Tweak Your Biz » Global » With the ‘Gift of the Gab’ The Irish Were Great Social Networkers Long Before Facebook Or Twitter

With the ‘Gift of the Gab’ The Irish Were Great Social Networkers Long Before Facebook Or Twitter

by Pat Carroll on June 7th, 2012
58 Comments



Ireland has the unique distinction, for a small island of just 4 million souls, of having up to 80 million people globally, claiming to have Irish heritage. 40 million of these are based in the US. The UK alone has nearly 1 million first generation Irish-born people and 5 million with a direct Irish relative. 

For many centuries the Irish have had to emigrate beyond this small island and adapt to different cultures, in many distant lands.  In the process, we have developed  great Networking skills. Perhaps this is helped by our ‘ Gift of the Gab, but we seem to have a genetic propensity to excel socially.

Wherever we find ourselves in the world, our natural ability to Network helps the Irish to adapt to new environments.

10 of the Top International Irish Networks  

  1. Irish International Business Network  (IIBN) :  This network is committed to supporting the growth and development of Irish entrepreneurs and business professionals across the globe.   This network’s origins were facilitated by the Irish Embassy in London.  The  HQ is in London, with chapters also in New York and Dublin, with further satellite branches  planned for Belfast, later this year and Asia in the near future.
  2. Irish Network-USA  (IN-USA)  :  The network  assists Irish, Irish-American and friends of Ireland, to form local IN chapters in their communities. This  national umbrella organisation of the current 12 US city chapters allows members to connect with their peers and develop relationships that help foster success in their business  and social ventures.   Like the IIBN, this network originated from the Irish Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs.
  3. WorldIrish  :  Irish actor, Gabriel  Byrne describes  WorldIrish as a  ‘virtual global Irish tribe’ . This is an on-line network for Irish people and people who love Ireland, all over the world.  An initiative from John McColgan ( Producer of ‘Riverdance ), this idea emerged  from  Ireland’s Global Economic Forum ( WI is currently in ‘Beta’ ,with  launch of full version ,due later in  2012.)
  4. The Worldwide Ireland Funds  : This large network of friends of Ireland is dedicated to supporting programmes of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development, throughout the island of Ireland.  It operates in 12 countries and has raised over $430 million for more than 1,200 organizations.  Donors enjoy access to an extraordinary network of global supporters and events. A partnership with The Worldwide Ireland Funds provides the opportunity to make a tangible and lasting gift that helps Ireland bridge the past and the future.
  5. The Ireland-US Council  : The purpose of this Network is to build business links between America and Ireland. In pursuit of its aim, the Council hosts frequent events in Ireland and in the United States. The Council also operates a variety of scholarship and student internship programs. The Council seeks also to focus on activities that will develop communications, dialogue and improved understanding between leaders in business and government on both sides of the Atlantic.
  6. Global Irish Network  :  This Network concept emerged from the Global Irish Economic Summits and  comprise over 300 of the most influential Irish and Irish-connected individuals around the world. Members of the Network, who come from a diversity of fields and are based in almost 40 countries, provide Ireland with an invaluable resource of international expertise from which we can draw as we work towards economic recovery.  The Network works closely with the Irish Government and State Agencies in promoting Ireland’s economic, cultural and tourism messages in key markets. The Network is also a key partner in our ongoing efforts to restore our international reputation.
  7. Irish Technology Leadership Group  (ITLG) :  This is an independent organization comprised of a number of high-level technology leaders in Silicon Valley who are Irish or Irish-American. The Group includes senior executives from some of the Valley’s leading corporations, each of whom are committed to promoting the technology connection between Ireland and Silicon Valley, and helping Ireland address the challenges of embracing new technology opportunities
  8. RendezVous353 :   The mission of this on-line, global-Irish, business & social network is to organize and mobilize the goodwill and patriotism of the Irish Diaspora and its people at home in Ireland. There is a strong emphasis on assisting jobs seekers, who recently left Ireland, particularly information on positions in Australia and New York and the network also has good representation of Irish in the Arabian Gulf states
  9. Irish Executives :  The Irish Executives network began on LinkedIn in 2008, a time when people and businesses first realised the pressures being exerted on the global economic climate. Connecting business people within Ireland and around the world, Irish Executives continues to respond to this pressure with a commitment to sharing ideas, insights, expertise, solutions and know-how which exists among the Irish Diaspora at home and abroad. The largest Irish LinkedIn Group also made its ‘offline’, with the first , ‘Irish Executive Summit’,  in Galway, Ireland in 2011.  See:  2 ½ Minute Video  - containing interviews with the network’s  founder, John Keogh and Kingsley Aikins, of Diaspora Matters and former President of  Worldwide Ireland Funds
  10. Irish American Business Network (IABN) :  This network is founded on the cultural and historical contributions of Irish descendants throughout North America. Using a light hearted, satirical approach, it seeks to use the collective experiences and insights to further their social, professional, and individual pursuits.

