49 Comments

• EamonnDublin | May 19, 2012, 06:33 PM EDT

  Ciara, What on earth is going on - I thought we were having a candlelit dinner for two at yours on Tuesday. No? Éamonn. PS. Those Nasville guys are only good for singing C&W !

• ciaradexy | May 18, 2012, 11:51 AM EDT

  Dukmarshal, at least Japanese tourists take photos and run onto their tourbus! They dont stand around for ages blocking your view! Brian, When I was in NY I was also stopped and asked for directions by someone from Boston! Everytime Im in Italy some hot Italian man asks me for directions. At least I think thats what theyre asking me for! Im really looking forward to my Nashville trip. Staying with the lads there then heading to Memphis for a few days. I have all my tickets for the Civil Rights museum, Stax museum, Graceland etc. Gonna pay my respects to Jeff Buckley who drowned in the Mississippi there too, then back to Nashville and on to visit family in LA for a couple of days. Should be a great few weeks. Seanmor, no offense but the general feeling among Irish is that we really dont have any bond with the Diaspora unless we are related to them and I dont mean 5th cousin twice removed. I have first cousins in LA, we are great pals. It ends there. We dont bond with people just because they had an irish relative, we bond with those who bring something to our lives. Those lads I met from Nashville,well I have a bond with them. And not a shamrock between them.

• Seanmor | May 17, 2012, 10:40 AM EDT

  Enda Kenny was first elected to the Dáil 1n 1975. Eight years later the gov't of the Irish state boycotted the N.Y.C. St. Patrick's Day parade because it disapproved of its democratically elected Grand Marshal, Mike Flannery, a veteran of the war that lberated 5/6ths of Ireland from British rule. In 1985 the Dáil crowd again boycotted our St. Patrick's Day parade on account of Peter King being its Grand Marshal. King was soon elected to Congress and played a key role in arranging the peace process that led to G.F.A. Sholdn't the gov't of the Irish state apologize to the New York Irish for having rejected us in the 70s and 80s, calling us misinformed malcontents, sentimental fools, supporters of terrorism. Ireland, North and South, has a great deal to offer the tourist and the ordinary Irish people are friendly, warm and hospitable, but the Dail crowd have treated the diaspora Irish in the U.S. too badly for too long.

• BrianO | May 16, 2012, 10:47 AM EDT

  ciaradexy, You make me wish I was a nashville tourist. I had a shop off a main highway near BOSTON Where every tourist got lost and needed directions. I've found I have more patience with them than the local folks who should know better. It is funny though see me giving directions to Chinese, Japanese, Puerto Ricans, South American, and the most foreign speaking New Yorkers.

• dukmarshal@aol.com | May 16, 2012, 01:31 AM EDT

  No matter where one is tourists can be a pain in the a---. When my girls were little we had stopped at the Grand Canyon on the way home. We found a great spot to watch the sun set. 30 minutes later as the sun was setting I found our view totally blocked by a whole bus load of Japanese tourists. Being an inconsiderate tourist is not exclusive to us yanks.

• dukmarshal@aol.com | May 16, 2012, 01:16 AM EDT

  Ciara, when my grandmum came to the US in 1900 she worked hotel in NY cleaning and scrubbing the floors and sent money back to Ireland to her mum and da for the rest of the family.

• ciaradexy | May 15, 2012, 01:49 PM EDT

  I have a mate working in a hotel in WPB. She did a degree in hotel management and just before she did her finals last year, the manager held interviews here as she was looking for 2 new members of staff so shes over there since last June. Should she return home because theres a recession in the US?

