In The Irish Continent Michael Lynch explores the little-known Irish roots to be found all across South America. A short holiday turns into a seven-month extended stay as he digs deeper into this unexpected heritage. Along the way he almost gets caught up in a riot in Santiago, experiences a football match in Buenos Aires, takes a day-long trip across the desert from Asunción to Santa Cruz, and meets an elderly Argentinian woman who speaks with a curiously Irish accent. This entertaining travelogue, touching on an unsung part of Irish history, reveals a very personal connection to South America and looks at the continent through fresh eyes.
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. An entertaining travelogue which will appeal to anyone with an interest in South America or the Irish diaspora . Read about Che Guevara's Irish roots, the Argentine presidential candidate called Murphy, and the Paraguayan president who fathered 90 children out of wedlock
Michael Lynch was born and brought up in County Tipperary, Ireland. In his mid-twenties, he left to travel around Australia, but stopped off in London on the way and took a while to get any further (he has since made it to Australia, although London remains his base). Always interested in Irish history, his time living away from his home country resulted in an interest in the history of the Irish abroad. In 2011, in between I.T. contracts, Lynch decided on a two-month to visit South America. This turned into a seven-month trip, as he was bitten by the travel bug. While there , he uncovered links to Ireland previously unknown to him. This provided a theme for his journey and guided, intermittently, his direction of travel.
