JORGES McGovern’s voice failed as he reached the end of his speech. Although his words were in Spanish it was obvious to the large Irish contingent in the room that he was extremely emotional as he addressed a large gathering in the local school in Berisso on the first day of the commemorations to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of Admiral William Brown. Later that evening Jorges explained to the visiting Irish delegation why he had been so over-come with emotion.

“I just could not believe the number of Irish people that were in the room and it made me very emotional,” he said. “I had been waiting for this day all my life and it was just so wonderful to see it finally happen. I cannot tell you how grateful I am to JJ O’Hara for making it happen. When I looked into the crowd and saw all the Irish faces it was a very special moment and I will never forget it.”

Jorges McGovern is one of an estimated 500,000 Argentinians who claim Irish ancestry. In a country with a population of 35 million that is no small number; it is, in fact, almost three per cent of the entire population.

Most of the Irish emigration to Argentina occurred in the nineteenth century at a time when Ireland was amongst the poorest nations in the world. It is believed that as many as 30,000 Irish people emigrated to Argentina between the 1830s and the 1890s and the impact these people would have on Argentinian society would be seismic.

While Admiral William Brown is undoubtedly the best-known of the Irish emigrants to Argentina other Irish men and women were also extremely influential in Argentine society. A priest from Loughrea in Co Galway - Fr Anthony (Antonio) Fahy - was heavily involved in assisting Irish emigrants to Argentina in the nineteenth century. Fr Fahy was a confidant of Admiral William Brown and the two are buried opposite each other in the historic Recoleta Cemetery. The elaborate gravestone that adorns Fr Fahy’s grave is testament to the high esteem in which he was held in Argentine society at the time of his death. Fr Fahy was responsible for bringing a large number of Irish priests to Argentina where they became involved in the provision of education and charitable work. After William Brown he is generally recognised as Ireland’s most significant emigrant to Argentina. The fact that both men came from the West of Ireland is further reason for the development of links between the province of Connacht and the people of Argentina. It is remarkable to think that two men - born in counties Mayo and Galway - are buried opposite each other in the most famous cemetery in the world, many thousands of miles from their home-towns in the West of Ireland. Like Jorges McGovern in Berisso, Irish visitors to Recoleta Cemetery cannot help but be a little emotional as they stand in the shadows of the two magnificent memorials to these great Irishmen.

The second, third and fourth generation Irish in Argentina have not forgotten the land of their forefathers. Juan Clancy’s great grandfather left Wexford in 1844 for a new life in Argentina. The patriarch of the Clancy family had got on the wrong side of the English authorities and had no choice but to leave his native land. He would later recall that a large Irish group travelled on the same ship as him to Argentina. The South American country was obviously seen as a land of opportunity at the time.

Like most of the Irish emigrants to Argentina, Clancy arrived in Buenos Aires but did not remain in the city for too long. He moved where he obtained a job with a sheep farmer. He was starting out at the very bottom.

But the Wexford man was ambitious and he was soon pursuing his own career as a sheep farmer. He began renting land and after many years of hard work was in a position to purchase his own farm. By 1870 he was the owner of 8,000 acres and 22,000 sheep.

Clancy eventually became a peace commissioner and governor of the county of Baradera. His great grandson, Juan, who is now in his eightieth year, has been involved in business all of his life. He is exceptionally proud of his Irish ancestry and has visited the land of his forefathers on several occasions. There is Irish blood on both sides of Juan’s family and the fact that he has recently taken out Irish citizenship is testament to his love for the country his ancestors left more than 150 years ago. When this writer met Juan outside the Capilla Stella Maris Church in Buenos Aires on Saturday, March 3rd - the day of the 150th anniversary of the death of Admiral William Brown - he was accompanied by his grand-daughter, Sheila. He was intensely proud of the fact that all of his children and grandchildren bear Irish names and it is clear that the elderly Juan is determined to keep the Irish flag flying in the Clancy household in Buenos Aires.

“I am very proud of my Irish ancestry. I first visited Ireland in 1968 and I have been there on a number of occasions since. There are many, many people like myself in Argentina and we are so delighted to see such a large group of Irish people visiting our country. It is important that the Irish community in Argentina maintains a strong link with Ireland into the future and I have no doubt that my children and grandchildren will do that. They will never forget their roots.”

Louis Delaney is another man whose ancestors emigrated from Ireland in the nineteenth century. He has traced his great-grandparents to Longford and Westmeath, from where they emigrated in 1860. Many of the descendants of Irish emigrants learned to speak English in their homes and most are fluent in the language.

