James

We love Americans!! All in fact! You're as welcome as the two weeks of sunshine we get a year in July! But we don't care that your grandmother was from the Dingle Peninsula or from somewhere in County Cork. I lived in the States working for a few years and loved it! Loved the people! But in Boston and somewhat elsewhere, people would hear my accent and immediately say "I'm Irish too" Well they weren't. They were American!!! Yes, ok, be proud of your heritage! Its a good one at that, I must admit. However, you must understand that I heard this on a daily basis for four years!!!. Unfortunately, I could not immitate an American accent so well so I couldn't disguise nationality. Do you know how many requests I'd get for singing "Oh Danny boy"? Another thing that I heard on a daily basis was that so and so's grandmother was from Gallway or Dublin. Alright already!!!!<BR>There is another thing that is kind of funny but actually pretty annoying for the village priests in Ireland. Droves of American tourists descend upon the local parish house to get info on their great great grandmother Colleen O'Brien. Often the priests hide and don't answer the door. It is such a nuisance for them to go through the old church records several times a day. This happens especially during our ever so short summer. They deserve to catch a few rays too, don't you think? I'm telling you that these poor devils are so guilt ridden about doing this that they feel the need to run off and confess about it in some other parish!. Again, please don't misread me here. You are our cousins(Irish Americans) and we love you dearly and your country. We are just a bit weary from it all!! <BR>PS. Even if you have too many pints (which is ok to do, by the way), try not to imitate our accents and do your best from singing "When Irish eyes are smiling".

Charlie Dimmock

Father Ted? Is that you??!

Micky

Ah James, its only in good fun! People were nice to you, right. Especially the Irish Amercians I bet. Grant it, it must be tiresome to always be explaining hwere you came from but I have a feeling that it was always done to make you feel welcome or to somehow for a connection with you.

StCirq

James, perhaps you aren't aware that some of us Irish-Americans can get an EU passport if we trace our Irish ancestors back to the past, and what better way to do so than through parish records? And once in hand, an Irish passport becomes an EU passport, and that's a very useful thing indeed, isn't in James? It allows our kids to go to college in Europe for a song,it allows me to get through the passport line at CDG in half the time and make my train to Perigueux in record time. So sorry if we wasted your priests' time. What was it they were so busy doing, anyway (dare I ask)? It's not our fault thousands of Irish people went across the ocean to avoid famine in the late 1800s and now want to reconnect with their roots, now, is it?And why are you so concerned about how your village priests spend their time? Huh? Is there something really pressing they're neglecting?

Ken

So just because some spoiled americans want to sell their brats to fancy European schools, our old and tired Irish priests have to stop their praying, drinking and playing with the young , very young, lads?

St Pub

Now listen St CirQ, You cant be denying a lovely young priest a pint or two during the warm summer months! They work haard to you know, And they shouldnt be at the beckon call of every Irish Yank that comes a calling.

Albert

Why didnt you post this on St Patricks Day?

cd

StCirg<BR>Please forgive my ignorance on this subject and tell me more about the EU passport. My husbands father was born in Germany, how would he go about obtaining an EU passport and how would that entitle one's children to school in Europe for a song? Thanks so much for your information.

Tony Hughes

I'd have to agree. I spoke to this receptionist in Spokane, Washington, who told me she was Scotch (argh). She wasn't and couldn't tell a Scotsman from an Israeli but I dont suppose there's much harm in it. Yeah it's annoying but people are just being friendly most of the time.

Julie

Hi James,<BR><BR>I'm sure it got tiresome to have everyone say "I'm Irish," but I think they were just being friendly. Here in the United States it's not uncommon for people to say they're Italian or Chinese or whatever, really referring to their ethnicity/heritage rather than their nationality. <BR><BR>We're just a peculiar country with virtually everyone being an immigrant from somewhere else initially, so its understood that there's an unspoken "-American" on the end of that. <BR><BR>I also think people are excited to meet someone from their country that their grandparents came over from.<BR><BR>As for the village priests, perhaps they could refer genealogy buffs to a local genealogy researcher rather than plowing through the records themselves. If people want the info, they should be able to pay a genealogist to do the research, not expect a priest to do it for free.<BR><BR>

European

Heh, if I were American I would love to find out about my ancestors. And I would pester anybody who sits on church books.

english

I'm very glad about it, but why are there no English-Americans? I can just imagine a parade on St. George's Day with cheer leaders dressed as beefeaters. Also, why do we never hear about people who are descended from protestant Irish people. Before the end of the 19th century they were in the majority.

Edmond O`Flaherty

The Irish connection can be useful if you need a passport to work in Europe.Basically if one of your parents or grandparents was born in Ireland you can acquire an Irish passport.

cd

Edmound<BR>How does one acquire an EU passport? I asked this question earlier so forgive me for repeating it, but my husbands father was born in Germany. How can this help our children and grandchildren to go to school in Europe?

xxx

OK, so charge the American's a fee, buy the priest a computer, scan the records, put them on the net!

PB

To cd:<BR><BR>You would have to contact the German Embassy to get information on their rules... but I doubt if he would be eligible for what is often called a 'birthright' passport. The German rules on who can have nationality are very limited.<BR><BR>As to the Irish passport, I believe it's only available through the maternal line - your mother or grandmother has to have been born in Ireland.<BR><BR>Some Italian-Americans are also eligible for Italian passports... sorry, but I've lost the link for that site. But you can check with the Italian Embassy.<BR><BR>PB

cd

Thanks PB

Susan

cd<BR><BR>Only Ireland and Israel recognize you as a citizen if your parent(s) or grandparent(s) were born in either country. And, you must be a citizen of a country first before you can obtain a passport.

Susan

Had to laugh at James' post! When I've traveled around and said I was from Miami, various folks would open their eyes wide and tell me that a distant relative or friend lives in Orlando, do I know Sara Gomez? Everyone knows Americans barely know their neighbors!<BR><BR>Also, two years ago we took a trip (my sister and mother) to Ireland for exactly that purpose - to get her birth certificate (my mother's). I had to laugh as MasterCard had a print ad out that showed a mother and daughter in a woody Irish pub sharing warm intimate moments, and it read: Flight to Ireland $690, Hotel $450, Finding your mother's roots? Priceless. For everything else, there's MasterCard.<BR><BR>Hahaha! When innkeepers would inquire why we were traveling - I would say we were having a MasterCard moment.<BR><BR>Apparently, that MasterCard ad was screamingly successful! So, James, don't blame us, blame MasterCard!

Julie

Hi English,<BR><BR>I thought your question was very interesting (why no English parades, etc.) The Dictionary of American Immigration History says, "The proximity of English culture and the dominant American culture inhibited the development of uniquely ethnic English cultural institutions. English immigrants tended to blend almost immediately with the mainstream of American culture."<BR><BR>On the other hand, "the Irish in America became a powerful political force in the large urban centers of the Untied States. They had experience in representative government and the manipulation of the democratic process that allowed them to wield considerable influence, even to dominate big cities like New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco, and Kansas City during the later years of the 1800's." Also, most of the Irish immigrants were Catholic, and the United States was a primarily Protestant country, so they didn't assimilate as much.<BR><BR>Sorry, your parade of beefeaters probably isn't going to happen...