Related: Darragh Doyle of WorldIrish.com Talks To Bloggertone TV

These great networks are promoting Ireland globally to help the Irish people through their current economic challenges.  This combination of the Irish in Ireland and the Irish Diaspora globally, have the potential to unleash immense powers of creativity and energy, in the arts and business worlds.

Great Initiatives that will help Ireland’s Economy – through active Networking :

The Gathering 2013  :   

A year-long celebration of Ireland, its people and our impact on the world – Be Part of It!   This initiative, facilitated by Irish state agency, Tourism Ireland, aims to attract 300,000 visitors to Ireland to help boost the economy and  have a lot of fun at the same time !

YouTube Preview Image

Related: Ireland And The Business Of Holidays – An Interview With Niall Gibbons Of Tourism Ireland

ConnectIreland : 

Earn money for yourself or your favourite charity, by creating jobs in Ireland. The ConnectIreland mission is to attract companies that are expanding internationally, to locate in Ireland and create new jobs in the Irish economy.  They have been appointed by the Irish Government and IDA Ireland as part of the Irish Government’s Action Plan for Jobs.

Related: How To Be Irish On St Patrick’s Day. Even If You’re Not!

Choosing  just ten networks from so many great Irish Networks is challenging.  Some of the notable exceptions are Tangible Ireland, Irish Arts, Performance & Heritage Network,  Irish Abroad,  Irish American Business Chamber Network-Philadelphia,  Irish Business Organisation-NY, London Irish Business Society, IN-GB, Irish Business Network-Germany, Lansdowne Club-Sydney, Irish Club-Moscow,Russia and Le Cheile-Shanghai, China.

Please feel free to introduce your own favourite Irish International Networks below. 

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Image: thegatheringireland.com



Category: Global Irish, International Marketing, International Trade, social business, social media, Tourism

Tags: , ,

The Author:

Pat Carroll is a consultant, connector and trainer. Whether networking socially or marketing digitally, he is immersed in the social revolution. After many years operating in the traditional sales and marketing area, 3 years ago Pat plunged into the exciting world of social media. He spent a year in the business development and community management of Irish on-line network, ’RendezVous353’. During this time, he orchestrated the PR and event management of the network’s launches in New York and London. For the on-line campaign, he utilised digital marketing tools such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, as well as newsletters and blogs . However, connecting ‘on the ground’ with many Irish networks, was also essential to achieve the goal of successfully connecting with the global Irish diasporas. He later set up a consultancy company to help many different types of businesses to integrate social media into their marketing strategy. At Touch Communications, Pat’s skills within areas of sales, marketing, social media and PR, equip him with a useful toolkit to help his clients with their business development. Contacts : @patcarrolltouch or pat@touchcommunications.ie http://www.touchcommunications.ie/

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Add Your Comment

  • http://www.sianphillips.ie/ Sian Phillips

    I love this Pat. Not being Irish but living here I can confirm you are all great networkers (and talkers). Comparing this to global Welsh networks I’m feeling a bit embarrassed and insignificant. You’ve provided a great list thanks

  • ElliStGeorgeGodfrey

    Pat,

    Conversation is definitely a skill that Irish people excel at. The groups you mentioned are fabulous resources so people and businesses can connect easily. I can definitely attest as a member of IABN that IABN takes networking and connecting seriously (but in a fun way). For those who want to connect to the Boston business community, keep your eyes on the Boston Irish Business Association (BIBA). This group is well connected and keen on helping Irish companies and American companies connect and succeed.

