Irish and American Students: A Fitting Union

            As has been previously mentioned, but perhaps not stressed enough, one of the underlying themes of the Hireland campaign is the cooperation of Irish and American students. Early on in the project, the American students came to the realization that they would need a great amount of help to accomplish their goals. Soon after, a connection was forged with several Irish students from the Dublin Institute of Technology who came to meet with the American group and became involved in the project. They graciously took time out of their busy schedules to be a part of the campaign, and this actually changed the direction of the campaign altogether. The group began considering ways to stress the Irish-American interaction.

            The main idea that came out of our early meetings was the cooperation of the fighting Irish spirit and hope with American ingenuity and empathy. There really could be no better combination for Hireland and we hope it translates into success. It is always helpful to be able to ask the Irish students, “Will this be accepted positively by the Irish people?” They are more in tune with the Irish public and that lends to a Hireland campaign tailored to Ireland, without too much of an American stamp on it. The contributions from both sides are truly invaluable.

            Perhaps it was the Hireland campaign itself that brought the students together, but we could also point to historical ties between the United States and Ireland. Whenever emigration becomes a concern in Ireland, America seems to be a frequent destination. It’s also no secret that Irish-Americans have an undying pride in their heritage. Thousands of Americans take trips to Ireland every year to learn more about their background or just for a bit of craic with distant relatives. Many of the businesses at the forefront of the Celtic Tiger economy were American. There is a general sense of empathy between the two countries and in the past few months, politicians in both countries have given hope to the others for more prosperous times.

Irish people are more than welcoming to the Irish-American connection and that became very clear when we Americans arrived in Dublin. In fact, I think many of the Champlain Dublin students would tell you that the best part of Ireland is the people. The Irish students are excited to be a part of Hireland and the Americans are thrilled to have them aboard. We are all excited to see where the next few weeks lead us and look for more help from any corner of the world.