What is the Irish diaspora? You could also ask who is the Irish diaspora? A broad definition of the name would be a term used for those of Irish ancestry who live outside of the island of Ireland but share in its cultural identity and heritage. Many of those who descend from Irish immigrants and hold true to their heritage would be considered part of the Irish diaspora.

   This was not always the case. Originally, it was a term used for those Irish citizens who lived perpetually outside of Ireland yet were registered as citizens of Ireland. This extended to include their children and grand children so long as they were registered as citizens of Ireland. It wasn’t until 1998 that the Irish government amended its constitution to include those of Irish descent that weren’t born in Ireland or registered as citizens.

   The term Irish diaspora came about as part of the Irish government’s means of keeping track of Irish emigrants around 1840. At that time, there were many Irish citizens emigrating to other parts of the world like Britain and America. In some ways it could be considered to be Ireland’s way of maintaining the identity of its citizens no matter where they lived their lives. They were simply the people who were scattered from their homeland.

   Many Irish emigrated to the shores of America, and between 1830 and 1914, roughly 5 million Irish emigrants went to the young nation of the United States alone. Today, there are many in the US that can lay claim to Irish descent and are considered to be a part of the Irish diaspora. Many well-known people in the US have been members of the diaspora. These include people like Robert DeNiro, Judy Garland, John F. Kennedy, George Clooney, Lucille Ball, and Mariah Carey to name only a few.

   The Irish diaspora is very simply a term for all those like myself who can rightfully claim Irish as their heritage and ancestry. The term diaspora can be used for any people that would be considered scattered, but for the topic of this article, it is the scattered Irish. Think of it as a term for all the people of Irish descent scattered all over the world, a giant family of sorts that can trace its beginnings back to a single island known as Ireland.