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    You are at:Home » News » Culture » Top 5 reasons Ireland and America have a close bond
    Culture Irish Abroad

    Top 5 reasons Ireland and America have a close bond

    Conor WickhamBy Conor WickhamJanuary 20, 2022No Comments4 Mins Read
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    Ireland and America are two nations that historically have had a close bond ever since the Irish Famine occurred. Today that bond remains as strong as ever.

    Since the Famine occurred in 1845, Ireland and America have formed a very strong connection and bond that has only strengthened over time.

    This bond results from mutual respect and admiration between the two countries as both have benefitted each other’s societies in many different ways.

    In this article, we list the top five reasons Ireland and America have a close bond.

    5. American direct investment in Ireland – investing in a brighter future

    American direct investment in Ireland has had a huge impact in the modernisation of Ireland.
    Credit: Pixabay / FilipFilipovic

    American direct investment in Ireland has played a hugely positive role in the growth and modernisation of Irish industry since the 1980s and encouraged rapid growth of the Irish economy. 

    This direct investment from America has helped to provide Ireland with new technology, new export capabilities, and employment opportunities.

    American direct investment has benefitted not only Ireland but also these American corporations as they are liable to pay a lot less tax in Ireland thanks to its favourable corporation tax rate.

    4. America is Ireland’s largest export partner – lucrative business partners

    Export partnerships are one of the reasons Ireland and America have a close bond.
    Credit: Facebook / ahundt

    One of the reasons Ireland and America have a close bond is undoubtedly down to business.

    America is Ireland’s largest export partner and second-largest import partner. The trade relationship accounts for 23.2% of Ireland’s exports and 14.1% of Irish imports as of a study in 2010.

    To this day, America still remains as Ireland’s biggest trading partner outside of the European Union, with trade between the two countries being worth billions.

    The majority of American products imported to Ireland tend to be things such as electrical components, pharmaceuticals, computers, and livestock feed, amongst other things.

    Whereas the majority of exports to America from Ireland tend to be things such as alcohol, chemicals, clothing, textiles, and glassware.

    3. America’s involvement in Irish politics – lending a helping hand

    America has long been involved in Irish politics.
    Credit: Pixabay / 12019

    America has helped Ireland politically by playing a pivotal role in helping bring the Troubles in Northern Ireland to a peaceful and sustainable end.

    In the 1990s, America took on an intermediary role during the Northern Ireland peace process.

    The States encouraged cohesion and discussion between the opposing parties. This ultimately led to the monumental reaching of the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998

    This agreement has remained the foundation for the peace process ever since.

    America admirably took on this intermediary role. However, this caused a rift between themselves and the United Kingdom, with whom they had previously had a good relationship.

    2. One-third of Americans have Irish blood – a shared heritage between two nations

    Irish heritage is one of the reasons Ireland and America have a close bond.
    Credit: Flickr / David Blaikie

    As you can imagine, the Irish roots that run through American blood is one of the reasons Ireland and America have a close bond.

    Irish immigration has played such a large role in the culture of America. So, it should come as no surprise that approximately 33.3 million Americans have been reported as having Irish ancestry.

    Staggeringly this makes up 10.5% of the overall American population. Thus, naturally, many American people tend to have a great affinity for Irish people and the island of Ireland as a whole. 

    1. Impact of Irish immigration on American society – a positive effect from the hardworking Irish

    Irish immigrants had a huge impact on America.
    Credit: Flickr / Mike Maguire

    In first place on our list of top five reasons Ireland and America have a close bond is the positive impact that Irish immigration had on the building of American society.

    We also recognise the positive effect it had on the lives of the immigrants. 

    The Irish immigrants who entered America from the 16th to 20th centuries helped change the American nation.

    They made great contributions to literature, music, art, politics, religion, and organised labour, amongst many other things.

    They also made many contributions to American cultures, such as the introduction of Halloween. This tradition evolved from the ancient Celtic/Gaelic festival of Samhain and is now a major holiday in the States.

    Irish emigration is one of the reasons Ireland and America have a close bond.
    Credit: commons.wikimedia.org

    For America’s part, it helped to change the lives of the Irish immigrants significantly. It helped many escape from the destitution, hunger, poverty, and often persecution that they faced in their homeland.

    Leaving Ireland for the United States afforded them with opportunities that they otherwise would never have received.

    That concludes our article on the top five reasons Ireland and America have a close bond.

    Are there any other reasons that you can think of as to why these two nations are linked in friendship?

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    Conor Wickham

    Conor Wickham is a keen travel writer from County Wexford, Ireland. He has been a regular writer for Ireland Before You Die, The World Bucket List and Meanwhile in Ireland since 2019. Conor has a keen interest in discovering everything Ireland has to offer. From sleeping in tree houses in the Ox Mountains to staying in shepherd huts in Donegal, Conor has experienced it. With qualifications in Marketing & Advertising with Online Media as well as Print Journalism, Conor has worked as a Website Content Writer/SEO Specialist in the past for many websites. Conor has had two short stories published in the widely acclaimed Wexford Bohemian Literary Journal. Conor’s favourite types of articles to write are ones which involve history, scenic locations and the news. When not exploring Ireland and finding out its secrets, Conor can usually be found working on his own supernatural novel series.

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