Are Americans in Ireland discriminated against? 

Over the centuries, the United States has provided freedom and opportunities to millions of Irish people

However, is Ireland truly a land of the ‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ for those people who make a move east across the Atlantic? One US citizen living in Killarney, County Kerry says he is routinely discriminated against because of his nationality - despite having lived here for nearly two decades. 

“If I need services, whether it be a plumber that doesn’t know me or anything, they hear the American accent and I guarantee you they’ll charge me more money,” Geoff told Lunchtime Live. 

“They think I have more money because I’m American.

“Maybe they think I’m working for a big multinational corporation or the corporation itself is perhaps housing me.” 

Worse still, he says the service they provide is often poor and that when possible he avoids dealing with tradesmen. 

“When my wife was alive, she was Irish, and I’d always have her contact people if we needed anything in the house done or even to call the doctor or needed anything,” he added. 

“They hear my voice and they treat me very differently.” 

Politics

Nor is Geoff alone in complaining that an American accent can sometimes elicit a negative reaction in Ireland; Monaghan-based Jen says that the turbulent world of US politics is something that Irish people are keen to give their opinion on. 

“It was amazing to me that people I didn’t know would immediately hear the accent and think it was time to take the piss out of me,” she said. 

“[They’d] ask about Trump, ask about politics. 

“My accent seemed to be an intro to talk about things that I thought were personal to strangers.” 

US President Joe Biden participates in a virtual bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington DC in March 2021. Picture by: Sipa USA / Alamy Stock Photo

Usually Jen said she would reply “politely” and steer the conversation elsewhere. 

“I’ve been here a while and I’m involved in the community and usually it was just strangers because the folks in my community know me.” 

The 2016 census recorded that there were 10,519 Americans living in Ireland, while an additional 104,784 people had dual US and Irish citizenship.

Main image: US and Irish flags. Picture by: Alamy.com