On this St. Patrick’s Day tour, you will get a taste of the main cities and distinct regions of the island some refer to as America’s 51st state — and home to so many prominent, infamous and distinguished Americans, including John F. Kennedy, Harrison Ford, Rosie O’Donnell, Maureen O’Hara, Walt Disney, Barack Obama, Loretta Lynn and President Joseph Biden.
You’ll note that three people on that short list are former presidents. In all, some 22 American presidents can trace their lineage back to the Auld Sod. In fact, a little more than six times as many people of Irish descent live in America as live in Ireland — some 32 million compared with 5 million in the Republic and another, and another 1.9 million in Northern Ireland.
In America’s earliest days, the Irish were the largest immigrant group. Fear of their impact on elections was one factor that drove President John Adams to see passage of the first Alien and Sedition Acts. He didn’t want those “hordes of wild Irishmen” who were invading the newly formed United States interfering with his bid for re-election in 1800. Unfortunately for Adams, they did exactly that and helped elect Thomas Jefferson as the third president of the United States.
The connections between Ireland and America are deep and wide. Driving through the Irish countryside, you’ll see almost as many American flags as you do Irish flags. That said, you’re probably more likely to see a county flag with the colors of the local GAA hurling or camogie teams. The Irish do love their sports.
The Irish are aware of America in a way Americans aren’t always even aware of themselves. They keep up with the most minute aspects of our political and popular cultures — and they feel free to have opinions on everything from the American president to American fashion trends. They love American television; when you travel to Ireland, you’re as likely to find reruns of “Law and Order” or “NCIS” as you are local Irish programming.
So please join The Augusta Press on this Virtual Tour of Ireland. Your host will be Debbie Reddin van Tuyll, an experienced tour guide who has taken student and community groups to Ireland for more than a decade.
The tour starts here!
First Stop: Dublin, Hill of Tara, Newgrange
Second Stop: Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway
Third Stop: Uisneach
Fourth Stop: Wild Atlantic Way
Extras
