I have been to Ireland three times.

The first time was in May 2007 when my wife's employer held their annual expo which results in trip being awarded to customers, vendors and employees. That year the trip was to Ireland. Killarney to be exact. Though the trip is only for two, her manager said we could bring sons Patrick and Brenden as long as we paid their way (flights and larger hotel room). I was able to finagle an interview at Boston Scientific in Galway during the trip. We would have moved in a heartbeat had I gotten the job.+

While in Killarney we drove out to Dingle and over to Cork and stopped at the Béal na Bláth memorial where Michael Collins died.

July 4th week in 2007 I had another interview in Tipperary at an oil filter making company- that was a solo trip for only three days. Didn't get that job either.

My wife and I went to Dublin in 2016 for a week, to see the city during the centennary of the Proclamation of the Republic. We flew in on a Saturday, rented a car for one day so we could drive out to Clongowes Wood College for a 5K running race after which we returned the car for the week. Our last full day we rented a car again and drove up to Northern Ireland to check out castles and other sights, keeping the car to get to the airport the next morning. Great trip.

I am fifth generation- John-John-Bernard-Bernard-Me. The first John would have been born very shortly before the famine and survived to make the trip to the USA in 1864, finding work in a New York Union Army stable during the American Civil War. He married in New York then moved to norther Michigan near Ludington.

Unfortunately, as a fifth generation, rather than third, I don't have the opportunity to apply for an Irish Passport.