As millions of Americans marinate their meat and lay out their fireworks in preparation for Tuesday's annual July 4th celebrations, we spoke to some of the Americans living in Ireland about how they plan to celebrate America's independence day and how they feel about the political situation in their home country.
Rheagan Coffey, who moved to Ireland from Texas with her husband six years ago, celebrates the American holiday by cooking hamburgers and hot dogs for her three children. Coffey admits she often misses home on US holidays but says the bright, summer weather in July makes it easy to recreate the celebrations in Ireland.
“Celebrating the fourth of July in Texas, there was always some sort of family barbecue or picnic. Usually in the evening there would be fireworks and we’d go to park and have cake and ice cream.”
Time with family
She says the holiday, which for many is celebrating “what makes America great”, is more about spending time with her family. “For my Irish friends, I compare it to St Patrick’s Day. It’s a national holiday to celebrate America, just like St Patrick’s Day is about celebrating everything about Ireland.”
Unlike many Americans in Ireland, Coffey has no ancestral ties to the island and only moved after her husband had to relocate for work. Two of her children were born in the US, while the third was born in Ireland.
It seems very foreign and I don't quite comprehend how drastic the changes are
“We moved here when the oldest was three so they’ve basically grown up here. They’re really looking forward to the 4th of July and always ask if we’ll do something special. We’ll be bringing out a few children’s books to read for the day and I have the small American flags ready.”
Coffey says watching the political situation in her home country has been challenging, and she often feels very disconnected. “It seems very foreign and I don’t quite comprehend how drastic the changes are. I see how strong they come across on Twitter and social media and yet I don’t quite recognise the country that I’m seeing.”
Thanksgiving ‘most American’
Jonathan Kaufmann does not make a big effort to mark July 4th, saying he prefers to focus on celebrating Thanksgiving in November. "As far as American holidays go Thanksgiving is the biggest one and the most American. Every country has its independence day, whereas not every country has Thanksgiving. Also, coming from northern California, flag waving isn't as big a deal."
Kaufmann, who left the US in 2008, distinctly remembers the smell of barbecues wafting through the California neighbourhood where he grew up as families gathered in their gardens to celebrate July 4th.
People look at you incredulously here and think, 'What on earth has happened over there?'
"As an expat abroad, the fourth of July wouldn't even occur to me because I don't have the day off. There have been fourth of Julys where I've lived in Europe and if I hadn't been on the internet and seen friends on Facebook celebrating back home, I wouldn't have given it a second thought."
What does often cross Kaufmann’s mind is the lack of pride he has felt for his country since Donald Trump was elected president. “People look at you incredulously here and think, ‘What on earth has happened over there?’ To be honest, I have that same feeling.
“I definitely feel less inclined to be proud lately. I went through the experience of living in Europe during the Bush years and people forget that they were incredulous, shocked and horrified by what he was doing. Then we had eight years of Obama and people forgot.”
Ellen Baker and James Sweeney, who moved from New York to Dublin in 2015, agree that Thanksgiving is the most important American holiday. For more than 25 years, the couple would drive from their home outside New York City to Lake Ontario on the Canadian border to celebrate on the 4th of July with Baker's cousin.
Small rural community
“We were going there for many years,” says Baker. “It’s a very right-wing area of the country and a small rural community so the celebrations were very big there.”
“July 4th now pretty much passes by us without much thought,” says Sweeney. “As a holiday it’s become so divorced from its original meaning that it’s just a time for people to have a day off. I think Thanksgiving has more traction for us.”
Beatriz Beggs, who moved to Ireland in 2014 to be with her husband, says her Chilean-American family always celebrated July 4th with a barbecue and fireworks in the garden. However, like many Americans living in Ireland, she struggles to find the time to celebrate the holiday when it falls on a working day.
“There’s a Facebook group for Americans in Ireland with about 800 people and it’s always having events, but I haven’t had the chance to celebrate with them yet.”
Beggs's parents, who emigrated to the US from South America more than four decades ago, will be travelling to Chile this fourth of July rather than eating hamburgers and setting off fireworks. "My mum is actually worried about flying back to the US, she feels scared by what's on the news. They don't have anything to worry about but my mum is afraid of being targeted for speaking Spanish in public, or her accent.
Surreal to watch
“It’s surreal to watch what’s going on back home while I’m here with Keith, we’ve gotten married, we run our own business and we’re happy. I’m living what is stereotypically the American dream but I’m living it here in Ireland.”
Beggs says she and her husband, who are busy moving into their new home, will go for a pint in the local pub to mark July 4th. “I would love to do something more significant next year, but we have our own business here and are opening a new location. It’s a stressful and crazy time.”
