Letters from Wicklow/Larry Donnelly
It was not the first time that an American college football “season opener” had been played at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Georgia Tech and Florida State faced off across the Atlantic, with around 27,000 fans in attendance. The game itself was thrilling, with Kerry-born David Shanahan’s Yellow Jackets upsetting the opposition 24-21.
Objectively, the event was a great success. Thanks to his adoptive father, his eldest son, Sean, a huge football fan and Patriots aficionado, also attended. Sean said the atmosphere was great and there were no signs of trouble in the nation’s capital, which unfortunately has too many of them these days. In Sean’s own words, “There were Americans everywhere and everyone was having fun.”
Indeed it was. Accountants estimate that this late-summer Saturday was worth more than €100 million to Dublin and the country, given the large number of touring parties that took place. I met a group of them having fun at Wicklow Golf Club.
Importantly, these visitors were not Boston or New York residents. Many from the South had no connection to Ireland. They saw the beauty of the country, met the wonderful people, and would return home with a sense of gratitude for Ireland to family and friends, and put it on their bucket list. An added benefit would come from the Georgia Tech vs. Florida State game, watched by a huge U.S. television audience.
Most Irish people enjoyed the event. But sadly, some did not. Their comments about the game, and the confusion it undoubtedly caused, were, to put it bluntly, scathing. The president of the students’ union at Trinity College Dublin posted on Twitter/X, “This is my idea of hell (Americans, orange, sports).” Another opined, “American simps make me sick.” And there were even more nasty comments.
Of course, Twitter/X can be a cesspit. But the fact is that a significant percentage of the Irish population has little use for us, and this feeling is made even more widespread by their fierce opposition to US foreign policy in the Middle East and their unwavering support for what is almost universally perceived to be Israel, a close US ally, waging a wildly disproportionate and horrific war against the innocent people of Gaza. It is equally true that this thinking is widespread among the Irish left.
So, yes, the relationship between our government and its people is in many ways stronger than it has ever been. But be aware that there is also a growing minority of voices who would prefer otherwise.
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Conversely, it has been my privilege to serve as director of the Kennedy Summer School, a festival of Irish-American politics, history and culture that has taken place for the past eight years in New Ross, County Wexford, the ancestral home of the Kennedy family. The festival has just concluded, and we on the organising committee are basking in the joy of it.
A highlight of KSS 2024 was Aidan Tierney, a hilarious impersonator who rapidly replicated the voices and mannerisms of famous people from the fields of sport, broadcasting and politics. He even did an impression of myself, which my wife said was better than the real thing. Attendees also heard from current Prime Minister Simon Harris, one of the best communicators on the planet, and former Prime Minister Enda Kenny, who served as a Member of the Irish Parliament for 50 years.
Based on spontaneous feedback, speakers and audience alike enjoyed a very special occasion. Planning for 2025 has already begun. If you’re going to Ireland at the end of August, get in touch and join us – we guarantee you won’t regret it.
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Given that the 45th, and possibly 47th, president of the United States was a star on The Apprentice, it’s only natural that any discussion of celebrity politics would begin with a focus on where I was born. That said, famous, usually wealthy individuals seeking public office is not a uniquely American phenomenon. Here in Ireland, many politicians become famous even before they appear on the ballot paper. For example, Jack Lynch, who served as Prime Minister from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979, was a talented County Cork hurler and Gaelic footballer before entering politics.
Recently, well-known former news anchor and Connemara native Gráinne Seoghib announced her intention to run for the Galway West seat being vacated by Éamon Ó Cuibh, who has been an MP since 1992. Seoghib’s efforts to secure the Fianna Fáil nomination came as a complete surprise to most of us keen observers, as we would never have thought that an Irish language defender with ties to Boston would be interested in politics.
Soij appears to be going the old-fashioned route, calling and meeting with grassroots people to convince them of his abilities and qualifications, which certainly raises the question: Is it fair for an unproven big name to jump in and ignore city and county council members who have done the hard, often unrecognized work in their hometowns?
There is no satisfactory answer. I believe it is firstly a Fianna Fáil decision and then, if Soij is approved, the decision of the people of West Galway. Frankly, in a situation where dozens of Irish Members of Parliament are declining to stand for re-election, largely due to dissatisfaction with the 24/7 job accompanied by increasingly constant online harassment, I am pleased that talented women and men, regardless of their background, are still willing to run.
I wish Gráinne Soij and her well-known media personality Alison Comyn who is standing for Fianna Fail in County Louth, all the best.
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Finally, the eyes of the world will be on America until November 5th. Every election is crucial, but this one may be more important than any in living memory. I urge readers to take that into consideration when voting. I am not writing this as a liberal or as someone who is particularly enamoured with the Harris/Waltz pairing. I make this plea because I love America and am terrified by the possibility of Trump winning a second term as president.
Larry Donnelly is a Boston-born lawyer, a law lecturer at the University of Galway, and a regular media commentator on Irish and US politics, current affairs and law. Twitter/X: @LarryPDonnelly