Irish Mexicans

Irish Mexicans (Spanish: Irlandés-mexicano or Hibernomexicano; Irish: Gael-Meicsiceach) are inhabitants of Mexico that are immigrants from or descendants of immigrants from Ireland. The majority of Irish immigrants to Mexico were Catholic.

Irish Mexican

Total population
446 Republic of Ireland-born residents (2015)[1]
Languages
Mexican Spanish, Irish, English
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Related ethnic groups
other Irish diasporas

History

Tribute to the Irish soldiers who switched sides during the Mexican–American War at the Museo Nacional de las Intervenciones

A few Mexican Irish communities existed in Mexican Texas prior to the Texas Revolution. They were fully integrated into Mexican society at the time and were linked to their host society through inter-marriage, a shared language, and business ties.^[2] When revolution broke out, many Irish sided with Catholic Mexico against Protestant pro-U.S. elements.^[3] The Saint Patrick's Battalion was a Mexican Army unit of mostly Irish soldiers who deserted from the U.S. army during the Mexican–American War.^[4] Veterans of the battalion were awarded with the Cross of Honor for their service to the Mexican government.^[5] In some cases, Irish immigrants or Americans left from California (the Irish Confederate army of Fort Yuma, Arizona during the American Civil War in 1861) and blended into Mexican society instead.^[6]

Álvaro Obregón (O'Brien) was president of Mexico during 1920–1924 and Ciudad Obregón and its airport are named in his honor. Actor Anthony Quinn is another famous Mexican of Irish descent. There are also monuments in Mexico City paying tribute to those Irish who fought for Mexico in the 1800s.^[7]

Notable Irish Mexicans

• Louis CK, Mexican born comedian and actor, mother was Irish American, father was Mexican/Hungarian. CK (Szekely) was partially raised in Mexico City^[8]
• Margo, Mexican actress and dancer of Irish descent
• Alejo Bay, governor of Sonora from 1923 to 1927
• Lynda Carter, American-born actress of Irish-Mexican descent
• Ignacio Comonfort, President of Mexico in 1855^[9]
• Santiago Creel, Mexican politician of Irish descent
• Dolores Creel Miranda, Mexican artist of Irish descent
• Philip Crosthwaite, born in Ireland, was an early settler of San Diego, California and Rosarito, Baja California
• Aarón Díaz Spencer, Mexican actor, singer, and model to Irish-American mother
• Cristina Fink, retired high jumper of Spanish, Dutch, Irish, and German descent
• Carlos Gallardo, Mexican actor, producer and occasional screenwriter and director to a Mexican father and an Irish mother
• Judith Grace, television hostess
• Grey Griffin, American-born actress of mixed Irish-Mexican descent
• José Santiago Healy Brennan, Mexican Journalist, born to Irish born parents in Monterrey
• John Holloway, Irish-born Mexican lawyer, Marxist-oriented sociologist and philosopher currently living in Mexico
• Luis Humberto Crosthwaite, Mexican writer of Irish-American descent
• William Lamport, the real-life Zorro
• Hugo Oconór, Spanish governor of Texas from 1767 to 1770
• Juan O'Donojú, viceroy of New Spain
• Rómulo O'Farril, founder of newspaper Novedades
• Edmundo O'Gorman, writer^[10]
• Juan O'Gorman, architect^[11]
• Pablo O'Higgins, American-Mexican artist, muralist and illustrator of Irish descent
• Tomas O'Horan, Mexican lawyer, magistrate and senator of Irish descent
• Patricio O'Ward, Mexican Indy Car driver
• Anthony Quinn, actor^[12]
• Sara Ramirez, Mexican singer and actress (mother of Irish-American descent)
• Roberto Ransom, Mexican writer of Irish descent
• Jon Riley, born in Ireland, served in Mexican Army during the Mexican-American War and founded Saint Patrick's Battalion^[5]
• Guillermo Sheridan, Mexican writer of Irish descent
• Justo Sierra O'Reilly, Mexican novelist and historian of Irish descent
• Michael Wadding, Jesuit priest and missionary

See also

• Mexico portal
• Ireland portal

• Alvarez Kelly, a Western film about an Irish Mexican in the American Civil War.
• Saint Patrick's Battalion
• Ireland–Mexico relations

References

Coogan, Tim Pat (2002). Wherever Green is Worn. Arrow Books. ISBN 0-09-995850-3.

1. "Población inmigrante residente en México según país de nacimiento, 2015" [Immigrant population residing in Mexico by country of birth, 2015] (in Spanish). Consejo Nacional de Población. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
2. Murray, Edmundo (2008). "Secret Diasporas: The Irish in Latin America and the Caribbean". History Ireland. 16–17: 16.
3. Marshall, Tom (2010-06-17). "World Cup 2010: France are the common enemy for Mexico and Ireland". The Guardian. London.
4. Coogan page 609
5. Hogan, Michael (1997). "The Irish Soldiers of Mexico". History Ireland. 5: 38–39.
6. "Celebrating the Irish Connection | The-Tidings.com". Archived from the original on 2009-10-08. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
7. "Beneath an Emerald Green Flag: The Story of Irish Soldiers in Mexico". Society for Irish Latin American Studies. September 2005. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
8. "Louis C.K. Talks Mexican Heritage: "I'm an Accidental White Person"". Archived from the original on 2013-04-16. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
9. "12 DE MARZO DE 1812. NATALICIO DE IGNACIO COMONFORT". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
10. "Edmundo and Juan O'Gorman". Society for Irish Latin American Studies. Archived from the original on March 20, 2007. Retrieved 2009-06-19.
11. "Rediscovering our man in Mexico City". The Irish Times. June 6, 2007. Retrieved 2009-06-20.
12. "Actor Anthony Quinn Dies". Wired. Reuters. June 3, 2001. Retrieved 2009-06-19.

External links

• Murray, Edmundo "The Irish in Latin America and Iberia: A Bibliography - Mexico and Hispanic North America"
• Murray, Edmundo "The San Patricio Battalion: A Bibliography"
• History of Mexico: The Irish Presence at the Houston Institute for Culture.
• The legend of Zorro was an Irishman (William Lamport).
• The O'Brien clan in Mexico.
• Primary and secondary sources relating to the Irish in Mexico (Sources database for Irish research)