Conan O'Brien encourages those with Irish ancestry to join The Gathering - VIDEO

I for one is looking forward to this. I have very irish roots to the point where I'm still looking for my grandmoms birth record. I would spend some time there in the Winter months. Lets start snowbirding to Ireland instead of Fl. we have enough here in the "VILLAGES" coming up to 100,00 and a lot of them are from England and ireland. Three Irish Clubs with over 600 in each

I don't know. I do hope this gathering initiative works out. Can't help being skeptical, though. We are now part of this "diaspora" and we are being encouraged to come bac as part of this "gathering". When the country was happy to export the likes of me in the 50's and 60's we knew we were part of that economic release valve that the Irish government counted on so much. Yes' I'm skeptical but wish them luck.

The above article mentions that Conan "...grew up in an Irish Cathjolic home". Does one have to be a member of the Roman Church in order to be Irish? My wife is a New England Methosist - also a D.A.R. member - and she is always welcomed in Ireland, North and South, whenever we visit that Partitioned country.