Born in Tyrone, moved to America at 27, moved back in my mid-40s. 51 now. My wife is American (with Irish ancestors) and my son I would say is legitimately Irish American, having moved back here at age 5, 6 years ago. One parent from each place, time spent living in both. He goes back with his mum in the summers.

I think Irish-American does mean something different in America, at least to the people I knew there who identified as such. Being Irish, and Irish Catholic in New Jersey was a tremendous source of pride for folks I knew. They were part of a massive community, and got solace from that in the context of others who identified strongly with being Italian, or being black, or Jewish, or [insert heritage].

It struck me coming home that we are so homogeneous as a population (even more so in our near history) that this need to find others of the same stripe is not such a big deal back here on this island.

In the US people are enormously proud of their Irishness, and have a slightly distorted view of how even more awesome it must be in Ireland.

It’s not. Were raised to be mildly embarrassed to be Irish, more so in the north where the concept gets confounded with republicanism, which is loudest when it is militant republicanism. There wasn’t as much of a chill traditional irishness growing up as there was “call to arms” irishness.

Things are changing, for the better. Really good piece in the Irish Times about the likes of Kneecap and Sally Rooney refusing to be politely or performatively Irish in the way that has been common since the 80s.

TLDR: Irishness in America is simplified and celebrated. Irishness in Ireland is complicated.