Irish too often spurn Diaspora advice says top Wall Street figure

I don't know how they did it, but somehow Irish born parents or ancestors passed on a tremendous love of Ireland, it's culture and history to their diaspora no matter where they went. How many nationalities do you know who refer to their homeland and "a little bit of heaven?" So many Irish songs reflect the beauty of their homeland, love of their parents and countrymen, the beauty of their women and the bravery of their men And then there are the equally sad songs of emigrants sailing away, often forever, from everyone and every thing they loved. I wonder if the Irish Government could set up a site where the Irish diaspora could contribute whatever they can to the tiny island we all love so well? I know we would love to contribute to make sure Ireland, it's people, history and culture are preserved.

Labels and name calling offer no benefit to anyone. Ease up guys.

Curitiba; Ciara isnt Citizenship Minister either. Roy Keane has children born in England. Plastic Paddies by her and by his rule who would never be able to play for Ireland. Irish soccer only did well with Plastic Paddies in the team. The GAA thrives in the UK - among the Irish community - and now interest is growing outside of the community. Ciara, how to quantify the support given to Ireland both financial and practical over the last 90 years by Plastic Paddies. How to value the benefits to Ireland over the years....until we were embarrased by the Celtic Tiger excesses. I know you are going to say we didnt ask for help.....but then what would you know?

Since when has Roy Keane been Citizenship Minister? Who gave him the right to decide who is Irish and who is not?

Curitiba, the link I was talking about was the fact that Irish people played on these teams. Actual Irish born and bred, not plastic Paddies. Even Roy Keane has come out and said enough with the plastic paddies playing on the Rep. of Irelands football team. Its time to get Irish playing not relatives of Irish people. Another reason irish people follow these teams is because they are obviously better than most LOI teams. Im not into football, Im more of a GAA fan so I cant speak from experience but my friends who do follow British teams also like the fact that they can spend 40 minutes on a plane and head to see their favourite team in action. Nothing wrong with that either.

ancavker: yes, her point about the football was totally contradictory, because she asserted that there was no such thing as an Irish connection, if you weren't born in Ireland, you weren't Irish. Except if it involved football. So there was a whole load of arbitrary, unconnected rules that she seemed to have invented regarding who was Irish and who wasn't. But she wasn't alone. Ciaradexy simply represented an entrenched attitude that many people in Ireland have regarding the Diaspora. My disagreement with her was based on the contention that I don't see any distinction between Irish born and non-Irish born, it was the common ancestry that mattered.

Smyrnian: Perhaps someone could get the ball rolling by lobbying RTE to commission a series called "Ireland's Lost Tribes" to to inform and educate Irish people everywhere of all places of birth about such communities that have been cut off from mainstream Irish culture, as well as putting the stories of the better-known migrations to the UK and the USA. I only found out about the South American Irish a few years ago. On my many trips to Ireland and during my time living there, I never heard of it. Sometimes, these type of historical events exist as a folk memory, but I never heard anyone mention it, not even very old people. I say that because they might have had uncles, great aunts, etc, who their parents or grand parents might have told them about.

Curitiba - I agree with you entirely concerning the independent communication/relationships between the diaspora without routing it through Ireland. I am Irish born and I have spent time in S. America and I was aware of the Irish Argentine connection (but not as well as I should have been). I was also very pleasantly surprised by the Irish connection to Chile, where I spent some time. Gen. Bernardo O'Higgins etc. and many people of Irish descent there. Wonderful to see and experience - fabulous people down there! The Irish born are very unaware of the size and extent of their own diaspora...which is a great pity.

curitiba: One more thing I find ironic with the whole Plastic Paddy nonsense, is the whole Irish fascination with English football teams, such as Man U, and Liverpool. Ciaradexy used to post that Irish people follow them because so many have Irish connections, and yet would this not mean that these players too are Plastic Paddies? Even the ones that were born in Ireland that may now live in England, and their children who might be born in England, are they not Plastic Paddies? So the Irish in Ireland disparage them as Plastic Paddies, but at the same time we are told love them because of their Irish connections. So which is it?

Stiofain: I had a Welsh acquaintance once who travelled to Patagonia to visit this village. Having no Castellano, and they no English, they were able to communicate in Welsh. I found this fascinating. Another reason to encourage Irish language learning among the Diaspora.

Also, there is a Welsh speaking community in Patagonia, established in 1865.

WoundedKnee: I must admit I didn't know that. I was under the impression that the present Irish-Argentine population were descended from about 2000 migrants who arrived in the late 1800's and the reason their present numbers were so large was because they are now of mixed ancestry. I'm happy to stand corrected on that one. molliepmac: Perhaps IC should have a Castellano version, for the Argentine-Irish.

Curitiba: A couple of minor corrections. First, Irish emigration to Argentina is a much older tradition that you state. It began in the 1820s and its high point was probably the 1860s. By the 1890s it had tapered off. On another point, your fear that "perhaps depopulation is Ireland's fate" is unfounded, as any visit to Ireland will show. Ireland will be full of people, but they won't be Irish.

Jews who left the middle East 2,000 years ago still idenfity as Jews and work daily to get money and help for Israel. They identify as a tribe more than a nationality and the people in Israel are happy to accept all of their help. To my mind the Irish diaspora thought of themselves as a tribe too and have always worked to keep the culture of their ancient homeland alive along with helping the native Irish. It is interesting that the Jews welcome all the help while "some" Irish are so negative towards help. "Some" Irish seem to have a negative outlook on just about everything and in fact seem to have very little good to say about themselves. It would be interesting to know what makes them that way, while most are so positive.

Curitba; Well said. The Argentine Irish Newspaper is The Southern Cross/La Cruz Del Sur established 1875 and their Club - The Hurling Club Buenos Aires. A very proud heritage. I doubt many in Ireland know anything about it. Those in Ireland are mostly unaware of the support of the Diaspora - Irelands Champions - support in terms of speaking up and defending Ireland ( often at a cost ) as well as buying Irish goods and produce. Who could quantify the benefits brought to Ireland through the actions of the diaspora.