Meet the Irish diaspora in Argentina
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Ireland opened its Embassy in Buenos Aires in 1948, making Argentina Ireland’s oldest partner in Latin America. Argentina also has the largest population (c. 500,000) of Irish descendants outside the English-speaking world. With immigration having ceased prior to the First World War, these are now mostly 4th and 5th generation descendants. As such, Ireland and Argentina share profound historic and cultural links.
In 2022, the Government of Ireland launched its first ever Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean, which sets out Ireland’s intention to step up our engagement with the countries of the region. This strategy now serves as our roadmap for enhancing and deepening our bilateral relations with Argentina, including by strengthening ties with our diaspora.
Recognising the need to maintain a meaningful connection with our diaspora, in 2020, the Government of Ireland also launched its Diaspora Strategy 2020-2025. Ireland takes a broad and inclusive definition of the Irish diaspora, one that reflects the rich diversity of our global community. It is made up of individuals of every background from communities in every part of the world. It includes Irish citizens living overseas, both those born in Ireland and those born abroad to Irish families, as well as the heritage diaspora, those many millions of people of Irish descent around the world. It also embraces the reverse diaspora of people who have lived, studied or worked in Ireland before returning to their home countries as well as the affinity diaspora who hold a deep appreciation for our people, places and culture. Together, these groups form the Global Irish and all are represented in Argentina.
Certain key historical figures and members of the Irish diaspora are well-known, such as William (or Guillermo) Brown, a native of Foxford, County Mayo, who founded the Argentine Navy, or Cecilia Grierson, whose mother was born in Ireland, and who went on to be the first female doctor in Argentina.
Below we want you to meet other members of the Irish diaspora in Argentina!
Maria Eugenia Cruset – Lecturer, Universidad del Salvador (USAL)
President of the Southern Association for Irish Studies (AEIS, in Spanish) and co-director of The Diploma in Irish Studies at USAL .
“I grew up with stories from my mother about her Irish grandmother, Magdalena. Later, my academic path brought me close to Ireland again, as I studied history and later analysed Ireland's diplomatic relations for my Master’s and Doctorate Degrees. Many visits to the island of Ireland turned my own love for Ireland, into a passion for sharing and teaching about the country.
In 2017, the Southern Association for Irish Studies was created to promote the study of Ireland and disseminate its culture, language, literature, art and history. It also focuses on the life of the Irish in South America including the communities founded by their descendants, their contributions to society, and the preservation of their identity.
I believe that Irish Studies programmes are one of the best ways to increase awareness of Ireland – both of its history, but also what the country represents today – not only to its diaspora, but also to a much broader and diverse range of people. It is a great example of Ireland’s soft power. The Diploma in Irish Studies at the University of Salvador, the only one in Spanish and completely online, has a reach that exceeds the limits of the diaspora itself and the country.”
There are currently three Irish Studies Chairs in Argentina: one in the Universidad del Salvador, one in La Plata and one in La Pampa. Following President Higgins' visit to Argentina in 2012, the del Salvador University, one of the most prestigious universities in Argentina, created the Chair of Irish Studies. Since then, including in collaboration with the Embassy, it has developed a wide range of activities that contributed to the dissemination and growth of Irish Studies in Argentina. In August 2020, USAL launched a Diploma of Irish Studies, the first of its kind in Spanish-speaking Latin America. The Irish Studies programme continues to grow in 2024, with a new university recently starting to offer Irish Studies to its students.
Dominique Dure – Director, Celtic Argentina School of Irish Dance
“I joined my mother’s Irish dancing classes at the age of three. She founded Celtic Argentina School of Irish Dance in 1979 after studying in Dublin. With ancestors from the Kehoe family from Wexford and Proctor from our intention, has always been to promote Irish dance in our region, as well as teaching our students about other traditions of Ireland through seminars and annual shows.
When I was 13, I travelled to Ireland and went to the All-Ireland Championship in Killarney. That really influenced me to take up teaching. I went on to take the teacher’s exam in Dublin when I was 24 and then did a Master’s degree in Irish Dance at the University of Limerick. Since then, I have been dedicated to improving the standard of Irish Dance in Argentina, but also to increasing its reach.