  • http://www.smartsolutions.ie/blog/ Elaine Rogers

    Pat, welcome to Tweak Your Biz, and a fantastic resourceful first post!
    We are everywhere!! I heard a few years ago, that there are 17 million Irish Passports in the world, I wonder if this is true. Just as well that we travel, our country really is too small for 40 million souls (including baggage).
    Yes, we are great talkers and networkers and I would add that we are great connectors, my favourite of course is the wonderful Niall Devitt of Tweak your Biz :)
    Not to forget that we also have the ability to talk and discuss the weather for ever, especially this week, as the island of Ireland sinks into the Atlantic Ocean…

  • http://www.bloggertone.com Niall Devitt

    Hi Pat, welcome to TYB and thanks for this inspirational first post. Social technologies now offer our global community a global opportunity but the traffic/money/jobs needs to move both ways. While these are all great initiatives, we need to also ask what can we do for our people across the world. If we change the starting point to the conversation, we could end up having a much better conversation? & Thanks for the vote of confidence, Elaine! :)    

  • Elishbul

    Love this post – being 1 quarter Irish I can testify that my Irish grandmother’s foray into Asia in the 40s was definitely a sign of the Irish propensity to look beyond their ken and explore global opportunities. It was so useful having all those networks summed up in one place and makes me proud to have a drop of the green stuff running through my veins.

  • André

    Difficult to understand why Worldirish is listed here as it’s not even launched ?  Site says Beta ?

  • http://twitter.com/MargaretMolloy Margaret Molloy

    Fun post. Love the premise that the Irish have a head start on social and networking.

  • http://twitter.com/patcarrolltouch Pat Carroll

    Thanks, Margaret.  As one of the top CMO’s in US + leading lights in social media world, combined with being a proud Irishwoman -you are a prime example of a our propensity as Irish to network so successfully ! I loved your own SXSW Blog, on effective networking and the nuances of a networker versus a connector.

  • http://twitter.com/patcarrolltouch Pat Carroll

    It does already have almost 14,000 signed-up members,André

  • http://twitter.com/patcarrolltouch Pat Carroll

    Thanks for sharing that into, Elli.  

  • http://twitter.com/patcarrolltouch Pat Carroll

    Thanks, Elish. Just as the Irish have enriched other cultures, people such as your good self help add a wonderful variety to Ireland.

  • http://twitter.com/patcarrolltouch Pat Carroll

    Thanks Elaine… on this grand ‘soft’ summer’s ?? day :-)  

  • http://twitter.com/#!/antonmccarthy Anton McCarthy

    Cool article Pat, it’s amazing to think of all of the different groups and networks we have all around the world. No matter where you go – no matter how far away you are – there is always an Irish community willing to help you out. Being sociable and building networks is something that comes more naturally to us than anything else.

  • Smallbiztrends

    Interesting graphic.  Lots and lots of proud Irish here in the U.S., that’s for sure…. 

  • http://twitter.com/patcarrolltouch Pat Carroll

    Thanks Anita. That’s for sure. I find the combination of social media and Irishness an interesting one. -Just look at Niall Devitt ;-) We don’t do shy and reserved very well ! 

  • http://twitter.com/JBBC Marie Ennis-O’Connor

    What a list @twitter-126795043:disqus I had no idea the gift of the gab extended so far and wide!

  • http://twitter.com/patcarrolltouch Pat Carroll

    Indeed, Marie. There are lots of Irish Business Networks out there alright. It is somewhat heartening to see some great collaboration now beginning to happen between some of them. Let’s get over our ‘silo’ mentality , in these economically challenging times, collaboration is the way forward.

  • Mike Hannon

    I am involved in introducing Irish NGOs to the power of the diaspora and I could not agree more about the enormous potential of social networking. But it also demands conversion to face to face networking if it is to work to it’s full potential. It is this environment that the Irish really shine – ‘look in my eyes, hold my hand and I am sure I can help’.

  • Christina Giliberti

    The Irish are taking over the world! haha
    Well that explains why Luton had a string of Irish pubs (plus that’s where I picked up my own green-eyed lad) so yes, you can see how far the Irish have traveled and integrated into many societies.

    I also think that the people here should be a applauded for keeping the culture so strong, despite blending into another culture. I did much the same growing up and it keeps what really matters in teh forefront of your mind.

  • John Twohig

    Great first post Pat, welcome to TYB may this be the first of many.

  • Shane

    Good post, Pat. But as an Irish person from Northern Ireland, I can’t help feeling neglected – you don’t include us in your “small island of just 4 million souls”, or in your Irish people in the UK figure. :(

  • http://www.ourworldofinteriors.com/bunk-beds.php bunk beds

    I could not accede added about the astronomic abeyance of amusing
    networking. But it as well demands about-face to face to face networking
    if it is to plan to it’s abounding potential. It is this ambiance that
    the Irish absolutely shine

  • http://twitter.com/patcarrolltouch Pat Carroll

    Thanks, Shane. You are absolutely right. I stand corrected – I should have referred to ’6 millions souls’. 

