Greetings from New York, where I am pre-gaming St. Patrick’s Day with Louise O’Reilly TD and Greg O’Loughlin, Executive Director of Friends of Sinn Féin USA. In Albany, we had the opportunity to attend events at the Governor’s residence and a dinner in the AOH Hall hosted by the Irish-American State Legislators Caucus.
In the State Capitol, we had the opportunity to discuss advancing the cause of Irish Unity with supporters and members of the State Senate and Assembly. We are now in New York City to meet with the Labour leaders, Irish American medical professionals, Lawyers, political leaders, and supporters.
There is an old joke that there are only two kinds of people in the world: those who are Irish and those who want to be Irish.
In all the events I have attended this week, there is a grain of truth in the joke. There is immense pride in those with a tie to Ireland. It has held strong over generations.
Stories of forced immigration and hardship. A shared love of Irish culture, music, stories, songs, art and literature. The hyphen in Irish-American is a bridge between the past and the present.
Where there is Irish history, there is also hope, a desire for the best for our island and our people. It crosses social class, geography, and politics. Today, it is finding voice in rising support for Irish Unity. The recognition that Irish America can and will play a role in ending the division of our Island and uniting the people. This generation can fulfill the dream of all those who left our shores and build a nation in which immigration is a choice and not a necessity, and where the path back home is clear.
But what about those who are not lucky enough to be Irish or have an Irish heritage?
Next week, many will join in with the wearing of the green. Irish culture is celebrated across the globe. We are renowned for our welcome, the céad mile fáilte, and the place at the table. That openness is a mark of who we are as an Irish nation.
Our culture has never been exclusive; it is shared, shaped, and changes over time.
The Dubliners were once dismissed and devalued for popularizing the culture.
The Pogues, a London Irish phenomenon, shaped Irish Traditional music and paved the way in the US for the Dropkick Murphys and, in turn, shaped a new generation of traditional musicians and ballad bands in Ireland.
The same can be said for the language, which is experiencing a resurgence thanks to Kneecap and a group that raps in Irish.
Today gaeltachts are popping up from East Belfast to East Nashville.
Gaelic games are played by men and women with a ferocity and skill unmatched by anytime in our history. The GAA remains the anchor of communities in Ireland and across the globe.
Cultures that do not evolve and change with each generation lose relevance and decline.
Ireland is changing, as it always has, our culture is stronger than ever, and our values are steadfast.
So true to those values, whether you are Irish or not, you are all welcome to celebrate with us.
