The ties that bind Ireland and the U.S., formed during the brutal years of the Great Irish Famine, are intense. America represented salvation and a chance to rebuild shattered lives. Over time, these Irish refugees took pride in their contributions to their new home and saw themselves as Americans, but they have always held a sense of nostalgia for their ancestral small island home.
Throughout the generations, that sense of Irishness as a key point of identity continued. The small town of Ballina in the west of Ireland received a visit from President Biden in 2023. His ancestor left the town during the Famine, never to return. He would have been astounded to see the hero’s welcome his descendent received. U.S. flags flew everywhere, and a mural painting of their most famous son was unveiled.
Ballina is proud of its native son. So many left in those years of emigration, and their loss was felt. Their fate was sometimes unknown, but President Biden was living proof that the Irish had done well in the U.S. His delight in being there was very evident, and his presence completed the circle
On a recent visit to my home in Ireland, everyone I meet wants to talk about the U.S. election. I emigrated to the U.S. in 1984, but I have always visited Ireland every year, and I think my experience as an immigrant and as a citizen of the U.S. gives me a unique perspective. In my career as a teacher on Martha’s Vineyard, I found that my knowledge of diversity and my own experience helped me to empathize with the students I taught.
In Ireland after the election, there is much concern about the implications for Ireland if the U.S. multinationals who are huge employers here decide to relocate to the U.S. The threat to deport millions of immigrants is heard loud and clear here, where every family seems to have someone in the U.S. There are also fears of a trade war that would cause Ireland to lose its U.S. markets. Some of the political parties in Ireland are inspired by events in the U.S., and a newly formed political party, entitled Independent Ireland, has won four seats in the Irish parliament.
Lara O’Brien, an Irish woman living in Dublin who spent 17 years on Martha’s Vineyard, shared her thoughts about the election: “It seems that many people vote against their own interests, like healthcare, Social Security, infrastructure, jobs, the price of gas, and it’s clear now that inflation will go nuts with the new tariffs. As a woman, I can’t understand how other women are cool with voting without thinking about gender-specific issues. My husband has faith in the systems set up to prevent a government becoming too powerful. I don’t. I am an Irish immigrant and a U.S. citizen, and I believe that the lack of understanding of the contributions made by immigrants will only mean more terror within the states. There is a lot to unpack.
“My time on the Vineyard was very happy,” O’Brien continued. “I really appreciated the friends I made, and the support we gave to each other. I loved the Vineyard Charter School, and the way it worked with students to find their strengths and interests. My daughter just graduated from there, and it was a great environment for her. I feel very fortunate that it was an option for us.”
Another Vineyard expatriate, Danielle Nicholson, worries that Irish voters may be influenced by the U.S. election. Reflecting on the 17 years she spent on the Vineyard as a teacher and her decision to relocate to Ireland, where she has now spent the same number of years, she comments, “Both Martha’s Vineyard and Ireland are very special places with very distinct cultures. While on the Vineyard, I was able to explore quite a few options. I worked in healing, in restaurants, and taught middle and high school. I learned a lot that I have been able to take with me in all of those roles. In Ireland too, I have had a great many opportunities in my professional life. I have worked in universities, medical research, and science education. I have noticed that Ireland is very influenced by what happens in the U.S. American ideas, fashion, and food are very popular ,and have a huge influence. The recent Irish election was very civil, and Ireland is an open and inclusive culture, and I would hate to see that change.”
Ireland has just completed its own general election. It’s hard to imagine a more different system from that of the U.S. Each citizen chooses their first through fourth preferences on their ballot, and then the “first votes” are tallied ,followed by second-preference choices. The process takes three or four days, and then the victors emerge. Each county has four or five representatives, and rarely are they all of the same party. Governing parties form coalitions, and have to work together. There are 12 political parties represented in the Irish parliament known as the Dail, representing all shades of opinion, and all with different agendas. The likely scenario is that the two dominant parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, will form a coalition, and the third major party, Sinn Fein, will be the opposition. For the law to change in Ireland, there must be a referendum prepared by the government, on which the people then vote. During the past 20 years, the laws relating to divorce, gay marriage, and abortion have all been changed by the majority opinion of the people.
The Ireland of today is no longer a place of sadness and depopulation. Now it has become a destination for people seeking a better life than is possible for them in their home country. The tragedy of generations of emigration is memorialized in songs, poems, and monuments, but the reality in Ireland today is that there is prosperity, full employment, and a high standard of education. The days of poverty are in the past, but they are remembered. I have often heard it said that Ireland is a first world country with a third world memory.
Like Martha’s Vineyard, affordable housing is a huge issue. As the price of housing continues to rise at an astounding rate, many young people are excluded from the economic miracle. Another similarity with the Vineyard is the fact that Ireland is a tourist destination, and government policies are directed toward supporting that industry. There are similar challenges, and similar opportunities.
Elaine Cawley Weintraub is an educator who is the cofounder and executive director of the African American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard.
