There is a lot connecting Latin & Irish culture. I often joke that Irish people were the original Mexicans. We just shagged our way to president sooner.
I love Latin culture and lived in Latin America for 2 years.
Irish soldiers fought on behalf of Mexico in 1846. The group were called the San Patricios. Numerous schools, churches & landmarks are named after
The character of Zorro was inspired by William Lamport from Co. Wexford in Ireland. An illegal immigrant ahead of his time.
Che Guevaras lineage goes back to Galway. Che’s father, Ernesto Guevara Lynch, was always proud of his Irish roots. Referring to Che’s “restless” nature, his father said “the first thing to note is that in my son’s veins flowed the blood of the Irish rebels”.
Many streets in South America are named after (Ambrose) O’Higgins son, the Irish born viceroy of Peru. His son Bernardo O’Higgins served as the supreme director of Chile for 6 years and was one of the countries founding fathers. His dad was Irish.
The Argentine Navy was setup by William Brown, born in Mayo, Ireland.
The academy of Medicine in Montevideo & the first medical school in Buenos Aires were set up by Irishman Miguel O’Gorman.
Argentina and Uruguay alone took in 50k Irish immigrants when we had the great famine in Ireland.
An Irishman who fought alongside South American independence hero Simon Bolivar and helped Venezuela win independence from Spain. Daniel Florence O'Leary became Bolivar's aide-de-camp and rose to the rank of general before Venezuela became independent in 1821.
Irish immigrants played an instrumental role in Puerto Rico's economy, especially the sugarcane and tobacco industries.
Álvaro Obregón (translated to O'Brian or O'Brien) was president of Mexico during 1920-24 and Obregón city and airport are named in his honour.
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This clip is taken from my (not so) special, Cultural Appreciation. You can see it in full here: • David Nihill: Cultural...