A recent book claims that the Irish American influence in Washington is waning but top politicians wouldn't still be rolling out the green carpet if it was, writes Larry Donnelly.
Larry Donnelly Law lecturer, NUI Galway IT’S NOT SURPRISING given my background, that around this time of year, my thoughts turn to the strong ties between Ireland, the country of my ancestry and now my home, and the United States, where I was born and formed.
Vargo is a trenchant critic of what she sees as an Irish American relationship that is outdated and no longer fit for purpose. Later, Vargo describes a proposal for a mutually beneficial agreement that would allow American citizens to live and work in Ireland as “nonsense” and attests that she has “never heard of any Americans, illegally in Ireland, fighting to stay.”
Vargo might also be surprised to learn that in some places including where I grew up just south of Boston, Irish surnames dominate among local officeholders and casting ballots according to this ethnic identity persists. Vargo’s other claims are equally misguided. She doesn’t seem very well-acquainted with Irish America.
Vargo’s claim that the vast majority of Irish Americans aren’t interested in Ireland is manifestly debatable and directly at odds the lived experience of myself and my friends. Perhaps the most obvious manifestation of that interest is the huge numbers of Irish Americans who chose to visit and holiday in Ireland. The number of trips from the US to Ireland grew considerably last year as Aer Lingus expanded its routes and other carriers also entered the lucrative market.
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