The Henley Passport Index 2022 ranks the Irish passport as the sixth most powerful in the world; which also means holders can presently enter 186 nations around the world without a visa.
As stated in “The Irish Diaspora, Tales of Emigration, Exile and Imperialism”, today, more than 80 million people worldwide claim Irish descent.
Also, the story of effective global diaspora engagement cannot be told without citing the Ireland example.
Turtle Bunbury :
Turtle Bunbury is a best-selling author, public speaker, historian and active podcaster with over 20 published books to his credit. He has been described by many as ‘one of Ireland’s most prolific historians’ and ‘one of the most versatile authors of his generation.’
Based in Ireland, his podcast series chronicles the life and times of the country’s oldest generation through their stories and distinctive voices into present times.
In 2022 alone, he has been appointed an Accredited Lecturer of The Arts Society (London), launched his 12-part podcast series – “The Maxol Story”, and he installed his 50th Past Tracks history panel at an Irish railway station.
In addition to The Irish Diaspora, some of his most loved and widely acknowledged book publications include ‘Ireland’s Forgotten Past’, ‘1847 – A Chronicle of Genius, Generosity & Savagery‘, ‘Easter Dawn – The 1916 Rising’, ‘The Glorious Madness – Tales of the Irish & the Great War‘, ‘Sporting Legends of Ireland’, ‘Living in Sri Lanka’, and the best-selling ‘Vanishing Ireland‘ books, three of which were shortlisted for Best Irish-published Book of the Year.
He was awarded the Gilmartin Medal in 2021, and is also the co-founder of History Festival of Ireland.
The ‘Book of Libraries’- a Literary Masterpiece :
When you visit Turtle’s website, one quote which stands out reads: “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” – Martin Luther King jr.
To fully understand a diaspora and engage with them effectively, there is a need to know their history. This is what Turtle has done with this book – “The Irish Diaspora, Tales of Emigration, Exile and Imperialism.”
Did you know that Annie Moore, an Irish from Cork City was the first emigrant who went through Ellis Island, New York Harbour in 1892? Between that time till 1954, more than 12 million immigrants entered the United States via Ellis Island as captured in Turtle’s book.
He goes on to give more details about the pivotal role the Irish played in the foundation of the United States of America, and the Declaration of Independence which is a well-known fact. James Hoban, the Architect of the White house is also captured. Turtle talks about at least 16 US presidents being of Irish descent; bringing it to modern day Joe Biden and ex-president Barak Obama who are both descendants of Irish shoemakers!
Readers also get to find out that before Liam Neeson and Daniel Day-Lewis, the Moore Brothers, equally of Irish descent were the Hollywood Stars of the early 1900’s.
When it comes to football, get to know more about Don Patricio O’Connell, the first Manchester United captain of Irish descent and his exploits at now FC Barcelona.
In Africa, the book tells the story Dr James Barry, who performed the groundbreaking caesarian section on a kitchen table in Cape Town, 20 years before the arrival of anesthesia for such procedures. We also learn about Richard Brew, who journeyed to Ghana, then Gold Coast in the 1700’s. His descendants whose names are provided in the book, went on to play roles in the country’s fight for independence, and afterwards.
I can go on and one about Patrick Gallagher, the Vietnam Hero, Hugh Gough, Conqueror of the Punjab, John McKenna of Chile, Elyza Lynch, a First Lady of Paraguay, The Australian connections, and Thomas D’Arcy McGee, the Father of the Canadian Confederation who is also regarded by many as the greatest Irishman in Canadian history, and many more whose stories are told in detail in Turtle’s book. It is worth noting that two British Prime ministers were born in Ireland too.
You cannot chronicle the history of Ireland without mentioning St Patrick, the man credited with introducing Christianity to the country; and there are also mentions of the Creation of the Irish Saints, as well as Luke Wadding and the Vatican Elite.
Turtle “explores the lives of those men and women, great and otherwise, whose journeys – whether driven by faith, a desire for riches and adventure, or purely for survival – have left their mark on the world.”
The Irish Diaspora takes readers on a journey of discovery crafted in the most simple and easy way to grasp, with 29 illustrations. There is something of value for everyone who reads this book.
One key takeaway for me while reading the book over and over again is that, it is a must for every community, society and nation to document its history accurately for posterity’s sake.
The Irish Diaspora is a must feature in your collection of books, because no matter where you are in the world, you would discover that there was an Irish diaspora great that shaped the history of that land. Buy your copies HERE.
To know more about Turtle Bunbury, kindly visit his WEBSITE.
Listen to Turtle’s Podcast Series HERE.
Review by: Theresa R. Fianko, Founder & Managing Editor – Diaspora Digital News
Image(s) Attribution: Turtle Bunbury
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