An American perspective – Why The Gathering Ireland 2013 means so much to Irish Diaspora

It'll be too crowded and it'll feel like being in a multicultural environ with the cream gone. Know thy history - Saxon England's Hitler was Oliver Cromwell who, up into 1650 during his unfathomable reign of terror in Ireland, the numbers of Irish sent into slavery were unlike anything previously experienced. Remember that in 1641 Ireland had a population of 1,466,000 and by 1652 the population was down to only 616,000. According to Sir William. Petty, ``850,000 were wasted by the sword, plague, famine, banishment during the Confederation War 1641-1652.'' By the end of the war estimates vary from 80,000 to 130,000 of Irish men, women and children captured for sale as slaves to labour in England's expanding empire. The English were quite proud of these accomplishments as can be noted in Prendergast, ``Thurloe's State Papers'' (published in London in 1742), ``It was a measure beneficial to Ireland, which was thus relieved of a population that might trouble the planters; (previously planted and the NI Planted Ones) it was a benefit to the people removed, who might thus be made English and of England type Christian, a great benefit to the West Indies sugar planters, who desired men and boys for their bondsmen, and the women and Irish girls to solace them''. Under James I, Cromwell burned the Irish forests ...... "What will we do without wood the end of our forests are at hand" so the song expresses sorrowfully.

It is easy to be cynical about the Gathering, I get that, but the harsh reality is the island of Ireland is in trouble, a lot of it, following the recent financial crash. This is a call to Irish people across the globe to help each other - check out www.nascdomhanda.com - support welcome

The ancestors of the visitors for The Gathering, who were the victims of the Hunger,are buried in unmarked, unconcentrated graves all over Ireland. I hope that when the visitors come to these gravesites that they will presentable and shown with respect for all. Bill Fahey

The writer of the above article portrays Irish natives and their U.S.-born descendants as being as differnt each other as Greeks and Zulus. I have never studied genetics but I got an "A" in the biology course i took under the G.I. Bill. Now I'm left with the impression that the genes and DNA of a U.S.-born person are solely determined by his/her place of birth, but in all other parts of the world, people inherit their their entire biological structure from their ancestors. Is such the case?

The Americans may feel that the Gathering is a special thing but most Irish people don't. All they want is the American dollar and nothing else.

@joan1954, I hope they do put a summer flight out of Texas for you. I know you have been hoping for that for awhile now.

I think this is an excellent idea but I would hope that Airlines such as American which has its hub in the Dllas area would have a flight to Ireland from Texas. Would be cheaper than flying to the northeast? Think about it Ireland would you approach American and see if they would put summer flights on from the soouthwest?