Interviewed in Jamaica and covered in New York and South Africa
15:20, 14 Mar 2026Updated 18:58, 14 Mar 2026
Some of the “overwhelming” coverage Deputy Gould has received in the last few weeks – from the Caribbean to New York and South Africa
Sinn Féin’s Thomas Gould often makes national headlines for his fiery pronouncements in the Dáíl. But this month it wasn’t what he was saying that caught people’s attention – it was his distinct northside accent that landed him on the global stage.
Last month, a speech by the Cork TD was shared by a popular Jamaican on X. The user commented on how strangely similar his pure Cork tone is to their own Jamaican one, writing: “If you nuh careful u think a Anju him a cuss. This is an Irish Politician Thomas Gould. The influence the Irish has on the Jamaican accent is uncanny lol”
The post was spotted by a handful of social media users including Blindboy – and the team here at CorkBeo. We got in touch with Deputy Gould, who was very surprised to learn that his Leeside lingo had gone viral in the Caribbean. After our initial story on the matter, Deputy Gould’s profile exploded – resulting in worldwide coverage from ITV, the Guardian, and even outlets in Jamaica.
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Usually speaking to journalists closer to home, Thomas Gould was happy to hop on a call and chat to reporters at the Jamaica Observer. He told them he was “overwhelmed” by the attention he’d received, and that he has recently been learning more about the migration of indentured Irish servants to the Caribbean region.
Deputy Gould added that he felt loved and appreciated the pleasant comments he had received – and that “we are all friends.”
The story has even travelled as far as South Africa, with The South African picking it up and describing the TD as “somewhat of a celebrity in Jamaica.” Elsewhere, his passionate Dáíl speech on housing was shared by the New York Post.
The Jamaica Observer – and ITV
Those with an interest in the Irish diaspora will already be aware of Montserrat, the volcanic island in the West Indies where the local population carries a distinctly West Cork accent as a result of migration dating back as far as the 1600s. Known as the ‘Emerald Island of the West Indies’, Montserrat – which even has its own Kinsale – was the subject of a well-known TG4 report from 1976.
Linguists and historians have even chipped in as a result of Deputy Gould’s viral moment, exploring the apparent links between the Irish voice and Jamaican Patwa. Hubert Devonish, professor emeritus of linguistics at the University of the West Indies, told the Guardian that both Ireland and “the English Caribbean” were largely settled by people from south-west and western England – which is where shared vowel pronunciations may have originated.
Newstalk and the Guardian
Deputy Gould told Cork Beo: “I have a really strong Cork accent and I’m very proud of that, I think it’s the best accent in the world and I know the Jamaicans are very proud of their accent as well. It shows the power of social media and if it’s making people look into the ties between the two countries then that’s great because so many of these things are lost to history.
“I was a big fan of Bob Marley growing up but I don’t sing as well as him. I won’t be releasing the best of Bob Marley any time soon.”
Vocal similarities have been noticed before, with Irish stars Paul Mescal and Aisling Bea doing their best Cork impressions on Channel 4 to see if they really did sound Jamaican – and audiences were quick to agree they did.
It’s not the first time a speech by Deputy Gould has racked up millions of views. In 2024, the TD went viral after delivering a emotional speech on Gaza in the Dáíl, declaring “I hope Netanyahu burns in hell.”
