Diaspora

What sort of relationship does Ireland want with its diaspora?

Mick Fealty on March 19, 2012, 10:51 am

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The Irish Times have commissioned a poll of emigrants on a range of issues. I can imagine it was a bit of a nightmare to put together and find a representative sample (presumably of southerners)… It shows up a couple of things you might expect, and which I think could constitute some interesting building blocks for future engagement.. Not least the importance of new media like Facebook and Skype in replacing the traditional letter as a chosen medium… Marc Scully runs …

Trouble with the Troubles in the Irish Diaspora…

Mick Fealty on January 5, 2012, 8:53 am

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I was talking to a friend in Limerick, who’s particularly well networked (virtually and in real terms) with the Irish diaspora. One of the things he suggested is that that the troubles plays a much larger role, certainly within the Irish diaspora in the states than is often appreciated at home, to the point where there are some profound disconnects between the diaspora and the reality on the ground, ‘back home’. As Richard McKibbin found recently, whilst those attitudes may …

Voting Rights for Irish Emigrants

Peter Geoghegan on December 20, 2010, 3:53 pm

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The thorny issue of voting rights for the Irish diaspora emerged again yesterday on the Marian Finucane show. As reported over at thejournal.ie, TCD lecturer Elaine Byrne suggested allowing the Irish diaspora to vote in elections for the Seanad as a means of allowing more voices have an impact on Irish politics. Meanwhile in the Sunday Times, Eleanor Fitzsimons noted that ‘according to the law, those not “ordinarily resident”, that is living in Ireland on 1 September in the year …