• ciaradexy | May 15, 2012, 01:46 PM EDT

  Dildo, you said my father earlier and now its my brother? Are you purposely changing it to see if you can make a funny? It really hasnt worked. Mcnamara, I work with tourists and the ones I love to see coming are the ones who are delighted to be here. The ones who are open and inquisitive not the ones like george there whos a stereotypical fat old know it all (likes to think so anyway). I met 2 lads from Nashville in Galway in march, Im going to visit them in october, the craic we had for the 10 days they were here was unreal! I brought them to the Cliffs, Lahinch for surfing, the aran Islands, Ballyvaughan, Cnoc Suain, Spiddal, Clifden, Inisbofin, Kinsale, Carrigaline (we stayed with my family), Kilkenny, all over wicklow, they stayed with me in Dublin, we went to Newgrange, Slane, Boyne Valley etc and we had a ball! They were interested, intrigued, enthusiastic, fun to be around, all sorts of good stuff! And I was the one who showed them around. I showed them MY home. I was their tourguide and they loved every second of their trip here. THATS what its all about. Not some tool arriving off a plane staying in an American chain of hotels complaining about Polish room service attendants. Ancavaker, theres a recession in the US, why dont you leave and give your job to an American? Just because YOUR cousin is a drain on resources and has no self respect and it perpetuating a cycle of cradle to grave welfare with her kid does not mean that everyone else is. I have loads of mates here from all over the world, every single one of them has a good qualification and not one of them is unemployed. Theyre paying their taxes so YOUR cousin can sit on her hole all day. She should be grateful for them. There are penty of jobs out there. The Earl of Kildare hotel is looking for staff, reeds on Nassau St are looking for staff as is the Spar in Dolphins barn. Why wont your cousin take one of those jobs?

• RedBranch | May 15, 2012, 12:17 PM EDT

  300,000, that would be emigrants home for Christmas then.

• RedBranch | May 15, 2012, 10:39 AM EDT

  McNamara31, I hope you don't mind me agreeing with you. Ciara, tourist are hard to deal with in both our countries sometimes a little direction and help and patience goes a long way. The influx of cash may be enough to keep some struggling small businesses open, I'm sure that's the hope.

• ancavker | May 15, 2012, 10:20 AM EDT

  Cara: A country with massive unemployment and a failed political system, should not be importing workers to do these jobs. if the economy was booming that would be another story. I have a cousin in Ireland unmarried, unemployed with a kid, free council housing, won't marry the father or she looses the unmarried mother benefit. University educated,she was in Belgium a little while back, on holiday as the stress of being unemployed was getting to her and she needed a break!!!!

• EamonnDublin | May 15, 2012, 03:26 AM EDT

  Aaah, Ciara! "Eamo"! Brings me back to the lazy days on the swing in your back garden, where you and I first collided. You've gotten a bit grumpy since then, but still ........Happy days! Éamonn.

• GeorgeDillon | May 15, 2012, 03:01 AM EDT

  McNamara: Your post is an island of decency and common sense in the pool of hate that spews out of ciaradexy and her (very few) "pals". Ciaradexy is quick to attack Americans who come to Ireland with a will to enjoy and appreciate the couintry and its culture. Maybe ciaradexy is defensive because she knows how far modern Ireland has degenerated and is just a shadow of what it once was. It has little culture of its own. But the notion that only American visitors to Ireland can say dopey things just shows how unsophisticated ciaradexy is. The Irish can match that any day. It's almost a decade ago now, but I still remember the conversation I heard at the check-in desk at JFK. We were waiting to board a flight to Pittsburgh, when I heard an Irish accent near me. The agent was telling him "I think I can get you to Pittsburgh, but you'll have to fly stand-by". To which the Irishman (ciaradexy's brother?) replied: "I really have to get to Pittsburgh, I don't mind standing".

• bostonrugby | May 14, 2012, 10:26 PM EDT

  Now if Aer Lingus just dropped their fares by 40% or so maybe thoose of us exiled abroad could afford the trip home...

• McNamara31 | May 14, 2012, 07:52 PM EDT

  ciaradexy …Yes there are ugly Americans just like ugly French or Spanish of yes, Irish. We all come in two categories likeable and unlikeable. The next time you encounter “a first time visiting Ireland” American think about it this why ...They've probably heard the stories all their life about how wonderful Ireland is and yes how green it is. Many American’s first visit, comes in their retirement years and it’s almost like the salmon swimming upstream to reach the place of their birth before they die. So next time they ask a silly question or talk about how Irish they are "cut em a little slack" the trip home mean a lot to them and BTW to the Irish economy as well. And if you visit America, hopefully you will be met by a friendly kind smile as well.

• McNamara31 | May 14, 2012, 07:32 PM EDT

  During the past week IC has featured articles on the Famine and also this article on the Gathering. These articles are so connected as they speak to the core of IC’s commenter’s, those who are presently in Ireland and those very similar to today’s emigrants who were forced to leave Ireland for economic survival. I go back and forth and was once asked by a cab driver enroute to Shannon “do you consider yourself Irish or American” I thought for a moment, then answered that I felt I had one foot in Ireland and one in America. The majority of Irish that have left, left because they had to, not because they wanted to. I think that why so many Irish in the states used the term Irish American. They always wanted to keep that connection as if leaving the door open to return.

