Conference tallis::celt

113.0. "SPAIN AND THE IRISH" by FNYFS::AUNGIER (Rene El Gringo sin casa, Irish Rebel) Wed Dec 31 1986 03:50

    		SPAIN AND THE IRISH CONNECTION
    		==============================
    
    Any body interested in Spanish or Hispanic history and the
    Irish connection.
    
    The Irish have for centuries played a large part in Spanish
    and South American history.
    
    One of the players of the Argentian football team during the
    last world cup and who now plays for the French club Brest
    has a surname Brown. Many Irish people should remember the name
    of Christy Moore who wrote a song during the war between the Brits
    and the Argentinains over the Islas Malvinas about an Admiral Brown.
    
    Admiral Brown lead the Argentinain navy (I cannot remember the year)
    to defeat the Brazilians. He came from Mayo. 
    
    Another Irishman as far as I can remember was the founder of Peru
    (Correct me if I am wrong in the country) Alfonso O'Higgins.
    
    
   Before the Spanish civil war the Republican government had as a leader
   a man called O'Donnell. There is a street and tube station in Madrid
   called O'Donnell.
    
   In the battle close to Madrid for control of the main highway from
   Calicia in the north of Spain (Escorial) many Irish fought particurlarly
   for the republicans. I have seen some of the old trenches which still
   remain from the 30's. Close by many Irish lost their lives as prisoners
   of Franco. The place is called "Valle De Los Caidos" meaning "Valley
   of the fallen". Franco build a massive basilica in the mountain and
   used the republican prisioners to do it.
    
    
   The previous minister of foreign affairs Fernando Moran is of Irish
   origin some wher along the line. The name is from county Kerry.
   The name Gilmartin is a popular Spanish surname and it origin is from 
   the Irish word 'Giolla Martin' which means as far as memory serves me 
   "The slave of Martin"   

   2 years ago a famous (Famous in Spain) Irish John Gibson who has
   written many books about the Spanish civil war and Spanish society
   was awarded Spanish nationality (This is a great honour to be awarded
   nationality, as you can count on 2 hands the number of foreigners
   who have been honoured in this way) for his great contribution to
   Spanish literature and Spanish understanding of their own Civil War.
    
    
   Adios, Hasta pronto
    
   Rene Aungier
    
   

    Re: .0
    
    I think Higgins of Peru was one of the first generals in their army.
    
    The fellow Brown who played fullback with the Argentinian team had
    a grandfather from Mayo.

    Another country which had much Irish involvement was Portugal. 
    Many Irish founded Catholic schools and convents in and around Lisbon,
    one of which still exists today (although the name escapes me).
    Cork and Galway were big trading ports with Portugal, Spain, etc.
    
    Regards,
    George