When I was posting on X on various issues about Ireland, one commenter essentially said, “Why should you care, Yank? It’s not the home of leprechauns and four leaf clovers and just Guinness.”

Fair enough.

Why do I care?

I have two parts on my heritage. Irish from my father’s side and German (Luxembourgish) from my mother’s side. This combination led me to say, “You don’t want to piss me off. First, I get really mad. Then I get really organized.”

My father’s Irish side are Mandaville and Kerwin. Kerwin is an original Irish name from Galway. I was told by a cousin that they were the Earls of Galway. There is Kirwins (different spelling) Lane in Galway. The Mandaville side from Tipperary might come from a long line back to William the Conqueror to France. It is lost in the mists of history. 

I grew up in a lower middle class American household that prized my Irish heritage along with many Americans of Irish heritage. That’s was not difficult to do in my neighborhood, grade school, high school or college. Irish-Americans numbered almost 40 million when I was growing up and still number about 32 million today.  

My great-grandmother was Ellen Collins who was said to be related in some way to Michael Collins, a great hero and leader of Ireland’s War of Independence. One day I’d like to prove that lineage. My grandmother ran a boarding house (the workers version of an AirBNB today) who raised money for Eamon de Valera’s fundraising in the Irish community and took my father to Wrigley Field Chicago in 1919 to make the donation. 

I have long identified as Irish and its various attributes.  

The underdog fighter. Jim Braddock.  

The diligent writer.  James Joyce. 

The freedom visionary. Michael Collins. 

The Irish American story is one of triumph over adversity, from the harrowing journeys of famine-era immigrants to the indelible mark they left on American politics, culture, and society. My pride in being Irish American stems from the extraordinary journey of my ancestors, who faced unimaginable hardships yet forged a legacy of strength and community. The Irish who arrived in America, particularly during the Great Famine (1845–1852), endured starvation, disease, and discrimination. Fleeing a homeland ravaged by potato blight, nearly two million Irish crossed the Atlantic, many on perilous “coffin ships,” seeking refuge and opportunity. Upon arrival, they faced hostility, with signs reading “No Irish Need Apply” and accusations of being undesirable Catholics. Yet, their perseverance transformed this narrative of exclusion into one of integration and influence. My grandmother apparently had a sign on her boarding house: “Irish Welcome.”

Irish Americans have great resilience. Ireland’s path to sovereignty was marked by centuries of resistance against colonial oppression, culminating in the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922 and the Republic of Ireland in 1949. This hard-won independence is a testament to the Irish people’s determination, a quality that resonates with me as an Irish American whose ancestors likely fled famine, poverty, or persecution to build new lives in the United States.

Growing up, I had many fine examples of Irish Americans to choose from in sports, film, politics and more. I had many including John F. Kennedy, John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, F. Scott Fitzgerald, the great film director John Ford (real name Seamus O’Feeney), Preston Sturges and John Huston. On the soldiering side, I had great pride in learning about Irish Americans, particularly WW2 OSS Chief Wild Bill Donovan. Irish Americans were heavily represented in U.S. military history, with 2,021 of 3,464 Medal of Honor awards (58%) and 257 Irish-born recipients, more than any other ethnic group. The Civil War saw nearly 200,000 Irish Americans serve, with units like the Irish Brigade and 69th New York Volunteers being predominantly Irish. 

As an Irish American, my connection to Ireland is more than a nostalgic tie to ancestral roots. It is a living commitment to the sovereignty, culture, and people of a nation that has profoundly shaped my identity and values. Supporting Ireland’s sovereignty and preserving its traditional culture are not only acts of personal pride but also a means of honoring the resilience, history, and enduring spirit of the Irish people. These efforts resonate deeply with me, reflecting the values of community, perseverance, and cultural richness that continue to guide my life in the modern world.

The Irish, I believe, are natural born storytellers so, of course, I write novels and work in the film industry. 

So who was my first Irish Hero? 

James Cagney.

An Irish American actor and producer who came from dire poverty and proved to be talented, strong when fighting the studio system and quite an American patriot on numerous occasions. From Wikipedia, the one film he did in Ireland was noted: 

He traveled to Ireland for Shake Hands with the Devil, directed by Michael Anderson. Cagney had hoped to spend some time tracing his Irish ancestry, but time constraints and poor weather meant that he was unable to do so. The overriding message of violence inevitably leading to more violence attracted Cagney to the role of an Irish Republican Army commander, and resulted in what some critics would regard as the finest performance of his final years.

He also played another hero of mine, Admiral William F. “Bull” Halsey, who led the American fleet to victory in the Pacific against the Imperial Japanese Navy.  

Director Robert Montgomery, Admiral Halsey and James Cagney

In one of my favorite Cagney films, “Blood on the Sun” (1945), he plays an intrepid reporter in prewar Japan searching for the truth in a country ravaged by Japan’s militarism and secret police. He was not only a beacon for America’s Free Speech at home but in the film, he used judo for throws and holds, inspiring my keen interest in martial arts to this day. Cagney was a noted environmental farmer, martial artist, actor, producer and labor leader forming the Screen Actors Guild. When Cagney was awarded an honorary degree from Rollins College in Florida because he was a dedicated organic farmer, he surprised the officials at the college by submitting an actual thesis on soil conservation. 

Cagney showed me the Irish grit, determination, will, hard work and resilience from my heritage. 

As an Irish American, I feel a responsibility to support Ireland’s right to self-determination, especially in the face of modern challenges like globalization, economic pressures, and political influences from larger powers. For example, Ireland’s neutral stance in international conflicts and its role in the European Union reflect a commitment to independence and diplomacy, values I admire and wish to uphold. By advocating for Ireland’s sovereignty, I honor the sacrifices of my ancestors and contribute to a future where Ireland remains a beacon of resilience and self-governance. The imposition of the EU immigration policies on a small country like Ireland is an atrocity against the indigenous people of Ireland and its culture. 

I had the opportunity to meet James Cagney on the studio lot while he was making his final movie, “Ragtime” in 1981. It was not much more than a hello and a few words of admiration from me - probably nervously delivered - but he was gracious when I mentioned his great judo moves. That delighted him. I got to meet one of my heroes.

One of my Irish heroes. 

For those Irish wondering how to fight the current globalist induced housing crisis caused by immigration and the Irish-Americans unsure how to make posts, share videos, pressure politicians and more. Whatever one does, take action and follow the advice of James Cagney in the creative and political fight for Ireland’s life.   

“Tell them you know how to dance and then go out and learn.”