  • http://twitter.com/its_tipping Colin Sheehan

    I know it’s mentioned above, but the Irish Business Network in Germany is a really powerful tool – we’ve made (& are continuing to make) lots of changes over the past few months to make sure we stay relevant to our members in whatever part of Germany they may find themselves! You can check us out on: www.irishbusinessnetwork.de and don’t forget our LinkedIn page! We also have a sister organisation in Switzerland & you can check them out at 
    http://www.irishbusinessnetwork.ch!

  • Charlie

    This is a great post Pat, and even though I have heard of most it is great to see them all together in a list like this. This is exactly why I think it is time for Ireland to look to collaborate more with networks, like you have outlined. Well done and talk soon.

  • Joseph Oni

    Thanks, Sian!

    I’ll be contributing my second post soon :)

  • http://billionsuccess.com/ Herby

    Hi Joseph, You know I always love to read post like this because whenever I do, I learn about new tools that I had no Idea existed. – makes ruining a business a whole lot easier. Thanks for sharing.

  • http://twitter.com/SMARTSocMed SMART Soc Med Mgmnt

    This is great! I had heard of KISSMetric but the others are new. I think I might want to check out Easy Webcontent! Thanks so much for sharing.

  • http://www.facebook.com/connor.keppel Connor Keppel

    Thanks so much Noel. Much appreciated re: the clarification. As mentioned, although there may be no virus to date and while malware may be very rare, I would hate to think that I or indeed a reader would be that drop in the ocean. Great advice. I would still advocate getting Sophos. It’s free so what harm. Thanks a mill for reading and Happy New Year :-)

  • http://www.facebook.com/connor.keppel Connor Keppel

    Much appreciated. I have two more on the way so stay tuned. Happy New Year

  • http://www.thesmarttrain.com/ Elaine Rogers

    Nicely explained, and often a touchy subject – especially with smaller firms – who foots certain bills, and how much “personal” usage is allowed?
    I think the debate (and the fears) will stretch into 2013 – education will lesson fears, but I expect it will be one of those – learn as we go – kind of business goals.

    Great post Nishadha, thanks!

  • http://www.connorkeppel.com Connor Keppel

    Really good idea Helen in terms of how items can ‘make the cut’ for Evernote. Glad you like it and thanks for sharing.

  • http://twitter.com/NikolaiTrigoub Nikolai

    I’m an android user,but here’s a few apps you should look into. I’m sure there is a iOS equivalent for all of these.

    Prey – Free security app for finding and tracking your phone

    Pomodriodo – Nice productivity apps for the Pomodoro method

    Sleep as android – Tracks your circadian rhythm while you sleep,and wakes you up when you’re not in deep sleep so you don’t end up feeling groggy

    Aldiko – turns your smart phone into a e book reader

    Mighttext- Not really an apps so much as a chrome add on,but it lets you see texts coming in and reply from your computer

  • http://www.connorkeppel.com Connor Keppel

    Many thanks for reading the post. Great to hear. When your own system is up and running let me know. You’ll catch me on Twitter: @Con_Keppel

  • http://www.connorkeppel.com Connor Keppel

    Hi Nik.

    Thanks for reading. Some great ideas there. ‘Prey’ – we have iCloud which tracks your phone. Comes as standard (thank God – lost too many phones to date).

    Mighttext sounds great. Will definitely try it out.

    Chat soon
    Connor

  • http://www.connorkeppel.com Connor Keppel

    Hi Aoife,

    I think another point worth stating is trying an application like Rafflecopter uses Facebook to get people to your site to enter a comp using a simple application. It’s also very ‘social’ and clever in that it gets new visitors to your site while building the reach of your social network. Great post and thanks for sharing with us.

    Connor

  • beatricewhelan

    Great post Aoife. I see so many pages running like and share competitions, so many of them get away with it. It would be great if Facebook came down on this a bit more. As you point out, with the free apps it is quite easy to run a competition according to the rules.

  • http://www.thesmarttrain.com/ Elaine Rogers

    Great clarifying post Aoife.
    I agree goals are of utmost importance, and that “normal” content should appear “as normal” also – not every fan is interested in the competition!
    Thanks for sharing great tips and highlighting the apps.

  • Tirrell Payton

    Thanks Bengii!

  • http://twitter.com/bengii bengii

    Welcome! Question: your advice to your earlier self was related to stamina – the need to plan for a marathon not a sprint. Do you have advice for folks who have given it (close to) everything and are wondering if they have really made a mistake, to cut their losses?

