Point is, Kevin, that since about 40% of Americans feel kinship with Ireland, they are likely to treat the Irish with respect and possibly affection.   And this is noticed.    Perhaps noted with tolerant amusement, but that's better than feeling exploited, which is evidently how at least some Irish felt about "the Germans". You live neither in the US nor in Ireland. I at least have some concept of the American attitude toward the irish--romanticized or not. And long memories are involved here, as any Englishman should know.    We still have evidence of it here on Mudcat--and of course friction between Britons and Irishmen is not in fact a distant memory.

And who knows, perhaps the investment of US tech firms in Ireland plays a role here--as opposed to what is perceived--rightly or wrongly-- as manipulation of the Irish banking system, in which it seems UK banks were heavily involved. Were US banks involved also? Probably, but due to the different histories of the countries involved, the reaction may be different.