Cuban-Irish relations

Cuba	Ireland
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Cuba, Dublin	None (Accredited from Mexico)

Cuba–Ireland relations refers to the bilateral relations between Ireland and Cuba. Both countries are members of the United Nations.

Cuba and Ireland established diplomatic relations on 27 October 1999.^[1] Cuba opened their embassy in Dublin in 2001 while Ireland opened an honorary consulate in Cuba in 2002 but closed at an unknown date.

In 2019, Ireland and Cuba celebrated 20 years of relations.^[2]

• Cuba has an embassy in Dublin.
• Ireland's embassy in Mexico is accredited to Cuba.

In previous centuries, the Irish populated Latin America in search of new opportunities. As a natural destination within the continent, they arrived in Cuba, expanded their horizons, made their culture known, but most transcendently, left behind a family lineage.

They began a life from scratch on the largest of the Antilles and chose more than a few Cuban provinces. They settled in areas of Pinar del Río (which today belong to Artemisa), as well as in Havana, Holguín, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Camagüey, Santiago de Cuba, and in some places in Villa Clara.

"They did not go unnoticed," assures MSc. in History Dúnyer Pérez Roque, in a conference recently held at the Center for the Interpretation of Cuba-Europe Cultural Relations, the former Palacio del Segundo Cabo, on the occasion of the Celebration of St. Patrick's Day (patron saint of Ireland) in Havana.

"Many made their fortunes and came to hold titles of nobility," explains the researcher. "The Capitular Acts collect information on the presence of English sailors and other nationalities of the kingdom, from the 16th century. We infer that, as Ireland was part of England at that time, the sailors were Irish," he expressed.

Most are unaware of their Irish ancestry, that of important intellectuals like the O'Farrill family, Antonio Guiteras Holmes, or Julio Antonio Mella, to name just a few. Through their veins ran blood from the region known in antiquity as "the land of Éire," a word from which the current name of that nation comes. ^[3]

It is estimated that there are around 40,000 to 50,000 Cubans of Irish descent on the island.

The O'Farrill and O'Reilly Families: The Beginning of a New Era

The O'Farrills, of Irish origin, achieved fame and relevance during the colonial era. Two of its members, Rafael and José Ricardo O'Farrill, propelled the economic boom of Cuba in the sugar market, alongside other men of position. They were also linked to the Royal Patriotic Society of Havana and the Development Board.

For their part, the O'Reillys were not left behind as powerful and influential people in the capital. The patriarch of the family, Alejandro, went down in history as the first Count of O'Reilly, who also had a meritorious career as a Spanish military officer. In Havana, he left his mark by helping to create the militias for the defense of the city.

His legacy grows with the birth of his son, Pedro Pablo O'Reilly y de las Casas, who marries the daughter of Captain General Don Luis de las Casas. Hence his second surname. The main contribution of this figure was as a master of the Masonic Lodge, the historian specifies.

Ignacio Cervantes and Bonifacio Byrne are included in the list

Little is known about the Irish roots of Ignacio Cervantes, but they are as true as his works and genius for the piano. He is one of the authors who made the popular, a subject for art and Cuban identity.

As for Byrne, "the poet of the war," his father arrived in the 17th century in Matanzas to settle permanently in the Athens of Cuba.

His best-known work is the poem "Mi bandera" (My Flag), although he is also the author of the texts "Excéntricas" (1893), "Efigie," "Sonetos patrióticos" (1897), "Poemas" (1903), and "En medio del camino" (1914).

Mella and Guiteras: Of Irish Descent

The thought and work of the great student leader Julio Antonio Mella are studied. However, his origins are little remembered. His mother being of Irish descent, the young Julio Antonio wrote in the magazine Alma Mater, founded by him, under the pseudonym of Lord Mc Partland "thus strengthening his roots," Dúnyer stated in his presentation.

Another similar case was the Cuban politician Antonio Guiteras Holmes, born in Philadelphia, "in one of the Irish immigrant neighborhoods in the United States," he stated.

The young Guiteras grew up with his uncle's stories about the struggle in Ireland. For the teenager, it meant a first contact with the ideas of freedom and democracy that he would put into effect over the years.

Category:Cuban people of Irish descent

• Foreign relations of Cuba
• Foreign relations of Ireland