Ireland’s ambassador to the United States Geraldine Byrne Nason, who played a leading role as the official representative overseeing Ireland’s partnership in the U.S. Semiquincentennial commemorations, reflects on the deep transatlantic ties and historic Irish contributions to America.
As the United States celebrates her 250th anniversary this year, Ireland has joined in reflecting on the extraordinary story of this great country, and the people and communities who have helped to shape it. The story of Irish America is a story of contribution, ambition, resilience and enduring connection. It will always be special.
As Taoiseach Micheál Martin remarked during the Shamrock ceremony at the White House earlier this year: “It is hard to imagine the United States without the contribution of the Irish, and Ireland without the friendship of the United States.”
From the earliest days of the Republic, Irish men and women have played their part in the American story. They fought for independence because they saw it as a noble ideal; they proudly signed and printed the Declaration that announced a new democracy.
James Hoban of County Kilkenny designed the White House; Wexford’s John Barry became known as the “Father of the American Navy”; it was Tyrone’s John Dunlap who printed the first copies of the Declaration of Independence.
The contribution did not end with the Revolution. For generations, Irish immigrants and their descendants came to the USA to help build this young country, its railroads, ports, businesses and cities. They underwrote their communities, establishing schools, hospitals, churches and community organizations. They became part of the social and economic fabric of a new nation that saw no limits to its potential. Irish America believed in that dream from the start. They also inspired and supported those back in Ireland who dreamed of their own Republic.
What is striking, looking back over 250 years, is not simply the scale of that contribution, but its continuing constant evolution.
Today Irish America is in evidence in every part of American life: in public service, in business, in academia and the arts, in technology, finance and entrepreneurship. Across generations, Irish Americans have demonstrated a determination not only to succeed, but to break new ground, to innovate and to inspire. The resilience and distinctiveness of Irish America is remarkable.
Those recognized in this issue of Irish America are all critical to building on that legacy and carrying it forward in the 21st century. The Wall Street 50 celebrates Irish and Irish-American achievement at the heart of one of the world’s most influential financial centers. The stellar careers and accomplishments of the honorees reflect the breadth of the modern Irish-American connection and the extraordinary contribution of Irish people and their descendants to American economic and civic life. They have thrived and helped to shape key sectors which ensure that the USA is a world leader.
That contribution is also reflected in the exceptional relationship between Ireland and the United States today.
Our economic relationship has grown enormously in recent decades. Ireland is now the sixth-largest source of foreign direct investment in the United States, with Irish companies supporting more than 200,000 jobs across the country. Irish businesses are investing in American communities, creating employment and building partnerships across sectors and across states. The relationship is reciprocal. American investment has played a transformative role in Ireland’s economic development. The result is an economic relationship that is deep, dynamic and mutually beneficial.
But the strength of Ireland-US relations cannot be captured by investment figures alone.
At its heart is a relationship between people. It is sustained by business leaders and entrepreneurs, academics, artists and community leaders, and by the millions of Americans who continue to maintain a connection with Ireland. It is strengthened every day by the movement of people, ideas, capital and culture across the Atlantic.
That human connection has also given Ireland a distinctive role in the United States. Our history gives us an understanding of the importance of community and connection; our modern economic relationship gives us a shared stake in innovation, enterprise and opportunity; and our longstanding political relationship has created a partnership that has deepened and endured through generations.
As we celebrate 250 years of American independence, we can also look ahead to the next chapter. The Irish story in America is neither sentimental nor limited by nostalgia. It is being written today by a new generation of Irish and Irish-American leaders who are very much of their time, ambitious, and shaping businesses, institutions and communities right across this great country.
The partnership between Ireland and the United States has always been built on strong foundations: shared values, deep people-to-people ties and a commitment to opportunity and enterprise. Those foundations will remain important as both countries look toward the future.
Two hundred and fifty years after the founding of the United States, the Irish-American story remains fundamentally a story of connection between two peoples who have built enduring connections that forge a bridge between two countries.
It is a story that began generations ago, but it is far from finished. Our best days are yet to come.
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