LAST weekend saw St Patrick’s Day celebrated worldwide, particularly in America where 35 million US citizens claim Irish ancestry. For generations of people from the west, the choices were east to England or west to America and for Hollymount-born Peter McHugh, New York happened to be his port of call.

“I had a brother and two sisters there at the time and then I got a permanent visa. It was one of the very last ones given out in June 1967, there was no more of that type after that. It’s nearly impossible now to get a working visa, unless you’re a professional,” 82-year-old McHugh told The Irish Field.