US Ambassador to Ireland: Ancestral relations have been diluted — trade is glue that holds us
Claire Cronin enhanced her no-nonsense, get-it-done reputation before becoming President Joe Biden's pick as US Ambassador to Ireland. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
As the first female majority leader of the sometimes rowdy Massachusetts state legislature, Claire Cronin enhanced her no-nonsense, get-it-done reputation before becoming President Joe Biden's pick as US Ambassador to Ireland.
A fierce advocate for mental health and substance abuse protections, domestic violence and child abuse survivors, and military veterans - her father was a survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack in World War II - Ms Cronin bolstered her reputation in politics before making her way to Deerfield Residence in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.
Yet when she speaks of young people and the power of their activism and collective voice, she is authentically moved.
"In the US, the first year that I was elected in 2012, within one month of the election, we had the terrible Sandy Hook school shooting, where somebody went into a school in Connecticut and killed 20 five and six-year-olds and six teachers.
"At that point in time, America still did not respond with enacting gun laws. In Massachusetts, we did. It was one of the first pieces of legislation that I had the opportunity to vote on, stricter gun laws in Massachusetts. Massachusetts is number one in the country for having the strictest gun laws. We are also number one in the country for having the lowest amount of gun deaths, and that includes death by suicide. That was our first bill that we enacted in 2013.
"It took the Parklands shooting in Florida some years later - when those students took to the streets, they wrote to Congress - for their voices to be heard. That was a very pivotal moment. I get a little emotional talking about it because it was so powerful."
That is why one of the first programmes under her tenure in Ireland is to invite transition year students from all over Ireland to come to Deerfield House.
There is multi-purpose reasoning. The voice of young people is essential for the global issues of the day, such as climate change.
However, she also wants Irish youngsters to have their first real taste of America, so that they may see a future in the US that her own ancestors from Cork and Donegal grasped generations ago.
"That is the message I want to give to those students – we created a programme where we invite them to come to Deerfield Residence, and I try to put myself at their age, if I was a young student growing up walking through Phoenix Park, I’d want to know who lives there, what does it look like inside, what does the ambassador do.
"We’ve had really remarkable talks, and at the same time, I use that as an opportunity to promote the J1 visa, or the BridgeUSA programme, because a lot of students may not know that is an opportunity that they may have. My Irish sister-in-law met my brother via a visa. I try to promote that this is the beginning of your relationship with America."
It has been well-documented that foreign direct investment ((FDI) into Ireland from the US has been integral to the domestic economy, but it is less heralded that the inverse is also true. Little old Ireland is the ninth biggest FDI investor into the US, with Irish companies doing business across 50 states.
"First and foremost, our relationship began as an ancestral relationship. But our trade and investment are the glue that holds us together. Ireland is our ninth-largest foreign direct investor in the US, and we have over 900 companies here in Ireland. I believe that despite the short-term difficulties associated with Brexit, there are great opportunities for our two countries, with Ireland as the gateway to the EU for the US, and by the same token, Ireland will be the gateway to the US for the EU."
Reinvigorating Irish-America, which has been diluted in recent years as the influx of Irish people in search of a better life tailed off after the 1980s, is a primary motivation for Ms Cronin, and a major key to doing so is enhancing business links, she said.
"The Irish-American experience is right at my core. I believe that the ancestral relations have been somewhat diluted. I use as an example – if you looked at the Massachusetts legislature 50 years ago, you would probably find 30%, 40%, 50% of them were first-generation Irish-American. When I served in the house, I had five colleagues that were first generation."
The SelectUSA Summit, held by the US Department of Commerce to promote FDI, is an avenue in which Ms Cronin wants more Irish firms participating.
"I visited Cork IT firm Wisetek when I was here – they have a facility in Northborough, Massachusetts, they are in Virginia and Austin, Texas, which is a burgeoning market. They originally were involved in our SelectUSA programme. I’ll be leading a delegation to Washington at the end of June, and there is no better advocate for Irish businesses to come to the US than those Irish businesses than those that have already done so. The special part of this story is that our trade and investment relationship is absolutely a two-way street."
Having forged her career advocating for those without a voice, Ms Cronin has the likes of domestic violence and human trafficking on her agenda.
"I wouldn’t be so presumptuous to say that anyone could learn any lessons from my career. What I can say is that in my talks with local law enforcement here, I’ve had an opportunity to meet with Commissioner Drew Harris, I’ve met with other women in law enforcement dealing with some of these issues, and I know it is front and centre for some law enforcement.
"We are hosting at the Deerfield Residence on June 15 a forum bringing together elected women officials in Ireland, and people that work in the non-profit area regarding domestic violence, human trafficking. Justice Minister Helen McEntee is going to be co-hosting that forum with me, and the idea is that when you deal with issues such as domestic violence and human trafficking, a lot of the time what must be done is to create an awareness of the issue.
"We believe that this programme we are going to be hosting – women legislators from all over the country, women in law enforcement, experts in the field – will create an awareness that will lead to some solutions, and maybe legislatively."
Ireland and the US can also cooperate on the global challenge of climate change, according to Ms Cronin.
"Certainly it is a number one priority for the Biden Administration, we work so well together with Ireland, our transatlantic relationships are so strong, that I believe it will be a very positive experience to work together on this issue.
"I attended the Cork Chamber Awards, what was so palpable to me was that the business community have such a focus not only on their people within their companies, but sustainability issues. That was really powerful. As we move forward, it is something I look forward to working on, and I have no doubt Ireland and the US will be strong partners in that fight."
Although Northern Irish politics is not part of the ambassador's remit, Ms Cronin remains a keen observer on behalf of President Biden's administration.
"I think it’s clear that protecting the gains of the Good Friday Agreement are front and centre for President Biden, and for me here as well. The gains that were made, particularly with regard to the elections, part of the Good Friday Agreement, is that it created a devolved government which benefits all people in Northern Ireland. We would certainly hope, regardless of the outcome, that the devolved government would still exist," she said.
Serving in an ambassadorial role may be vastly different to a state politician, but Ms Cronin - nee McLaughlin - is enjoying the transition as she discovers ancestral links.
"Dublin isn’t a great leap from Boston, there are many similarities. I have loved every moment, travelling the country. I’m looking forward to more. My goal is to hit all 26 counties and the North before I take a little vacation back home in August.
"Donegal is where my grandad on my father’s side came from, but on my mother’s side, she is from Cork, Lucey and Corbett lineage. I’ve just found out that the Taoiseach has Corbett relatives so I’m trying to find out if we’re related, because that could be a good story. Cronin is my married name so my husband’s people are from Cork, but I’ve got a little footprint here also.
"Ultimately, it is about service, and that is the common denominator. I had the opportunity to serve my district and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and now I have the opportunity to serve my country in Ireland. My father is a Pearl Harbor survivor, having served his country. I never had the chance to serve my country so I view it that way. Ultimately it is all about people-to-people relationships, and now it is on a global stage."
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