Ireland–Latin America relations
Fewer migrants came to Latin America from Ireland than from other English-speaking countries, and they were also relatively less stably established in the region; even in Argentina, the main destination they went to, half went on to re-emigrate.[3] Most of these migrants came before the high levels of European migration to the Americas that occurred at the turn of the 20th century.[4] One particular source of Irish migrants to Spanish America was Spain, which many of them had originally settled in due to religious persecution.[5] The shared Catholic heritage of the Irish and Latin Americans combined with the conflicting nature of the Irish diaspora as participating in Spanish colonialism and helping to impose Christianity, yet also participating in local independence movements and introducing religious and intellectual changes that led to emancipatory movements.[8] Historically, Irish migrants played a significant role in introducing sports like hurling to countries like Argentina.