The scattered Irish Throughout the World

The Irish people have particular aspects to their personality and also to their own mentality and spirituality.

There are millions of people throughout every continent in every culture and in every part of the world who claim Irish ancestry or part Irish ancestry. There are many reasons for this. The Irish always had a sense of adventure. The ancestors who came from other countries to begin the settlements in Ireland twelve thousand years ago were adventurers from other cultures. Settling down in Ireland in the environment and recreating the energy that comes from the Irish landscape, people have taken upon themselves, even from pre-historic times, to be adventurers in Ireland and to go outside of Ireland. This is something that is very close to our mentality and to our spirit of life and of living.

“There are millions of people throughout every continent in every culture and in every part of the world who claim Irish ancestry or part Irish ancestry”

Our history has been one of great pain at different times, in particular during the wars of the 1500, 1600 and 1700′s, the Potato Famine in the 1800′s and the unemployment that was created through the underdevelopment of its resources has consolidated together and brought many people travelling to other cultures and other countries.

“They found their connectedness together in different communities in different cities throughout the world”

Education, learning and knowledge are part of the Irish mind from Celtic times, in particular to Christian times, where the Irish, after the fall of the Roman Empire, reconstructed in a great sense of building schools, monasteries, and they started universities across Europe through the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th centuries and then later in the 19th and 20th century, bringing education abroad and giving of what they had received themselves. This outflow of the people of Ireland, settling in different countries, has found themselves. They found their connectedness together in different communities in different cities throughout the world, always with a sense of belonging and knowing one another They have built up what is now
known as the Irish Diaspora, or the Irish Abroad.

A World of Stories to be heard

During our time at Ár mBréacha we have heard stories, we have seen emigrants returning, we have appreciated the conversation with them, the culture they have handed back to us and the awareness of the love of their country of residence, but also the great love of their country of origin. President John F. Kennedy said when in Ireland he had been blessed by his great-grandfather who brought two things from Ireland, a desire for liberty and a strong faith.

In particular Ár mBréacha has at different times centred its attention upon the lost Irish, namely those who were transported into slavery, in particular to the Caribbean, Barbados and other islands. Because there is so little knowledge, because of being deprived of identity, this is always an on-going story. Ár mBréacha continues to centre part of its attention on relocating, rediscovering the lost Irish to slavery and to be able to tell their story.