• ciaradexy | May 14, 2012, 05:23 PM EDT

  eamonn, the cheek of you! You asked me to bite you! I did as you asked! Eamo, The globalisation of the world by the US is its biggest problem and yet george there blames Poland and the Poles for doing what his relatives did along with the relatives of every American on this site. The hypocrisy stinks and they cant even see that they are being hypocrites! How can you expect ireland, a nation who have travelled the length and breadth of this planet, that they now must ban emigration? Should we tell those people who want to migrate that they cant? Shoud i tell me bro and cousins that they must leave NZ and Australia and mve home cos an American reckons it would be the best thing for everyone?? get up the yard! Howareye, I have American cousins and mates who I adore and have no issue with at all, like the majority i have met. The Americans my mates and I tend to avoid, are those middle aged groups of Americans who come over to Ireland cos they 'wanna speak to real Irish people'. Even my American mates were morto by other americans when they were over here in march. Groups of them, overweight in baseball caps and fanny packs on Nassau st made them cringe as did the groups we met in Galway who said they were disapointed by Galway because they wanted it to be quaint. Seriously?? Cop on lads! its not a theme park and we are not here for your amusement. Every other country in the developed world has populations from all over the world working and living there, why shouldnt we? Why on earth would be shut our borders to migrants when our people migrated?

• howareya | May 14, 2012, 03:51 PM EDT

  Thank you, Eamonn! But for your posts, these comment sections would get depressing! Ciara...I'm sure you are a very nice person, but I can't understand why you hate all Americans so much (as reflected in your comments) And George, why you bash Ireland so much. We have great people (as well as a few a...holes thrown in) in both countries. Can we all just get along?

• EamonnDublin | May 14, 2012, 12:58 PM EDT

  George! Don't mind Ciara - between you, me and the wall, I think she's a little bit bonkers. She's on new tablets, so I'm hoping they work. She tried to bite me last night. Scary!! Best Wishes, Éamonn. (Ciara, if you are reading this, this is a different Ciara I'm talking to George about).

• EamonnDublin | May 14, 2012, 12:53 PM EDT

  Ciara, darling! Are we going to have our first argument since our engagement (ooops! Sorry, I forgot - I haven't asked you yet. Forget that last bit). But, baby, you really will have to cease this aggressive tone. You are upsetting the visitors. If it were not for the United States, Western civilization would be in serious jeopardy - if not already doomed. (We're all doomed - DOOMED I tell you!) I like Americans, very much, and you upset me when you go on about them negatively. I hope that, notwithstanding this diversity of views, you and I can work this through, because I am seriously considering a surprise proposal in the immediate future. Now, I am going to apologise to George (apologies, George, no harm intended by Ciara, she's just a bit starry-eyed at the moment because I'm in town), so, Ciara, I want you to withdraw into the background a little, at least until the new tablets begin to work. I still love you very much, but my feelings have been hurt by association. Talk soon, Éamonn. (This is getting scary!!)

• ciaradexy | May 14, 2012, 11:47 AM EDT

  Most people I know go out of their way to avoid Americans here. Americans are great in the US but here they just become patronising, overbearing, insincere and offensive. I know a family who run a B&B in Doolin. They have some local staff but do you think their staff want to work as =room cleaners and breakfast servers for the rest of their lives? No, they have ambition and want to go to uni and travel. Cleaning up after Americans is not the dream for Irish people that Americans wish it was. Ireland is not here to serve Americans or your whims. If you want to visit a theme park, go to 6 Flags.

• ciaradexy | May 14, 2012, 11:43 AM EDT

  Eamonn, as much as I love you '' - I took from it that he is simply saying that one of the main reasons visitors come to Ireland is to meet the Irish people.'' There are plenty of Irish people who do not want to meet Americans! Its not a theme park here!

• ciaradexy | May 14, 2012, 11:40 AM EDT

  George, maybe the Irish dont want to work with fat loud patronising yanks? Maybe the ones with qualifications have good jobs or went travelling or have emigrated? Those Poles and Latvians did what your family did years ago, emigrated for a better life so were the Irish who emigrated in your families day so much better than these people who have moved here?

