Ballinrobe's Diaspora - Where are They?

Did you know that one of the Young Irelanders, the 19^th Century Irish revolutionaries, later became governor of Montana? And that the first Catholic prime minister of Australia, Jim Scullin, was of Irish descent?

Or that the island of Montserrat is the only country in the world, apart from Ireland, that has a public holiday on St Patrick’s Day? That’s because emigrating Irish people under Cromwellian rule settled on this tiny West Indian island.

And it’s not just a historical phenomenon either. In more recent times, Irishman Bob Geldof has literally and metaphorically rocked the world in his efforts to draw attention to the crippling effects of poverty and debt in Africa and the developing world.

The point we’re trying to make is that you’ll find people with Irish blood scattered right across the globe, and that many of them made a huge contribution to society in their new homes.

In fact, the Irish Diaspora comprises an astonishing 70 million people around the globe.

This includes Irish people who were born in Ireland and emigrated, people of Irish descent, or people with a close direct link but non-family link to Ireland. Just take a look at the photo of the global Irish community and you’ll see some of the destinations where they live. It’s easy to imagine the influence that the people have had on their new homes.

Who do you know?

But we don’t want you to stop there with letting your imagination run riot. We want you to reach out and make contact with them.

Re-connect – follow that lead

We want you to invite anyone with a connection to Ireland to come and visit – so they can tell their stories; so they reconnect with family, relatives and friends; so they can make new friends – and so they can rediscover their history and join in a modern celebration of Ireland – The Gathering 2013