I love you yanks, you're all my brothers and sisters in love even though you constantly mock me for my dental issues.
On the subject of septics thinking they have "ties" to Europe.
I have a very good friend who literally grew up on the Falls Road during the Troubles. He had uncles and cousins who went down during that time for being caught up in it (not - he assures me - for the real bad stuff).
He lived through the indiscriminate murder and hatred that came from turning into the wrong street, or walking past the wrong bar.
At 21 he went to the states to travel. He said he got totally sick of the "Irish Americans" he met who where 5 generations out but said they loved the "old country". They had no understanding at all of the issues outside of folklore and propagandist Noraid shit-stirring and would often tell him how wrong he was to hold his homegrown opinions.
He was actually very balanced about the issues despite being raised on one side of the fence.
He lasted a year and came back. Nothing against America or Americans, just their absurd Hollywood interpretation of anything political outside of the states.
He said he had to return after finding himself being hostile to people in bars "You're not an Irish American, you're an American"
He settled back in Belfast, married well, has a son and lives a normal life.
Don't shoot me.
Ancestry is not association. I think many yanks just want a history they can latch onto.
Me, I live near a Roman Road.
Bad teeth and all.