Around 1000 BC The Phoenicians the ancestors of today’s Lebanese were trading and bringing valuable goods to the Pharos and the Greeks roaming between Phoenician colonies around the Mediterranean .Tin mixed with copper was sought after for making Bronze . Tin was found mainly in the region of Marseilles. It may have become increasingly difficult for the Phoenicians to comply with demands on this commodity that they sourced it out beyond Gibraltar or the Columns of Hercules and in particular from Cornwall , Ushnagh County Westmeath in Ireland and probably as far as Scotland. It is surprising to find that the Celtic God Bél was celebrated in Bonfires and offerings similar to the ones offered by the Phoenicians to the God Baal on the same period ,in the same way.(The influence of the Phoenicians have been surveyed by Joep Leerssen, Mere Irish and Fior-Ghael: Studies in the Idea of Irish Nationality).
It was until 1720 -1743 that Robert Wood and Bishop Pocoke visited Lebanon and wrote books about their experience describing the beauty of the Cedars and the Majestic Columns of Baalbeck that the correlation between the two countries emerged again. The Manor House in Adare County Limerick is home of the oldest Cedar of Lebanon in Ireland.(estimated age of 300 years).
In 1840-1846 Sir Michael Wood ,an Irishman visited Mount Lebanon lobbying the Maronites to fight the Ottomans in his capacity of Vice Consul of Britain and being a Catholic himself.
Later Missionaries from Ireland had footprints on shaping relations between Lebanon and Ireland from the late 1800. Almost at the same time the first Lebanese Emigrants to America shared with the Irish values that were dear to their heart.Many examples of intermarriages in Manhattan,New York,Boston and all of New England.
In 1912 misfortune struck both the Lebanese and Irish on board of the Titanic .Their last port of call was the port of Cobh ,County Cork in Ireland. 300 Lebanese were on board only 97 were accounted for.
Around the year 1926 Gibran Khalil Gibran draws the portrait of W.B.Yeats that is currently in Gibran Museum in Bechare Lebanon (‘’Portrait of a poet’’ was the painting known as before being identified as the portrait of W.B Yeats) .
In or around 1936 The First Lebanese Emigrant arrives in Ireland coming from Sierra Leone. Irish Missionaries in Africa had been teaching Children of locals and Lebanese Emigrants who in order to pursue higher education had arranged for them to study in Ireland. Many families had followed from Sierra Leone the Zeidan,Abboud,Saab,Michael,Yazbeck,Gemayel,Couzy families and others.
In 1946 Sir Desmond Cochrane marries Lady Yvonne Sursock and settles in Lebanon.
He was Honourary Consul of Ireland in Syria and Lebanon and died in 1979.
On the 11th of June 1958 and following unrst in Lebanon due to the re election of President Chamoun the UN passed a resolution to survey the infiltration of arms and ammunitions across the Syrian border.In response Ireland dispatched 5 Officers to UNOGIL which inaugurated Ireland’s UN Peacekeeping role and many other involvements through UNTSO and later UNIFIL that extended from 1978 till 2001.And from 2006 till November 2007.In fact the demarcation line known as the Blueline was supervised by Ireland’s Lt General Srinan in 2000.
In 1960 Professor Suheil Bushrui became a founding member of the First International Yeats Summer School.He wrote many books about Ireland and Irish literature.
Today the estimated number of Lebanese living in Ireland is around 400 while the number of Irish living in Lebanon has decreased due to political unrest but is estimated to be around 45.Yet the greater number of Irish Lebanese remains beyond the boundries of the two Countries. Thousands of Irish Lebanese live in Australia , the US and Canada .
In recent years Senator George Mitchell of Irish Lebanese decent had a pivotal role in securing the Good Friday agreement the road map to permanent Peace in Ireland.in November 2001 the Irish Lebanese Cultural Foundation is born and bears a huge responsibility to continue the work of many giants the members of the Irish Defence Forces true Ambassadors of Peace , W.B Yeats , Gibran Khalil Gibran, George Mitchell ,and Suheil Bushrui .
Compiled by G.J
Re edited on the 27th of July 2008
