There has been a heated reaction to former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s recent statements about fomenting a right-wing putsch in Ireland and creating an “Irish Trump”. In this sense, the Irish Trump already exists. In this, he reflects a broader myopia in Irish America about the homeland. [ Irish people are wrong about immigration, but are we ready for our own Trump?Opens in new window ]Romanticisation of Irish and Irish American history is a key element in the maintenance of Irish American identity today, shoring up very different political perspectives. In the survey I run, I ask respondents to name the Irish or Irish American person they most admire.

Source: The Irish Times January 25, 2026 13:07 UTC