Since 2012, Celtic Argentina has organised the South American Irish Dancing Gathering (ESDI, in Spanish) inviting groups from Chile, Brazil and Uruguay to participate. The ESDI has evolved into an event for dancers to qualify for the World Irish Dancing Championship. Through it, three of our students qualified and represented Argentina for the first time in 2019. In 2023, we also took part of Argentina’s Got Talent TV show, and while we were eliminated in the quarterfinals, I feel that opportunities like these allow us to bring Irish dancing to a wider audience. We are proud to always represent Ireland in Folk Festivals and events throughout the country. We are really excited to have two dancers traveling to the World Irish Dancing Championships in 2024 in Glasgow.
I have dedicated my life to this art form and this year we are celebrating our 45th anniversary. Celtic Argentina is like my second family.”
The promotion of Irish dancing is just one of the many ways that Irish culture is being disseminated throughout Argentina by Irish associations and cultural centres. The Government of Ireland, including through funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Culture Ireland, has supported concerts, literature events, workshops, film festivals and much more.
Javier Cano - Cuenca del Plata Gaelic Football League, President of San Isidro Gaélico Club
“My relationship with Gaelic sports started in 2017 when my good friend Francisco Lynch invited me to start a project to create a club to play Gaelic football. At the time, I had no idea what he was talking about! Fast-forward seven years and we have participated in two GAA World Games: Waterford in 2019 and Derry in 2023!
Travelling throughout Ireland playing in different cities, meeting people and enjoying Irish culture and sports have given me endless enjoyment and satisfaction.
Our league, “Cuenca del Plata”, is made up of four team. I am President of San Isidro Gaélico. We then have Padres y ex alumnos del colegio Labarden (an educational institution that was founded over 100 years ago), Club Atlético San Isidro (founded in 1902) and Bullfin GAA (a team largely made up of Irish born players). Across the league, some of the players are Irish-born, or have Irish ancestry, but many, like myself, have just found a love of the sport and the Irish culture through exposure.
I never imagined when we started that I would become part of the Irish affinity diaspora. However, after so many trips, playing all over the island, having met so many people and learning about its culture, I have come to love Ireland. Now I share my experience and promote the country. The most rewarding part is being able to share the sport with my family. I have three children, Joaquín (27), Victoria (24) and Ramón (17) and they are all Gaelic Football players.”
Argentina is home to the largest community of GAA players in Latin America. Currently, there are two leagues: Cuenca de la Plata, and Argentina GAA. Both groups practice Gaelic Football and Hurling and have teams for women and men, and infants. Both leagues have, for many years, been recipients of funding from the Government of Ireland, through the Global Games Development Fund.
Magdalena Wagner-Manslau – Recipient of ‘Cecilia Grierson’ Scholarship, Ireland Fellows Programme, MSC in Global Health, Trinity College Dublin, and Psychologist
“Since graduating from psychology at the University of Buenos Aires, I have dedicated myself to public health work at the Ministry of Health of the City of Buenos Aires, in addition to my clinical work. I am passionate about management and research, applied to the pursuit of a health system that promotes accessibility and equity. I applied to the Ireland Fellows Programme as part of my interest in continuing my education and broadening my horizons. I was also attracted to enhancing my professional and personal knowledge from a multicultural perspective.
Beyond being aware of Ireland as a destination for education, I had been exposed to the Irish culture through my membership of the Celtic Argentina School of Irish Dance for ten years. Since then, my connection with Irish culture, people and music has deeply influenced me alongside my professional interest in Ireland. Although I do not have Irish roots, Irish music and the warmth of Irish people have always touched a mysterious fibre in me.
Now in Ireland, I have come to see that Ireland and Argentina are united not only by a somewhat rebellious and proud spirit, but also by the openness of the people who have had to deal with migration and nostalgia, and who welcome with genuine warmth and interest others who seek adventure in Ireland. I am sure that the months I have left here will continue to nourish me with knowledge, people and valuable anecdotes that will accompany me on my return to Argentina.”
