You shouldn’t be surprised to receive an unexpected e mail or postcard from someone you don’t know, but who is in Ireland and wants you to. “come home to visit.”
It is part of the unique outreach that goes along with the year-long extravaganza “The Gathering: Ireland 2013The intense interest Americans have in their roots, starting often with immigrants who came through Ellis Island, is so strong that the National Archives website crashed recently after receiving 37 million hits from its newly released 1940 census.
“What we’re all looking for is the story of the family — what made my grandparents the way they were, which made my parents the way they were, which made me what I am,”An expert in genealogy spoke out about the crash.
The Gathering taps into this yearning in a way that generations of the large Irish Diaspora in the U.S. will find irresistible. Yes, there are big events like the All-Ireland Hurling Championships. The Great Limerick Run. And the Street Performance World Championships. You’ll probably find something of interest everywhere you go if you place an emphasis on grassroots participation. This is why you get e-mails back from long-lost relatives or even clubs.
The highlights include:
* National Heritage Week. Medieval fairs. Historical re-enactments. Maritime fun. Yes. “night-time bat walks.”It’s hard to find something not to love, especially when many of the more than 1,000 events are free.
* The Dublin Theatre Festival. Actors ranging from Vanessa Redgrave and Neve Campbell regularly appear in both classic and cutting-edge productions, as is fitting for a country that produced George Bernard Shaw.
* The Galway Oyster Festival. If you’re looking to find out if your family is Irish gentry, the coastal Galway — also known as. “the City of the Tribes”This is in memory of the 14 merchant families that ruled long ago. You can also watch a celebrity chef compete while enjoying the famous Galway Bay oysters.
* St. Patrick’s Parades and Festivals. You can forget everything you have ever seen in New York. These are a showcase of everything Irish — pageantry and music, comedy, and even horseracing.
If You Go: CIE Tours International, a well-respected company that has taken millions of Americans on vacation to Ireland over the past eight decades, offers many full-inclusive vacation options. Its. “$550+ Advantage”Protection guarantees that no charges will be made to travelers for extra features. Contact 1-800-243-8687 for more information. www.cietours.com/gathering.
