Why are so many Americans moving to Ireland? |
Migration reversal: Why more Americans are now moving to Ireland
In a historic reversal, the number of Americans moving to Ireland last year was higher than the number of Irish people migrating to the US. Was this just a blip or the start of a more profound trend?
Michael Sable is an American stand-up comedian and communications manager who moved from Washington DC to Dublin in 2016.
Sable, who draws on his experience of being an American living in the Republic of Ireland in his stand-up routine, says that, when he first arrived, many Irish people he met were surprised he'd made the move, but now they don't question it.
"I've noticed that, as the years go on, people have been less and less incredulous when hearing that an American moved to Ireland," he says.
Sable is one of a rising number of people who have moved to Ireland from the US, with the latest data showing the figure nearly doubling from 4,900 to 9,600 between 2024 and 2025, exceeding the number of Irish people headed in the opposite direction.
It comes as the US saw more people leave than arrive last year, according to a report from US think tank the Brookings Institution. It said this was the first time that this had been the case "in at least half a century".
The think tank highlighted "dramatic changes in immigration policy" under the second administration of President Trump, including more removals of undocumented foreign workers, and the White House "all but suspend[ing]" the US programme for accepting refugees.
Separately, more American citizens are choosing to move abroad than ever before, says the Wall Street Journal. It calculated that "at least 180,000 Americans" voluntarily left the US in 2025, which it said was a record high.
The reversal in the flow of migration between Ireland and the US marks a historic turning point in the shared history of the two countries, which have deep-rooted ties.
For centuries, millions of Irish people emigrated to the US in search of work or a better life, making Irish Americans one of the country's largest ethnic groups. There have been several US presidents with Irish ancestry, including John F Kennedy and Joe Biden, whose visits to Ireland were celebrated more like homecomings than diplomatic missions.
Irish writer Colm Tóibín has frequently explored the relationship between Ireland and the US in his work, particularly in his novels, Brooklyn and Long Island, which follow the story of an Irish girl who emigrates to America in the 1950s.
Tóibín, who lives in the US, says the relationship between the US and Ireland has changed. "A myth was created that America was a great place of opportunity and wealth," he says. "It was built into the [Irish] culture that if there's any trouble, you go to England, if there's any ambition or spark you go to America."
"The flow of young people [from Ireland to the US] looking for work just hasn't continued. So, that is going to be a big change in the future, because you're not going to get the same easy connection between Ireland and America," he adds.
The trend partly reflects political shifts in both countries. As well as developing into a high-tech, export-driven knowledge economy, Ireland has undergone a social transformation in recent decades, moving from a deeply conservative society to a liberal, progressive nation, following referendums on........