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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Ireland needs a Minister for the Diaspora to identify next generation of Irish American leaders - Impact of men like Don Keough and Chuck Feeney greater than generations of Irish leaders

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Ireland needs a Minister for the Diaspora to identify next generation of Irish American leaders - Impact of men like Don Keough and Chuck Feeney greater than generations of Irish leaders

Posted on Saturday, September 08, 2012 at 08:07 AM

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Chuck Feeney

Irish Americans such as Chuck Feeney and Donald Keough have had a more positive transformative impact in Ireland than generations of politicians there.

That was the main point I made in my speech accepting the Tip O’Neill Donegal Diaspora award in Buncrana last night before 400 people. I stated that I believed there are many other Don Keoughs and Chuck Feeneys out there in Irish America but the Irish government needs to get serious about identifying them.

It is not enough to just hold occasional Farmleigh Diaspora type meetings, make fine speeches praising the Diaspora and then let it fade until the next meeting. I believe the government should appoint a Minister for the Diaspora charged with identifying the next generation of Chuck Feeneys and Don Keoughs as well as having the minister work seriously on issues such as immigration reform in America which is very important to Irish living there as well as Irish hoping to emigrate legally.

The battle to get America involved in the peace process was very tough but a combination of far-seeing Irish government input and Irish American clout made the intervention of men like Bill Clinton and George Mitchell possible.

We need that same kind of energy and commitment now to issues like Irish American investment and immigration reform he stated. The work of Chuck Feeney and Don Keough were examples of what could be achieved.

Chuck Feeney’s $1.6 billion dollars contribution to Irish universities through Atlantic Philanthropies has meant that they can compete on the world stage and that future generations of Irish students can also compete with the best.

Before Feeney’s grant giving Irish universities lagged badly inresearch and were not equipped to cope in the modern era.

The fact that an unprecedented nine universities jointly honored Chuck Feeney this week shows just how critical his support was to them. In addition Feeney played a critical role in getting President Bill Clinton involved in the Irish peace process and funded the Sinn Fein office in Washington at a time when that organization needed every reassurance that the turn away from militant Republicanism could pay off.

Speaking about Donald Keough, I stated “He and Irish businessman Martin Naughton brought the Notre Dame Game to Ireland with its $150 million spin off for the Irish economy.”

“That game came about because of the Keough/Naughton Institute for Irish Studies at Notre Dame which Don Keough set up in 1993. Now it is the premier Irish Studies program in the United States and indeed world wide.

“But more than that, he established Coca-Cola in Ireland back when the IDA desperately needed major US clients to kick start Ireland’s economic development

“Today he remains a vital resource for Ireland in reaching out to other leading business leaders and discussing investment in Ireland with them,” I said.

I said I believed We needed to identify the next generation of Don Keoughs and Chuck Feeneys in the same way we need to identify the political successors to men like Tip O’Neill who did so much for Ireland.

The Irish government should significantly ramp up its efforts to do so.

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branagh | Sep 12, 2012, 03:35 AM EDT

Extremely unfortunate: The Israel Institute of Technology is a profoundly RACIST institution; no Israeli Arab is permitted to study in any course that might have "terrorist" potential. Essentially,all of science is forbidden for ISRAELI ARABS. To permit this racist apartheid pestilence to infect NYC is unacceptable. What a shame CHUCK FEENEY made it happen.

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Searlit | Sep 11, 2012, 05:56 PM EDT

I love your idea IrelandNorth!

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GregShox | Sep 11, 2012, 03:37 PM EDT

Leaving the usual xenophobes and bigots aside for a moment, there's a good reason why people like Feeney made a greater impact than any Irish minister. 1921 was not a revolution. It simply saw the transfer of power from a British privileged elite to an Irish one. Few Irish ministers since the foundation of the state have cared in the slightest about improving life for Irish people.

