For John Larson Tracey, the “casual profanity” of the Irish is usually what gets his fellow Americans “clutching at their pearls”.
“If anything I think what takes some people stateside a bit of pause and has been different for me, because my house was a bit more blue collar, is just the casual profanity. But I think I passed my first test right away when I was introduced to Father Ted and I found it hysterical,” he says with a laugh.
Larson Tracey made the move to Ireland from the United States shortly before Covid, which left him spending the guts of two years living out of “a box room” with his Irish husband, Chris. The couple met after matching on Tinder during Larson Tracey’s brief getaway to Dublin in summer 2017. It was his last night in Ireland but they instantly clicked and after braving the pandemic together, they now have their own place in Kildare.
When deciding whether they would settle in Ireland or across the Atlantic, Larson Tracey says the answer felt obvious: “I said [to Chris] in good conscience I could not tear you away from your life over here, but [in the US] the working conditions are also God awful, the politics are getting increasingly caustic and I said ‘You know what? I know it won’t be easy but I will make the move’.”
Having moved from California to Wisconsin with his family growing up, and then to Washington where he worked for five years as a legislative correspondent, Larson Tracey said the tides seemed to turn during Obama’s presidency.
“I saw a temperature change in the city where you kind of went from the days of collegiality where people were there for long tenures and they knew each other ... to engaging in soundbites, going on social media platforms and the news networks to bash each other.”
“My claim to fame” is brushing shoulders with the former president as “we used to use the same ATM sometimes”, says Larson Tracey.
Now working in communications for Irish Rail and “based out of Connolly Station”, Larson Tracey says his midwestern upbringing acted as a “kind of training ground” for adapting to Irish working culture, which he first became familiar with in a previous comms role.
“It was a crash course in the working culture of a country where you have contracts, and set hours and actual bona fide leave time, where it’s like it’s forbidden to contact people when they’re on leave and the way every meeting starts with the chats and everyone is obsessed with the weather.”
“I found that midwesterners and people in Ireland have that same similarity where everythingis about who you know and the banter and all those things,” he adds.
Working for Irish Rail has allowed Larson Tracey to travel across the country, acquiring a few phrases as Gaeilge along the way.
“I’ve actually seen more of the country than my husband has at this point with where the job will take me ... like two weeks ago I was in Limerick for an event, I’ve been to Cork countless times. I love going up to Mayo – Ballina and Westport.”
“I’ve learned what I call Irish Rail Irish, because I obviously hear the station announcements first in Irish and then in English day and night and then it sinks in and then just trying to pick up a few things here and there.”
Having gained Irish citizenship in 2023, a moment that he describes as “one of the proudest and happiest days of my life”, Larson Tracey is keen to set himself apart from some of his fellow Americans.
“I think sometimes where people, especially Americans, get into trouble is where they consider themselves fanciful words like expats ... No, I’m an immigrant. I came to this country, eyes wide open, knowing that it’s a different culture, different way of doing things, completely different operating system.”
Since making the move, Larson Tracey has noticed some persisting stereotypes: “the first comment that I received is that Americans tend to be loud”.
“I think that’s just because the country is so damn loud so people just talk sometimes in an exaggerated way to be heard, so that was the first thing that had to be dialled in a bit,” he reflects.
[ From Transylvania to Donegal: The Irish are much better at ‘being joyful’Opens in new window ]
“People presume that you don’t know where different places are, not knowing different cultural things and then just the stereotype of, ‘Oh, you wouldn’t have the foggiest idea how to pronounce different names in Irish’.
“If you put in the time, it’s not that difficult,” he says.
On making friends, he offers some words of advice: “I’m sure that one of the common themes that you probably hear across these stories is the challenge of making friends because everyone has their established groups, but if you put in the time and you’re not trying to imprint your American ideology on everything and trying to be the lead character in every conversation ... it does go a long way.”
Highlighting “organisations who make a point to do community clean-ups, the local GAA groups which have people very enthusiastic and the intense sport rivalries among different county clubs”, Larson Tracey says that witnessing the “civic-minded” nature of people here has been heartening.
“I think that’s something very much lost stateside,” he adds.
Speaking about his experience living as a gay man in Ireland, Larson Tracey says he has not “thankfully experienced any direct homophobia” although “you do still occasionally get the funny look”. This is not something that he takes for granted – some anxiety given “the rising tide of right-wing demagoguery” lingers in the background.
“A lot of people are very proud, and rightfully so, that this is the first country by democratic direct-vote to legalise same-sex marriages. That’s something that I don’t think should be taken lightly or left resting on its laurels,” he says.
[ Ireland becomes first country to approve same-sex marriage by popular voteOpens in new window ]
Noting issues such as “the housing crisis and migration situations” that “continue to fester” in Ireland, Larson Tracey expresses his concern that such “narratives eventually turn people against the other and we’re not the top of the list, but we’re usually top five historically”.
We would like to hear from people who have moved to Ireland in the past 10 years. To get involved, email newtotheparish@irishtimes.com or tweet @newtotheparish
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