How Irish Was the Revolutionary Che Guevara?

Ernesto 'Che' Guevara was born on 14 June, 1928Algiers, on 24 February, he made what turned
in Rosario, Argentina, the eldest of five childrenout to be his last public appearance on the
into a family of Spanish, Basque and Irish descent.international stage when he delivered a speech at
His father Ernesto Guevera Lynch said of his son,an economic seminar on Afro-Asian solidarity.
that his veins flowed with the blood of Irish rebels.Guevara was accompanied by another
His great-grandfather, Patrick Lynch allegedly leftrevolutionary Dr. Osmani Cienfuegos, the Cuban
Galway, Ireland during the devastating famine inMinister for Construction along with some other
the 1840's. The name Lynch is one of the mostminor government officials.
common surnames in Ireland. The origin of theAn Irish journalist named Alan Quinlan, working on
name comes from the Norman, de Lench, theya tip-off went to meet Che at Shannon airport.
established themselves in Galway becoming oneUpon first meeting him, the Commadante
of the fourteen tribes that dominated the city.pretended that he did not speak English, however
Dr. Che Guevara arrived at Shannon Airport onQuinlan coaxed him into speaking with him.
Saturday, 13 March 1965. He was onboard aGuevara remained tight-lipped about anything got
Cuban Airlines Britannia aircraft which hadto do with politics, but he did speak about his Irish
encountered mechanical difficulties during theirconnections and the name Lynch. Later that day
flight from Prague, Czechoslovakia (present dayhe went into Limerick City, going to Hanratty's
Czech Republic) to Havana in Cuba. He washotel on Glenworth St. He left Ireland the following
returning to Cuba after a three month tour, thatday after the plane had been repaired, returning
had included China, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Mali,to Havana on 14 March 1965.
Dahomey, Congo-Brazzaville and Tanzania. In