In 2023, the Government of Ireland’s Fellowship Programme was rolled out in Argentina for the first time. Magdalena was one of the two recipients of a fully-funded scholarships for Master’s studies in the area of STEMM in Ireland. The Fellowships are awarded in the name of Cecilia Grierson, an Argentinian of Irish origin, and the first woman to be awarded a medical degree in Argentina.
Vicente, Alfredo, Eugenia and Sebastian Kenny – Foreign Birth Registration (FBR) Recipients 2023
“We are four Argentine siblings aged 17 to 30 born to Argentinian parents of Irish descent.
Since we were children, our Irish ancestry has always been part of our identity. We were told countless stories about the Irish community from which most of our great-grandparents come, and how they established themselves in Argentina following the Great Famine. Since our father is an Irish citizen, we were able to obtain our Foreign Birth Certificate in 2023, which means a lot to us as we continue to be connected to our ancestors in Ireland.
As part of the Irish diaspora in Argentina, we are happy to uphold our Irish tradition, and getting to know Ireland will help us keep in touch with our roots.”
With a significant number of people with Irish heritage in Argentina, the Embassy of Ireland in Buenos Aires is involved in assisting those eligible for citizenship.
Clara Zimmerman – Recipient of Working Holiday Agreement (WHA) Program, 2023, History teacher at Cardenal Newman, Irish Christian Brothers School, Buenos Aires
“I fell in love with Ireland when I was 13, after watching the brilliant movie ‘The Wind that Shakes the Barley’. From then on, it was like buying a one-way ticket. It was such a deep love that I studied History to learn more about it. My biggest dream was to experience living in Ireland; the WHA was just the way to achieve. It was a 17-year-long dream fulfilled. Difficult, splendid, humbling.
The Ireland I met is not the one I imagined. On the one hand, it is a beautiful country, with a very cosmopolitan youth and a strong connection to Europe and the EU. It is also considerably more progressive than the Argentine-Irish community think it is. On the other hand, however, it is clear that Ireland is facing a number of challenges, including socially.
I am very grateful for the experience. I was able to see every corner of the island, learned loads about its history and had the immense privilege of living with three Irish people that taught me about their culture.”
The implementation of a Working Holiday Agreement between Ireland and Argentina sees the granting of 200 working holiday visas to Argentinian citizens annually. 200 Irish people are also eligible to apply to come to Argentina. This programme is a key mechanism for promoting awareness and understanding of our respective countries and cultures among a new generation. People returning to Argentina from Ireland are an important component of Ireland’s reverse diaspora in Argentina and the Irish Embassy in Buenos Aires is engaging actively with this network through events, outreach and social media campaigns.
Eamonn Maye - Latin American Market Access (LAMA), Irish born resident in Argentina since 2019
“My connection with Argentina started in 2016 when I met Daiana, who is now my wife. We worked together in various countries around the world, including briefly in Ireland, but she always maintained that we would someday return to her home country. Finding ourselves between jobs in November of 2019, we were faced with a choice between Buenos Aires and Sligo town. We decided on Buenos Aires as, well, it was November!
In early 2020, together with Daiana and her sister Analía we opened Latin American Market Access (LAMA), our consultancy agency focused on helping manufacturers of medical devices to access the market here in LatAm. Due to the pandemic, our start was a little slow; however, now we are again focused fully on LAMA, and starting to see good progress.
One of the things that surprised me most on arriving to Argentina was the connections it has to Ireland. I was completely unaware that so many Irish had made their homes here over the years and very surprised to spend my first weekend here playing Gaelic football! Given I never even really played back home, and now it forms a key part of my social life, there are definitely aspects of my life where I am more connected to Ireland than I was while living at home. Every year we look forward to the St Patricks Day party in the Hurling Club, a real fiesta of all things Irish, with a lovely Argentine spin.
I have found it very easy to make friends in Argentina, which I put down to them being very similar to the Irish. People live their lives with a smile on their faces, looking forward to meeting friends at the weekend and having a bit of craic! Like home with better weather!”