Ireland’s Gathering 2013 officially launched in US by Tourism Minister - VIDEO

Will the Irish tourism minister be paying Toronto, Canada a visit? There are many Irish living north of the 49th parallel. I agree with 'Kilsally' that Northern Ireland should be included in this tourist initiative. Some Canadian friends who are heading to Ireland next year are also including Belfast on their itinerary, myself included.

Suggestion: Since many from the U.S. who are going the attend the gatherings have serverd in the U.S. military, An Bord Fáilte should cooperate with the American Legion posts in Dublin, Claremorris and Killarney in arranging for these veterans to meet Amercasn Legionnaires now living in Irland. These include Patrick Mulcahy, a retired detective of the N.Y.C. PD and a former officer in the New York National Guard who now resides in his native NW Cork.

Let me share a friend's facebook status to show how we, the Irish who are being made to pay for this charades feel!- Do you know what I find a tad bit strange? This stupid government is killing every small business in this country and starving us taxpayers with their invented bullshit taxes. Meanwhile.... They are planning this big "gathering" where we supposed to invite every "rich " and foreign distant or close relative that lives abroad to visit Ireland in 2013. Now to see WHAT?? Roads filled with closed boarded up shops? Villages deserted of businesses and population? Drive through a collection of potholes getting lost in no sign posted roads ? Stay where? In our houses that we can't afford to feed our own? Nor can we afford to go to a restaurant with them or have a drink with them? To show what? Our immense poverty and misfortune? The fact that most of us has no work? Seriously ! Fix the country use our money that you squandered to do what you supposed to in the first place. Then only then we may be calling someone to come here. Don't shame this country even more !!

Smyrnian What are you ? a dole bludger !! because i can see through you,I guess that during the Celtic Tiger you were claiming your house was worth 600,000 now that you have to pay property tax you will claim its worth 50,000 enjoy the buget

I cam ser that Angry Paddy is still being an idiot with zero credibility. What a jerk, sorry folks.

The real "Gathering" in Ireland is the gathering of Pak, Pole, Pohnpeian, Burundi, Bornean, Botswanan, Bosnian.... (need I go on?) settlers who are now flooding in to settle the country. They're the new Sooners. Any Irish-American who falls for the charade that the Irish tourist people are pulling is a fool. The Irish govt is selling us a sentimentalized version of Irish ethnicity, while its policy is to destroy Irish ethnicity and leave the Irish a minority in their own homeland.

There needs to be more effort to include Northern Ireland in this including the Ulster-Scots / Scots-Irish . Northern Irish tourism minister Arlene Foster should be involved

Irish diaspora can gather any time they chose to come. They don't need the anyones permission. Governments need to get past emigrants remittances mentality, to bail out political incompetance back home. What's so special about 2013, other than the Great Dublin Lock Out and Strike which an indigenous middle-class political caste may can to forget. Besides, 2013 not happen, if those Mayan chaps in South America were/are tight. This should be a not for profit event. Emigration was/is a shameful haemorrhage too sacrosanct to be exploited for material gain. By all means come, preferably cheaper off peak Winter/Spring/Autumn or Fall, and avoid conventional Summer tourist season. And be prepared for an Ireland with a European insistent Gathering of other diaspora of cheap labour to service you.

There is one thing the Irish are good at BEGGING,here we go again "The Gathering" should say "The Big Ripp Off"All you have to do is look at the clowns running the country

Who is using my username to different bobby. (bobby | Sep 27, 2012, 04:00 PM EDT) you are using the same name as me.

Well we are planning to come in 2013 and stay for a month or two...maybe 3?...will be looking for a vacation house and seeing what can happen?

Jess those begging on the streets are not Irish, we have alot of beggers on the streets in London and i saw loads in NY. 216,000 people emigrated from England so far this year. And yes every other shop is closed in many towns and cities in the UK. You are not alone in these hard times. It is a very tough time for many Americans to, im just back from the states. People are losing homes with very little help. And no jobs. Some are thinking of moving to Canada. Lets hope it gets better for us all soon.

Well at least in the video they didn't show only the typical Irish cliche's. I saw footage from what looked like Macna's Galway parade, which is spectacular. I would say if Ireland simply just has these people come and then they leave, it is only a temporary aid to the Irish economy. But if when they come they make it easy for Americans (and others from the diaspora) to stay and buy a vacation home since the market is good, start a business (like I believe google and facebook are) or develop family ties to come back, that could be a good long term gain for Ireland.

So who is paying for this?!! Oh wait, us- the stupid Irish taxpayers who can't afford our own rent, who can't pay our bills, who are struggling in debt and every other shop is boarded up. Who wants to see that?! Who wants to visit a country where the youth are leaving in droves, where people are begging on the street and we have a government so keen on bringing in the Yanks to laugh at us. Yeah good job! Wonderful. Come see the shambolic country in bits.

what kind of a name is that - wonder if he's another Shatter type who trashes the natives of Eire for not saving his much loved brethern.