The Irish from Spain

[explorator]

Probably, those who read this forums, from the United States or from the U.K. or even from Ireland, will be surprised when they know that a viceroy of Peru during the Spanish government period, was named O'Higgins and had been born in Ireland. Probably, the people from Irish origin in the United States ignore, the very special relationship between Spain and Ireland along the History and I was here sat in front of my PC thinking that that's a pity. So I decided to make some questions to the people who read this forums, here they are:

DID YOU KNOW THAT:
During the period from 1602 to 1608, 150.000 Irish people, most of them soldiers, exiled from their own country after the Kinsale Battle, arrived to Spain eager to prepare a new opportunity to fight for their religion and their fatherland? In fact, it was the biggest immigration wave in my country until the present day, when people from Eastern Europe, Africa and America have increased our population in more than five million inhabitants in a time of hardly fifteen years, but this is a different story.
AND DID YOU KNOW:
The Irish people arrived to Spain had a very singular condition. They alleged being heirs of the ancient Milesians , a Gaul tribe who had sailed to Ireland from the Iberian Peninsula before the arrival of the Romans. This detail allowed them to apply for the advantage of being considered Spaniards . A benefit that King Felipe III granted to them. This fact along with their fervent Catholicism, opened the Irish the doors of all the positions at the Spanish civil, religious and military administration in Europe, America and Philippines?
DID YOU ALSO KNOW THAT:
A very remarkable consequence of this, was the Irish soldiers were the only ones who were enlisted in the "Tercios", in spite of not being born in a Spanish territory. The "tercios" were the most elitist and prestigious military units at the Hapsburg Empire, and being part of them was at the same time a challenge and a privilege reserved only to the Spaniards?
DO YOU KNOW THAT:
During the following centuries, some names from Irish origin become well known by the Spanish society, we can mention O'Higgins, Kindelán, O'Donell or O'Shea… as some Irish-Spanish names, who played (or still play nowadays)central roles at the Spanish government and society?

[poli]

Mucha gente tampoco saben que en el norte de España se toca las gaitas. Bernardo O'Higgins fue el libertador de Chile. Conocía y trabajaba con Simón Bolívar.

[explorator]

Probablemente, Bernardo O'Higgins será más conocido en Chile, puesto que fue uno de los líderes de su independencia, de hecho fue el hijo del mencionado virrey del Perú Ambrosio O'Higgins.

[poli]

No sé si es coincidencia pero Colon Farrell parece español.

[explorator]

Existen muchas leyendas a propósito de irlandeses de ascendencia hispana, la más conocida de las cuales es la de los "Black Irish", en la que la descripción de los mismos responde más a estereotipos que a la realidad. En la actualidad, los estudios genéticos, han mostrado sorprendentes resultados, que vinculan a la población tanto de Irlanda como de Gran Bretaña, con ciertas poblaciones del norte de España y también de Castilla. Lo más probable parece ser que efectivamente ciertos grupos de población celta de la Península Ibérica se hubiesen trasladado a las islas británicas en tiempos antiguos anteriores a la llegada de Roma, no obstante, además de éstos, también otros pueblos procedentes de Escandinavia, Centroeuropa o la misma Roma alcanzaron la isla, dando lugar a la actual composición étnica de británicos e irlandeses.

[poli]

Éamon de Valera was the Republic of Ireland's first prime minister. He was born in NYC.

[explorator]

Yes, his mother was Irish and his father was Cuban. Anyway as he had been born before 1898, we can say that he was also Spanish. In fact I read somewhere that his numerous english enemies called him the "Spanish potato".

As a parallel story I'd like to say that first from 1858 to 1863 and then from 1865 to 1867, Spain had a prime minister from undeniable Irish origins: General Leopoldo O'Donell, Duque of Tetuan, Count of Lucena and Vicecount of Aliaga, was a descendent of Red Hug O'Donell, son of the Tyrconell chieftain Calvagh O'Donell, who was the first member of the clan a arrived to Spain after the battle of Kinsale.

About Red Hug O'Donell, it's said that the first thing he did after his arrival to Spain was going to visit the so called nowadays "Torre de Hercules", to honor the old legend who explains that from that tower, the sons of the Celtic King Mile, saw for the first time a distant light indicating them the existence of Ireland.

[poli]

An Irish Spanish hybrid:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...electedIndex=2

[explorator]

Yes, she is an Irish-Spanish Hybrid! Margarita Cansino Hayworth would have been her name in Spain. I bet not many people in United States Knows this red-haired Hollywood legend had Spanish origins!

[poli]

Originally Posted by explorator

Yes, she is an Irish-Spanish Hybrid! Margarita Cansino Hayworth would have been her name in Spain. I bet not many people in United States know this red-haired Hollywood legend had Spanish origins!

La gente aficcionada del cine hollywoodense del siglo 20 la conoce. Otra gente no la conoces aunque vale la pena conocer sus películas. Muchas veces hacía papeles de hispanas or irlandandas y bailaba con influencia flamenca gracias a su papá.

[explorator]

What about Martin Sheen? His actual name is Ramón Estevez, and his father was from Galicia (the most Celtic place in Spain), while her mother was from Ireland. The political journalists in Spain constantly express their admiration for his acting in "The West Wing" tv series (I think he's probabli the actor the most times has played the role of the President of the United States).
Sometimes ago I saw him in a talk show at the Spanish television and he did not dare to say a word in Spanish. He came here with his son Emilio Estevez. They said they were considering the possibility of making a film about bullfighting, fortunately they didn't, it is a very complex issue, and even in Spain not many people properly understand it. Any way, a couple of years ago, I Knew Martin Sheen has been directed by his son Emilio in a film about the Santiago's Way, "The Way", wich has had very good reviews. This is a better theme, and I think it is an excelent homage to his galician origins.