Patrick Howlin was one of several Argentines with Irish ancestry to attend the wreath-laying ceremony in Recoleta Cemetery to mark the 150th anniversary of the death of Admiral Brown. Patrick’s grandfather was born in Moate in Co Westmeath and the family learned to speak English from the earliest age. Despite spending his entire life in Buenos Aires, Patrick pronounces certain English words with a distinctly Irish accent. When he informed this writer that his grandfather came from Moate it was like listening to a person from the Irish Midlands.

Nancy Kelly-Collins is another woman with a distinctly Irish name. Now in her eightieth year she grew up in a home in Buenos Aires where English was almost the first language, so much so that when she went to the local shop for the groceries no-one could understand her.

Nancy attended the memorial ceremonies for Admiral Brown in the town of Adrogue, which is the capital of Almirante Brown, a county named after the Mayo-born naval hero. She is delighted that the famous Irish emigrant is finally getting recognition in the land of his birth.

“Admiral Brown is someone who is very respected in Argentina. He was one of the founding fathers of our nation and he means a lot to the people. It is so good to see so many Irish people in Argentina to mark the anniversary of his death.”

The Irish continue to leave their mark on life in Argentina. Seamus O’Duirnin is the editor of the Southern Cross newspaper, the voice of the Argentine-Irish. The newspaper is 135 years old and has had a colouful history, running foul of Argentine governments on more than one occasion.

Seamus was another of those who attended the Admiral Brown commemorations on Saturday, March 3rd.

“The Irish influence is becoming a little diluted in the 21st century,” he noted. “It is probably no different to America and England where most of the leaders of the Irish community are getting older and it is becoming more difficult to find replacements. But we still have a very active Irish community in Argentina.”

Moira Moretti Hafford runs a travel agency, Westur, in Buenos Aires with her brother, Seamus (Santiago). They maintain strong links with the Irish community in Argentina and are the first port of call for many Irish people who visit the South American country.

“Our family was originally from Athlone and we would be very conscious of our Irish origins,” she said. “I am wearing a Claddagh Ring at the moment so you could say I am fairly Irish!”

The most visible display of the Irish presence in Argentina occurs on St Patrick’s Day each year when a parade is held in the town of Lujan, about 50km from Buenos Aires. One of the first members of the Irish diaspora we met on our visit to Argentina - Jose Morinigo - was busily preparing for the St Patrick’s Day festivities. Dressed in a costume of green, white and gold, Jose - whose ancestors hail from Cork - spoke proudly of his Irish heritage.

But the Irish influence in Argentina is not just confined to Buenos Aires. The city of Mendoza, which is located in the foothills of the Andes, boasts a very active Irish community. The local St Brendan’s Association is the meeting point for the many hundreds of people from Mendoza who can trace their families to Ireland. The people of Mendoza are very conscious of the Irish presence in their city, so much so that a taxi driver was able to inform us in broken English that he was looking forward to the St Patrick’s Day Parade. There is also an Irish pub - Pub Irlandais - which is prominently located on one of the main streets in the city.

The Irish in Argentina may not wield the same international influence as their counterparts in America and England but they are significant nonetheless. They are a close-knit and deeply proud group of people and their presence at the various events during the last two weeks is proof of their determination to maintain links with the land of their forefathers.

The most remarkable person that this writer encountered during the visit to Argentina was Rosemary Keane, a first generation Irish woman whose mother hailed from Doohoma in Erris. Mary Keane originally emigrated to Scotland at the age of 16 where she met her husband who was a native of Italy. The two emigrated to Argentina and settled in Buenos Aires where Rosemary was born.

“I was brought up hearing and thinking about Ireland and I have always regarded it as my home.” she told the Western People. “I have visited Ireland on several occasions and I am in regular contact with my cousins in Doohoma.”

The Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Cllr Gerry Coyle, who invited Rosemary to the Mayo World Convention in Buenos Aires, said he had been particularly touched by her story as her mother had come from a village that was only a short distance from his own homeplace.

“There were nine in my family and we all emigrated to America and England at one point or another. But that was the way it was in the Ireland of yesteryear. Mothers were raising their children for export. But I think it is incredible that two families who grew up within a stone’s throw of each other would cross paths in Buenos Aires all these years later. It just shows that the connection is always there between Irish emigrants and their homeplace. They never lose that link.”

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