• GeorgeDillon | May 14, 2012, 10:11 AM EDT

  Eamonn, Dukmarshal: Here's the problem in a nutshell. I regularly stay in the Dublin Airport Hilton (for business reasons I am almost forced to choose the Hilton, and actually it's not a bad hotel). This Dublin Airport Hotel is situated right on the fringes of an area of massive unemployment in Dublin. Probably 25% of the young people out of work, though maybe less now because they've emigrated. But guess how many Irish people are working in that hotel? On my last two stays--ZERO. All hotel staff I came in contact with, from the vey courteous Polish shuttle bus driver to the very inefficient, surly and not very clean Latvian waitress, they were all NON_IRISH. WHY? Are the Irish too stupid to work a hotel check-in, drive the shuttle or serve a few drinks in the bar? Ciaradexy, herself a fool, seems to think so.

• IrelandNorth | May 14, 2012, 09:04 AM EDT

  Is the projected figure for the island as a whole or for the 26 county state only? Perhaps any discrepancy is due to a debilitating dualism. As far as I'm aware, Tourism Ireland is organised as a joint effort with 6 county Ulster/Northern Ireland state and the rest of Ireland.

• EamonnDublin | May 14, 2012, 04:28 AM EDT

  "Dukmarshal@AOL.com" - The non-Irish would be mostly in the hotel and restaurant businesses in Dublin. The B&Bs "down the country" (in the provinces, outside Dublin) are still mainly run by Irish families and have mainly local Irish staff. As you say, the non-Irish are indeed polite - very often enormously so - but the "experience" is different in the B&B for the reason given earlier by "GeorgeDillon", in that one of the main reasons tourists come to Ireland is to meet Irish people. I hope you will visit our shores soon and that you enjoy the experience as much as I do when I visit the good ole USA! Céad Míle Fáilte! Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

• dukmarshal@aol.com | May 13, 2012, 11:34 PM EDT

  Are all these foreign workers in the hospitality sector throughout the land or mostly in Dublin? When I was there in '08 every B&B were run by the most hospitable Irish men and women. However when staying in Dublin at a larger hotel, there were mostly foreign workers, and though polite not the same as the B&B experience.

• seanomelb | May 13, 2012, 08:13 PM EDT

  And it.s about 6% of Ireland's total tourist numbers your point is meaningless. I quoted the 2010 Irish tourism figures as released by the Irish government moron.Latest figures from the CENTRAL STATISTIC OFFICE in Dublin s 6.2 million for 2011 check you facts byandby.

• EamonnDublin | May 13, 2012, 01:18 PM EDT

  "Bythebay" - Why do you apparently say that GeorgeDillon has "bigoted views of our residents" in Ireland? I can't say how near the mark George's 85% figure is, but it seems a reasonable approximation to me. His point is not at all "bigoted" - I took from it that he is simply saying that one of the main reasons visitors come to Ireland is to meet the Irish people. Much of that "meeting" opportunity used to occur within our hospitality sector, but nowadays the vast majority of that sector is non-Irish. Fact. Now, what is bigoted about that? I fear you just like to see the bad side of all comments, so you can have a grouse. If I were you, I'd ask the doctor to up the prescription. Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

• Bythebay | May 13, 2012, 12:57 PM EDT

  For those in the US with bigoted views of our residents both in and outside the hospitality sector, you can keep your bigoted views right there in the US. As for those in the US so myopic as to be unaware, eg. ignorant, of the worldwide diaspora, look online for details and countries involved. We don't have to do that for you, you should be computer literate enough to do it yourse.

• GeorgeDillon | May 13, 2012, 12:40 PM EDT

  Will they have a "Gathering" which is hosted by Poles, Malays, Russians etc? Because right now I would say 85% of workers in the Irish hospitality sector are foreign migrants.

• GeorgeDillon | May 13, 2012, 12:39 PM EDT

  Bythebay: "There are well over 40 million others worldwide claiming Irish heritage who do NOT live in the US." That's stupid nonsense. Give us a breakdown of that 40 million.

• Bythebay | May 13, 2012, 12:27 PM EDT

  For those of you with no knowledge of Ireland or the initiative announcement this week in Dublin, the 70 million worldwide diaspora are invited to join the millions of other tourists in Ireland for ongoing events which take place all year, every year in Ireland.

• Bythebay | May 13, 2012, 12:13 PM EDT

  seanomelb in Australia, turn your stupid comment right back on yourself, mate. You've quoted tourists to Australia, a continent. Ireland consistently beats your tourism numbers. 300,000 is still 5% of the tourists we get every year.

