Caribbean: The O'Connors owed their presence in Trinidad to the same agency which transported so many other Irishmen, and women, around the world - the British army . . . All the waste, the loneliness, the unrequited lust, the wild heroism, of these men's lives came home to me as I stood before a memorial on the high peak of Morne Fortune, commanding Castries, the capital of the island of St Lucia . . .
The commemorative plaque on the memorial informs the visitor that, on May 24th 1796, the 27th Inniskilling Regiment had stormed Morne Fortune. As a mark of appreciation for the enormous courage involved in this feat, General Abercromby had ordered the French to surrender to the 27th, and had the 27th's flag flown for an hour before hoisting the British flag. So, for the flap of a flag, in defence of colonialism, Irish Catholic lads had fought and died to defeat a Catholic force. After showing appreciation for the gallantry, their commanding officer had then sailed for Ireland to devastate their homeland in the wake of the 1798 Rebellion . . .
Argentina: The "good Father Fahey" was the greatest single influence on the Irish community in Argentina. Anthony D. Fahey (he favoured his name being spelt with an E, though most writers subsequently spell it Fahy) was a 39-year-old Irish Dominican when he was sent to Buenos Aires in 1843 as chaplain to the Irish. He quickly became not only a pastor but an adviser in matters temporal. Through his friendship with a Protestant banker, Thomas Armstrong, he arranged loans for the Irish, and developed an information system which informed them of the best places to sell crops or buy equipment. He also acquired a reputation as a marriage broker. The custom at the time was for the men to come in from the "camp" twice a year to sell their wool. Fahey used to allow them two days on the spree and then the prospective bridegrooms were instructed to turn up at a dance which he organised. Here they would be introduced to their prospective spouses and, unless something untoward occurred, married the next day.
Father Fahey influenced the character of Irish emigration by constantly exhorting the Irish to keep out of the cities and make their futures on the pampas. Fahey also encouraged the Irish to stick to what they were good at: farming, in particular sheep rearing, as opposed to tillage. Fahey was thus largely responsible for much of the prosperity of the Irish, and for the fact that in Argentina, unlike other parts of the world, they did not create urban ghettos . . .
Australia: The criminal patina hung over the Irish image for decades. Not everyone would go out of their way to proclaim Irish heritage as did one of Australia's favourite sons, Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson, the author of Waltzing Matilda, who was born in Namable, New South Wales in 1864. Apart from his personal popularity Banjo's commitment had been made somewhat easier by a raising of the Irish profile which had taken place following the arrival in Van Diemen's Land (later renamed Tasmania) of a group of unusually gifted prisoners. These were the Young Ireland leaders transported after the 1848 Rebellion. Unlike 1798, this was no sectarian debauch of blood, but a small-scale and gentlemanly affair . . . The '48 men were generally a well-educated group who would not have become involved in even the most gentlemanly of revolutions were it not for the appalling mal-administration of their country . . .
Amongst the group were William Smith O'Brien, who produced a draft constitution for Tasmania and for an Australian federtion; Charles Gavan Duffy, who became a Premier of Victoria; Morris Leyne who became an Attorney General; and Michael Ireland, who succeeded Leyne in the post. Richard O'Gorman became Governor of Newfoundland, Thomas Darcy McGee became an outstanding political figure in Canada . . .
From the epilogue:
It is Government policy to go for growth, not to set boundaries. But herein lies a challenge, not merely an economic one but a psychological and a moral challenge. The sufferers from the bad years of Irish emigration to the UK still live out their twilight years in places like London's Arlington House. Young drop-outs still fall through the cracks in Ireland and present themselves in disturbing numbers to the Irish centres in London and throughout Britain. One in 10 of those sleeping rough in London are Irish. They must not be forgotten.
Growth has not benefited everyone and it has brought problems in its wake . . . Fuelled by a particularly wooden, leadership-lacking Government's inertia on the asylum-seekers' problem, xenophobia and downright racism have reared their heads towards immigrants seeking a new life in Ireland. On one level this could be explained as part of the growing pains of multi-culturalism everywhere. But one also has to acknowledge a shocking attitude of historical ingratitude on the part of a nation that once scattered its children to the charity of the world. One thinks of those "No Irish need apply" signs, and winces. However, while these attitudes are as depressing as they are un-Christian, on a more positive note, it is encouraging to be able to record that, as this is being written, voices are being raised against such callous attitudes.
Wherever Green is Worn, The Story of the Irish Diaspora by Tim Pat Coogan is published by Hutchinson (703pp £25 hardback)