our American in Ireland columnnist had the scoop that the Disney website -- which asks what country you're from when you're ordering tickets -- included nations like Guatemala, Belgium and Kuwait, but somehow managed to ignore the Emerald Isle!

Just about any country you could imagine was on the website's dropdown list, but not Ireland. Just to be certain, our man checked for "Ireland," "Northern Ireland," "the Republic of Ireland" and "Eire."

But Ireland, by any name, was nowhere. Until a sharp Irish eye emailed us today that te site had been fixed.

But today, like Mickey Mouse and Disney movie magic, Ireland has appeared on the giant tourism website! Poof!

The late great Walt Disney would likely not not have been very happy to learn of his company'ds oversight. His grandparents - Kepple Disney and Mary Richardson were both Irish immigrants. The name Disney was originally d'Isigny, which is a Norman name, and his family at some point found its way to the area around Counties Carlow and Kilkenny, from which Kepple left Ireland.

In fact, old Walt visited Ireland many times, and his affection for Ireland was what drove him to make the hit movie "Darby O'Gill and the Little People."

Disney's nephew Roy, who twice ran the Disney Corp., also loved Ireland. Roy used to come to Ireland regularly and bought Coolmain Castle in County Cork in the early 1980s.

Nster.com

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cfmassie | Mar 06, 2010, 11:11 AM EST

It is somehow ironic that the Disney organization would mistakenly omit Ireland. But to the comment on Disney disregarding Florida laws and tragic events in Florida, well stop to think that Disney World is basically a city unto itself and as such with so many visitors at the resorts and parks everyday it would be very risky to take emergency people and vehicles away from the parks and resorts and leave eveyone there with out adequate protection. I do however think that they could have set aside room for the displace people from Flagler County.

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francesmargaretmary | Feb 28, 2010, 05:19 PM EST

the fact that ireland is not even recognized as a "country" at epcot, is quite bizzare !!!!

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culchiewoman | Feb 28, 2010, 01:09 PM EST

Please, let's not lionize the known anti-semite or his company, which completely flaunted Florida laws by developing its property without paying any impact fees. And this same company did not send its own fire company to help fight raging fires along the east Florida coast in July 2000 (yet fire brigades from all over the country and world did), also failing to accommodate displaced folk from Flagler County during those same fires in its (largely empty) hotel and resort rooms. They were forced to stay in high school gymnasiums in the Orlando area instead. Shame on Disney. The less connection between Ireland and the man and his corporation, the better.

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newcanaan | Feb 27, 2010, 07:31 AM EST

i think mickey mouse's father was from kerry.

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kickstar | Feb 26, 2010, 02:39 PM EST

Yeah but is Northern Ireland and Eire mentioned????

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killowen | Feb 26, 2010, 02:24 PM EST

They called it right - the Irish are taken for granted as we all pretty well know.

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TraveLynn | Feb 26, 2010, 01:36 PM EST

I guess poster DrTrelawney doesn't find Disney to be the happiest place on earth. I doubt he/she would find anywhere to be happy... get a grip and quit your whining.

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Downunderyan | Feb 26, 2010, 02:27 AM EST

Apart from Darby O'Gill, Disney also made 'The Fighting Prince of Donegal' about the escape of O'Donnell and O'Toole from the clutches of the English in Dublin during Elizabethan times. That legendary escape was the 16th century equivalent of the escape from Alcatraz or the World War 2 Great Escape.

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edwardkeating | Feb 25, 2010, 07:28 PM EST

kenneth haynes i thought this was a good artical you wrote about disney world and walt. but i think that trelawney might need some doctoring himself.

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DrTrelawney | Feb 25, 2010, 04:01 PM EST

"his affection for Ireland was what drove him to make the hit movie "Darby O'Gill and the Little People." Well thanks a bundle for that bit of racist claptrap, you anti-semitic, cryogenically frozen old despot.

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