Terrific tales of the Irish in Latin America

The map of Latin America in general would look rather different without Irish people

The battle of Churubusco in August 1847, where the San Patricios were overrun by numerically superior US forces

History, Paisanos: The Forgotten Story Of The Irish Who Changed The Face Of Latin America, By Tim Fanning, Gill, €30.55

I remember being transfixed, more than 20 years ago, by the presence of a red-haired, ruddy-cheeked Argentinian player by the name of Carlos MacAllister in my Panini sticker album for the 1994 World Cup. He ultimately failed to make the Argentina squad in the end (and, sadly, the rumours of an Ireland call-up ...