The Irish standard., 1905-05-20
Irish in the Aroentine,

Irish irt the Argentine.
A most interesting and encouraging
account is given by Mr. Bulfin, of the
Southern Cross" Buenos Ayres, Of
the remarkable progress made by the
Irish colony in the Argentine Republic
of South America. With every year
from the dawn of the last century the
Irish emigration to Buenos Ayres in
creased. Some Of the emigration was
from County Clare, some from Kerry,
some from Wexford, but the bulk of it
was from Longford and Westmeath.
The Irish of Buenos Ayres did not at
first take kindly to the life of the
returned to the city discouraged. The
country was very unsettled, especially
in the interior, and there was very lit
tie security outside the city bounds
for persons or property.
But when a Dominican friar, Rev.
Anthony Fahy, from Loughrea, ar
rived in Buenos Ayres to be the pastor
of the Irish eXiles, far-seeing, level
headed, Jealous man, he foresaw the
time when the fertile territories Of the
Pampas would be of immense value;
and year after year the Irish, by his
wise advice, staked out their claims.
The ranches prospered more and
more. Now tracts of country were
bought up and coloniZed by them.
Their names became a synonym for
industry loyalty, wealth, and integrity
and before the pioneers of the old
days passed away, they saw the men
of the second generation rising to
fame and honor in the church, in in
dustrial life, and in the liberal pro-
fessions, in commerce and trade, and
in the councils Of the nation.
One can gallop for days over the
Pampas without crossing an acre that
is not owned by some one of Irish
name and parentage. Some of them
own over 100000 sheep and 10000 cat.
tle There must be upward Of $4,000
people of Irish parentage or birth in
the country. They support their own
clergy, and have their own societies,
their own charitable institutions, and
their own games. There is a league
OF hurling club in Argentina, and the
ancient Irish game of the camen is
popular sport. You may hear half a
dozen languages, including Irish, on a
| Camanacht field in Argentina. The
Irish Argentines are polyglot. They
all know Spanish, most of them know
English. Irish, French and Italian are
also heard in the community, but
whatever may be the language on
their lips, there is not an Irish colony
in the world whose heart is more Irish
than the Irish colony of Argentina.
On st. Patrick's day 1901, there was
an Irish pilgrimage to the shrine Of
Our Lady of Lucan, at which over
10000 people assisted. Many Of them
men, women, and children-trav
ersed fifteen leagues to take the
trains from the Pacific stations. II
is quite common thing to see Irish
Argentine youths arriving at a Pampa
chapel for first mass after twenty
miles across the dewy plains. They
still hold the faith of their fathers
and cherish it in their hearts.
The tide OF emigration from ireland
to the Argentine Republic stopped
nearly twenty years ago, and shows
no sign of flowing southwark again
Should there be no new blood infused
into the Irish Argentine community
the time will come in the nature Of
things when the fifty thousand of to
day will be merged into the race from
which the great Latin-American Re
public is, evolving distinctive ma
tional type. Argentina is a country
very nearly as large as the United
States, and 1t has splendid future
The Irish have helped to make it, anG
they have left their mark indelibly
upon its national life.