ABSTRACT
This chapter examines two instances of Irish diaspora diplomacy at work in the US in relation to specific political crises. The first example is the conflict in Northern Ireland that began in the late 1960s and came to a symbolic point of closure in 1998 with the Good Friday Agreement (GFA). We will see how Irish Americans in the US, partly through the efforts of diaspora actors and careful backchannel diplomacy, shifted from empathising with a militant nationalist approach to the conflict in Northern Ireland to support constitutional nationalism and a peaceful settlement. The second example is the current political and diplomatic crises triggered by the pro-Brexit vote in the UK in 2016 that commits the UK to leave the EU. With transatlantic affairs in turmoil, Ireland is seeking to reposition itself, and this involves strategic diplomatic engagement with Irish-American leaders in the US. As a result, Irish diaspora politics is once again flexing its diplomatic muscles in Washington. This is most overt in its reaction to the threat Brexit poses to the GFA, but it also poses a challenge to President Trump’s support for Brexit and a trade deal with the UK. The complex diplomatic dance around Brexit reflects the shifting dynamics of diaspora diplomacy in Irish-US relations.
