Westmeath roots run deep in Boston Irish community: Burke

Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, TD, visited Boston and New Hampshire for St Patrick’s Day as part of the government team dispatched to the US to highlight Ireland’s important trade, political, and cultural links with America, in the face of changing economic conditions and the threat of tariffs being imposed by the Trump Administration.

The Mullingar man had a packed agenda, from meeting representatives of Irish companies that have expanded into the US and of multinational companies with base in Ireland, to and potential investors considering moves to Ireland.

He also held high-level political engagements, including meeting Governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, and Republican Governor of New Hampshire, Kelly Ayotte.

There were also important engagements with members of the diaspora at the Irish Cultural Centre, the Irish Pastoral Centre, and events in New Hampshire to promote further trade with Ireland. New Hampshire sold $18.3 million worth of Irish whiskey last year alone, and there is a two-way trade relationship worth more than $450 million.

Ireland is the sixth largest investor in the USA, and more than 200,000 people are employed in America by Irish companies. While Ireland has a trade surplus with the US when it comes to goods, once services are taken into account, the US has an overall surplus – something Minister Burke was keen to highlight to his American colleagues.

He said he enjoyed meeting Irish and Westmeath natives who have made Boston their home, many of whom emigrated in the 1980s.

“One of the highlights of the trip was making the Westmeath and Mullingar connections along the way,” he said.

“There is a thriving Irish community in Boston, and within that, a tight-knit group of people who emigrated from Westmeath and have made a big impact in the most Irish city in the US.

“I met many successful business people, politicians, entrepreneurs, and people from all walks of life who have strong Irish roots and enjoyed talking about home. Many emigrated from Westmeath due to economic conditions in the 1980s and never returned, and they’re now well-rooted in the US with children and even grandchildren.

“Our top diplomat in Boston, the Consul General of Ireland to New England, is Mullingar’s Sighle Fitzgerald, and she does fantastic work engaging with the business, cultural, and political community, opening her house to guests and events multiple times a week.

“The reception we received throughout the week was second to none, and I look forward to some positive outcomes from many of the meetings we held.

“It always impresses me how far Irish people travel and the impact they make; the first Irish-born mayor of Boston was elected in 1884. We can have a real sense of pride in the role that the Irish have played in the establishment of great cities like Boston.”