• Murph46 | May 13, 2012, 07:34 AM EDT

  EamonnDublin-A voice of reason!I look forward to your Cead Mile Failte!Many on these posts I would not wish to be acqainted with because they bash each other so.

• EamonnDublin | May 13, 2012, 02:11 AM EDT

  Amazing! The article is about what promises to be a very nice event, and yet most of you see it as yet another opportunity for malicious, vindictive sniping at each other. Can't you simply ENJOY it? For myself, I welcome ALL our relatives and friends from around the world - Céad Míle Fáilte ! We look forward very much to your visit. Éamonn, Dublin, Ireland.

• seanomelb | May 12, 2012, 06:56 PM EDT

  Ireland received 5.5 million tourist(2010) the 300,000 figure quoted is hoped to be extra tourist.bythebay is to stupid to check facts or read the item properly

• Murph46 | May 12, 2012, 05:46 PM EDT

  What's the golf course at Macroom called-I'm coming over.

• Bythebay | May 12, 2012, 05:35 PM EDT

  seagreen, 300,000 isn't a large number of visitors for Ireland. We get between 6 and 7 million tourists per year so 300,000 is about 4% of our total tourists.

• Bythebay | May 12, 2012, 01:44 PM EDT

  Macroom has an excellent 18 hole golf course, Castle Arch in the town itself is also for walkers with the castle demesne parklands having many trails and riverside walks.

• ciaradexy | May 12, 2012, 01:26 PM EDT

  Carrickcourt, theres a reason Monaghan doesnt get any tourists. It s kip.

• Seanmor | May 12, 2012, 01:24 PM EDT

  One of the gatherings scheluled for Ireland in 2013 is that of the Curtin (Mac Curtáin) Clan, whose members plan to meet in Macroom, Co. Cork, in late July. Many in their group know about the first Sinn Féin Mayor of Cork,Tomás Mac Curtáin, who was murdered by British agents in March, 1920. Some also know that Macroom was the town from which 2 lorry loads of Auxiliaries left in late Nov of 1920 for Kilmichael, where they were annihilated by I.R.A. led by Tom Barry.

• Bythebay | May 12, 2012, 12:27 PM EDT

  This invitation of course is predicated on the ability to pay for the trip. Many in the world won't have any problem with the cost of air fares or accommodation and meals in Ireland. And it's not aimed at just those in the US as many on IC might assume. There are well over 40 million others worldwide claiming Irish heritage who do NOT live in the US.

• Murph46 | May 12, 2012, 12:17 PM EDT

  Bogsidebunny-First off,Obama care(the mandate) is probably going to be ruled unconstitutional as if that passes it would give license to the govt.to mandate anything. Secondly ,if the air flight prices don't improve,don't expect much visitation(something the hospitality industry should provide pressure on. Third,why not travel with bunches of new folk coming home!

• seagreen | May 12, 2012, 12:13 PM EDT

  Get ready for a colossal grease job. Irish hotel operators must be salivating at the fact they can cornhaul such a potentially large amount of visitors.

• carrickcourt | May 12, 2012, 11:58 AM EDT

  Oh my gosh I had better try to get to Ireland this year if I want to avoid the Irish-American rush next year. Most places I go to in Ireland in terms of my Irish roots are at least not big tourist areas, southwest Co. Monaghan and southeast Co. Cavan.

• 89west | May 12, 2012, 11:22 AM EDT

  Come on folks, some great people can be found in the hospitality industry who try to please people that are sometimes beyond pleasing. Accept the invitation as a gesture of good will or decline it if you like. However, Ireland is always a great destination.

• bogsidebunny | May 12, 2012, 09:16 AM EDT

  WOW, SarahinLA, you hit the nail on the head. You are 110% correct GREED is the word. Let's not forget the HSE (Ireland's GOVERNMENT run Health service) which recently took 7 (SEVEN) hours and 3 different ambulances to bring a Gallic footballer, who suffered a seriously broken leg, only 55 miles to hospital from Carlow to Waterford. Probably, the U.S. Government run Obamacare will offer a similar inept service.

• SarahinLA | May 12, 2012, 07:58 AM EDT

  This will provide a great opportunity for people in the hospitality industry in Ireland. These people who can't see beyond the end of their greedy noses will see any increase in business as an opportunity of going back to their old ways of ripping off the visitor. Paddy has the business acumen of goats.