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IrelandNorth | Sep 10, 2012, 07:20 AM EDT

The problem with this is that Ireland is not a free agent, having being economically compromised by greedy Irish banksters and their political apologists in government over time. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Central Bank (ECB) have Ireland by the macroeconomic short 'n' curleys. Debt entrapment is the new imperialism. Even if the current Irish government has the wit and wisdom to appoint a Minister for Diaspora, Brussels sprout Eurocrats would likely veto it. If one might petition President Higgins, (despite not being between 18 and 26 years) Ireland's interests are with her diaspora in America, Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand. All diaspora (incl Scots-Irish) should be entitled to citizenship of Ireland, no matter how far back their ancestory goes. A Minister for Diaspora - yes! Associate membership only of both Commonwealth of Nations (CoN) and European Union (EU) would best serve the interests of the Island of Ireland, and geographical and/or political Irishmen and Irishwomen everywhere.

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seanomelb | Sep 09, 2012, 08:50 PM EDT

The bigots have escaped the asylum again.

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WoundedKnee | Sep 09, 2012, 03:09 PM EDT

borefield: "the bulk of his donations are educating foreign students". Haven't you read any of my comments? Feeney is a big proponent of settling Ireland with foreign migrants.

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borefield | Sep 09, 2012, 07:25 AM EDT

I was lucky enough while in Ireland to get a tour of the University of Limerick. It is a State of the Art University and at first glance you think how lucky for Ireland and the people living in the area. What I learned though was, the biggest percentage of the students are foreign. Chuck Feeney was a guest there a few days later. He is such a generous man who loves Ireland. I just wonder what he thinks that the bulk of his donations are educating foreign students..

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Happyhippo | Sep 09, 2012, 07:11 AM EDT

Unfortunately Michael D Higgins is not seen in the same light as the outgoing President who was seen as very positive in the US,the term applied to Michael D as a man on the socialist left is seen by many with suspicion

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angrypaddy | Sep 09, 2012, 12:12 AM EDT

You can be sure Niall is setting himself up for a handy job "The voice of the Diaspora"in the U.S. at the tax payers expense! another useless idea.What Ireland needs is to rid itself of all the Gombeen men and there is only one way to do that.

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eiriamach | Sep 08, 2012, 07:30 PM EDT

I do not understand the need for another minister. Former Presidents Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese established good relationships with Irish groups abroad and highlighted contributions by the Irish Diaspora. Surely it has become an established role of the President to maintain ties with the Diaspora? Mícheál D. Ó hUiginn, Uachtarán na hÉireann, surely will continue the work of his predecessors.

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seanomelb | Sep 08, 2012, 07:19 PM EDT

Niall I find your article a tad arrogant. The Irish diaspora is not an American invention it covers Irish people in many countries.

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mamaginnty | Sep 08, 2012, 05:01 PM EDT

Woundedknee..."we irish Americans identify with IRELAND" god help us here in Ireland if all irish Americans are like you and your otherself Goerge.

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paulpaulpaul | Sep 08, 2012, 04:06 PM EDT

WoundedKnee I was voicing the opinion held by many, and as espoused by Mr. O Dowd, that Immigration Reform is necessary to help the countless Irish Undocumented in the U.S. The inaction of Congress to address the situation overall is a dismal human rights failure, and if my concern bruises your interpretation of Irish/American interaction, then that`s regrettable. Do you not think that a steady, legitimate stream of immigration between both nations would tremendously advance our shared destinies, be it in the academic, business, cultural or employment arenae?

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Happyhippo | Sep 08, 2012, 03:34 PM EDT

There are some 750 American firms located in Ireland today, most let it be said not because of any sentimental notions about the country but because of the good financial rewards that it offers,including 12% corporation tax,just imagine the impact it would have if this idea of a minister for the diaspora were to take root not only for the country, but for the countless millions of people who claim Irish blood running in their veins,it would most likely uncover some fantastic ideas among the diaspora to the benifit of both the country and themselves,i hope this idea will get some serious airtime and some day it will become a reality.

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WoundedKnee | Sep 08, 2012, 02:31 PM EDT

Knowing the kinds of causes Feeney pumps his unlimited money into, it's much more likely he'll support an Irish Minister for Foreign Immigrants rather than a Minister for Irish Emigrants.

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