Irish Chileans
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Regions with significant populations | |
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Chile | |
Languages | |
Chilean Spanish, English, Irish | |
Religion | |
Roman Catholicism, Presbyterianism, Anglicanism | |
Related ethnic groups | |
Irish people, Irish Americans, Irish Canadians, Scottish people, Scottish Chileans. |
Part of a series of articles on |
Irish Latin-Americans |
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Irish Chileans (in Spanish: Irlandés-chileno or Hibernochileno, Irish: Gael-Sileánach) are the inhabitants of Chile who either came from some part of the island of Ireland or are descendants of immigrants from there. Generally coming in the 18th century and early 19th century, the generally Catholic Irish were seeking refuge from the oppression of the Protestant-run government of the Kingdom of Great Britain). Spain being a Catholic power, many Irish moved to Latin America. Immigration reduced later in the 19th century as Catholic Emancipation made emigration to a Catholic nation less of a vital consideration and as the United States and Canada established themselves as more viable lands for settlement.
A large proportion of Irish Chileans are sheep farmers in the Magallanes region of the far south of the country, and the city of Punta Arenas has a large Irish foundation dating back to the 18th century.
The most notable Irish Chilean, Bernardo O'Higgins is often referred to as the "Father of Chile", and is commemorated in many places in Chile.
Notable Irish Chileans
- Patricio Aylwin Christian Democrat politician, senator, first President of Chile after the end of Augusto Pinochet's regime
- Paz Bascuñán Aylwin actress
- Alberto Blest Gana writer
- Carlos Condell Naval officer
- Pedro Dartnell Chilean Army Inspector General
- Patricio Lynch Admiral of the Chilean Navy
- Juan Mackenna General, Chilean patriot
- Harold Mayne-Nicholls, Journalist and president of the National Professional Football Association (ANFP)
- Bernardo O'Higgins Supreme Director of Chile, Father of the Chilean Nation
- Sandra O'Ryan actress
- María José Urzúa O'Ryan actress
- Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna politician, writer (Irish grandmother)