Ireland's Invasion of the World

For much of Ireland's history her people have been emigrating and the Irish Diaspora today is estimated to be over 100 million people, fifteen times the current population of Ireland. For the most part they scattered not as colonizers but as migrants, they took their culture and identity with them and made a mark on their adopted county. They fought wars, formed societies, shaped cultures, created new identities and made history. This book looks at the Irish contribution to the history of all five continents, recalling unsung heroes, tragic tales and forgotten legacies. Did you know? According to legend, a monk from County Kerry discovered America almost 1,000 years before Columbus did. The infamous Australian outlaw Ned Kelly was of Irish descent. Brazil reputedly derives its name from the mythical Hy-Brassil island of Irish legend. The Japanese National Anthem was written by John William Fenton of County Cork.