Letters to the Editor: An official Irish-American federation would bring many benefits
Dancers perform an excerpt from 'Riverdance' at the Friends of Ireland lunch hosted by Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson and attended by Taoiseach Micheál Martin last month in Washington DC. Picture: Niall Carson/PA
As Ireland faces new global opportunities, it’s timely to formally recognise and enhance the extraordinary potential of our relationship with the Irish-American community. With 44m Americans claiming Irish heritage, establishing an official Irish American federation presents immense economic, cultural, and social opportunities that would significantly benefit both Ireland and the United States.
One of the key benefits would be providing Irish Americans with formal recognition and opportunities they richly deserve. Irish Americans have long played a prominent role in shaping American society and politics, yet their ancestral homeland could now offer something more tangible in return. A carefully structured programme granting dual citizenship, special residency pathways, and dedicated support services could encourage thousands of Irish Americans — especially retirees — to relocate or maintain strong residential links to Ireland.
