BEFORE COVID-19 ONCE again reared its ugly head, today the Taoiseach was supposed to eat breakfast with the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris (due to her husband having Covid), to have lunch with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and other congressional luminaries on Capitol Hill and to meet with President Joe Biden in the White House.
Several of Micheál Martin’s ministerial colleagues will fan out across the country of my birth. It’s been said in this space on multiple occasions that the access they have there and around the globe this week is absolutely extraordinary.
Minister for Education Norma Foley will be in my hometown, where I have no doubt she will be received very warmly by the Boston Irish and further deepen the close ties between the most Irish area of the US and this island.
Return of Americans
Meanwhile, and in higher numbers than at any point since the outbreak of Covid-19 if what I have witnessed recently in Galway and Dublin is anything to go by, Americans are returning to celebrate a truly international holiday in the place of its origin. Post-pandemic, we need them.
As was noted in The Irish Times earlier this month, “US visitors stay longer and spend more in Ireland than visitors from any other source market.” And pre-coronavirus, this “market was worth €1.6 billion to Ireland’s tourism industry and it was growing quickly.”
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, however, is worrying stakeholders, given the historic tendency of Americans to stay put in wartime. The understandable fear of those who depend on tourists for their livelihoods can be added to the list of reasons why we all hope that the appalling conflict ends swiftly.
Having been prevented from making what might be their first or twentieth trip by restrictions, though, there is definitely pent-up demand in Irish American circles to come “home” to Ireland. And I suspect that we will soon host many more of them than we have over the past two years. Indeed, one of my best friends has flown in from Boston for the weekend.
The prospect of a resumption to strolling down Shop or Grafton Streets and hearing nearly as many US as Irish accents made me reflect upon the differences between the two societies of which I am a part. Over the past two decades, I have often been present when the “clash” has surfaced, humorously and not so humorously.
What to do, what not to do
In the interest both of minimising the potential for these awkward or unfortunate moments and of providing a fleeting distraction from the relentless drumbeat of terrible news as of late, here are some gentle suggestions: 5 dos and 5 don’ts.
I’d love The Journal readers – who can surely supply others – to pass them on to their favourite Americans who are either with us now or who will be heading to the auld sod imminently. Among these are lessons this transplant has learned the hard way. Those from the US dearest to you deserve better.
Don’t presume that the Irish are intimately acquainted with American lingo. Abundant examples of disconnect can be drawn from sport. The significance of your niece “playing college ball in her sophomore year at UConn” or your “March Madness bracket” is probably going to be lost on your listener.
Don’t wear tweed caps or other items that are regarded as quintessential Irish attire stateside. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb and announce your nationality before your voice does. Instead, buy caps, sweaters, etc. and bring them home. They make great gifts.
Don’t snatch a pint of Guinness after the first pour as it’s still settling. Guinness is popular in the US and served widely there. Yet bar staff say this still happens. Give it a minute and allow the person behind the counter time to top it up.
Don’t expect that timings will be precise. Whether meeting your cousins or waiting for a bus, tardiness is a fact of life here. It took me ages to get used to it. But I’ll never fully accept it.
Don’t prepare a ridiculously ambitious itinerary and attempt to cram a million and one activities in. Go slow and avoid trying to do too much. Taking in a handful of sights and staying in a couple of locations will be a far superior experience to setting out to do and see everything you’ve been told is a must. Luxuriate rather than race. Trust me: you will want to come back and should have another opportunity to appreciate what you missed.
Research what Ireland is like in 2022 before you board a plane. There is a wealth of accessible material out there. If you possess even a superficial knowledge of or curiosity about Irish current affairs, politics, sports, culture and more when you arrive, you will have a better vacation. It will also facilitate stimulating and informative conversations with the people you bump into.
Visit at least one city/town/village that’s not a “hotspot.” There is an awful lot more to Ireland than the places where tourists flock to. Go off the beaten track. Chances are that you’ll be pleasantly surprised; it will cost you less money, and you’ll meet locals who are delighted to welcome you.
If you have Irish roots, do your homework and contact relatives you discover. It’s always nice to be able to identify which county your ancestors emigrated from. And I have heard countless heart-warming stories about the special bonds established between families long separated by the Atlantic after successful efforts to trace roots and seek out distant relations. I certainly treasure the friendships I have formed with my Galway cousins.
Attend a GAA match. There is nothing that encapsulates Ireland and its people more than an intercountry or club football, hurling or camogie showdown. Passion for sport and for community invariably feature. You will not be disappointed.
Enjoy yourself. This may seem blindingly obvious. Nonetheless, the reality is that we Americans aren’t the best travellers and tend to get flustered by the unfamiliar or unanticipated, especially when abroad.
My own wife can tell plenty of tales about my allowing minor hiccups on our holidays to ruin an entire day, while she is totally nonplussed and alternates between laughing hysterically at my panicked antics and wanting to throttle me. The Irish travel well. Take a leaf out of their book. Relax and don’t sweat the small stuff.
At any rate, I look forward to having my fellow Americans back. Happy St Patrick’s Day to them and to you!
Larry Donnelly is a Boston attorney, a Law Lecturer at NUI Galway and a political columnist with TheJournal.ie. His new book – “The Bostonian: Life in an Irish American Political Family” – is published by Gill Books and available online and in bookshops.
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