  • http://about.me/Lindeskog lyceum1776

    Is Kaliki available in Europe?

  • http://tweakyourbiz.com/ Niall Devitt

    I use Dropbox and find it super so thanks for introducing me to SugarSync, I’ll definitely be checking out. Also a big fan of mind mapping, it’s a great way to organize your thoughts.

  • http://twitter.com/bengii bengii

    I was/am happy with Dropbox, but that 2Gb limit is getting VERY close…….thanks for the heads-up!

  • http://billionsuccess.com/ Herby

    Hi Karol,
    I use Dropbox all the time its one of my favorite app. but just as you mention it only gives 2GB Free storage. Thanks for the info I never heard of Sugar Sync so I will check it out thanks.

  • http://twitter.com/roygrubb Roy Grubb

    You mentioned Freemind … I wonder if you’ve tried Freeplane? It is a fork of FreeMind by one of its original developers. IMO it is more usable, has more functionality, and a faster development cycle.

    But Xmind is better still and is also free. They have a Pro version, but the free version is already very capable. I have MindManager, iMindMap and have tried many others but Xmind is my go to s/w for 2D mind maps most of the time.

  • http://rumblinglankan.com Nishadha Silva

    Hi Dawn, Some really interesting points. I think awareness is a big issue here. Sometimes users don’t realize they are mistakenly sharing data with the public. I work for SaaS software company that enables people to draw diagrams. Sometimes we find very sensitive data stored in public diagrams ( network information, contact numbers etc. ) . Almost 90% of these are because of lack of awareness.

  • Donncha Hughes

    Eric. Is this too extreme? I have over 50 accounts with passwords and usernames at last count. I formulate passwords as you suggest and have variations of about five different passwords. I use a laptop, mobile and iPad. If I turn off remember password, how am I supposed to remember all these passwords across my devices.

  • http://www.i-want-to-know-marketing.com Paul Profitt

    Remembering passwords are a bitch,I have so many that I’ve lost count. I use Robo-Form everywhere to save all of my passwords, and I have also got my passwords written down in 2 note books

  • Donncha Hughes

    Paul – Robo-Form looks good (watched the video animation which was very good). My ‘system’ is to record all password in a password protected Excel sheet that is available on my cloud and therefore accessible on all devices. I also use a Master Password on Mozilla Firefox which I have to enter when I open my internet browser. It means that all my passwords and usernames are remembered by the browser. Recently I set up the Firefox Sync feature so that all passwords are automatically pulled across to my browser on my android phone also (but not the iPad). I suppose I am favouring accessibility over security but I think this solution works as security is not compromised.

  • http://about.me/Lindeskog lyceum1776

    Marcel Rivera: Do you have examples of workflow management software? Have you tested WorkFlowy?

  • http://twitter.com/simondbell Simon Bell

    Thanks for the opportunity to speak about this Sian!

    @Niall For me one of the big advantages that cloud gives accountants is actually the ability it gives them to grow their business outside of their local business environment. Collaborating with clients online really means that it becomes less important where the accountant’s office is in relation to their clients office / shop / van / spare room! Yet they can still maintain really effective working relationships.

  • http://www.ahaingroup.com/ Sian Phillips

    You’re welcome. Thank you for doing the interview and providing such indepth info on the product

  • http://www.connorkeppel.com Connor Keppel

    Sure is Niall. Are you a Mac man yourself?

  • Easy Anderson

    You missed the biggest one which is Dwolla.com. You really might want to
    check that one out. Here is an interview I did with them a while
    back. There is no fees on transactions under $10 and only 25 cents on
    transactions over $10. No one can beat that.

    http://www.easyanderson.com/dwolla-an-interview-with-the-credit-card-killer/

    Cheers,
    Andrew

  • http://about.me/Lindeskog lyceum1776

    For the record: Paypal is NOT a monopoly. It is only be a monopoly if the State is trying to run a business, or is regulating the economy. According to my view, PayPal started out as an alternative to the regular banks, for money transactions. A monopoly is not the same as a strong market position.

  • http://about.me/Lindeskog lyceum1776

    You are welcome Joseph! :)

  • Sian Phillips

    Thanks for the clarification of a monopoly Lyceum – the word was just a description of Paypal being the most powerful and well known in the market

  • http://www.biz2credit.com/ william james

    Time is the most priceless thing. Specially in business you have maintain lots of things together. With the help of online payment business owners can save their time.

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