WIrish culture in America is widespread though not especially visible as such except on Saint Patrick's Day, when, it is said, "Every American is Irish."
WB'hoy and g'hal were the prevailing slang words used to describe the young men and women of the rough-and-tumble working class culture of Lower Manhattan in the late 1840s and into the period of the American Civil War. They spoke a slang, with phrases such as "hi-hi", "lam him", and "cheese it".
WThe family of Joe Biden, the 46th and current president of the United States, is an American family, prominent in law, education, activism and politics. Biden's immediate family became the first family of the United States on his inauguration on January 20, 2021. The Biden family is of English, French and Irish descent.
WCeltic Family Magazine was a Los Angeles, California-based print and electronic publication, serving Celtic communities and their descendants around the world. Celtic Family Magazine published special features and articles on art, history, culture, entertainment, and lifestyle. Celtic Family Magazine was produced by A Raven Above Press and was distributed throughout North America and select areas of the United Kingdom.
WCinderella Man is a 2005 American biographical sports drama film directed by Ron Howard, titled after the nickname of world heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock and inspired by his life story. The film was produced by Howard, Penny Marshall, and Brian Grazer. Damon Runyon is credited for giving Braddock this nickname. Russell Crowe, Renée Zellweger and Paul Giamatti star.
WHarry Cunningham (1891–1938) was an early 20th century Irish-American activist. He held executive positions in several New York-based Irish-American cultural and political organizations, many of which were focused on mobilizing materiel support to the fight for an independent Irish republic. He was a close friend and confidant of John Devoy, long-time leader of the Clan-na-Gael organization, especially in Devoy’s later years as his health declined. Though active in many aspects of early 20th century New York Irish-American life, Cunningham is best known for saving John Holland’s Fenian Ram, the world’s first functioning submarine and symbol of Irish-American ingenuity, from destruction in 1927.
WThe Drovers are a Chicago-based rock band whose original songs are influenced by Irish traditional dance music.
WDuffy's Cut is the name given to a stretch of railroad tracks about 30 miles west of Philadelphia, United States, originally built for the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad in the summer and fall of 1832. The line later became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Main Line. Railroad contractor Philip Duffy hired 57 Irish immigrants to lay this line through the area's densely wooded hills and ravines. The workers came to Philadelphia from the Ulster counties of Donegal, Tyrone and Londonderry to work in Pennsylvania's nascent railroad industry. While their fates are unclear, a theory based on a record from a railroad archive suggests all 57 died of cholera during the second cholera pandemic. The remains of seven have been discovered at the site, and forensic evidence suggests that some may have been murdered, perhaps due to fear of contagion as the pandemic spanned several continents over many years. While this has become the most popular theory, a coroner who studied the bones believes the alleged bullet holes and injuries were actually due to natural decomposition and post-mortem damage.
WJames J. Egan, FAIA, was an Irish-American architect and fellow of the American Institute of Architects practicing in Chicago, Illinois. He was a partner of the Chicago architectural firms Armstrong & Egan, Egan & Kirkland and Egan & Prindeville, which gained prominence designing Roman Catholic structures.
WThe Emerald Society is an Irish American fraternal organization whose members come from Law Enforcement, Fire Service and Non-Uniform Civil Service Agencies. Each Emerald Society is separate and distinct from each other. The first Emerald Society NYPD Emerald Society was founded in 1953. The NYCD Emerald Society was founded in 1955 by James Mulvey. The FDNY Emerald Society was founded by Michael C. Donohue in New York City on March 17, 1956 to preserve the music, culture, language and traditions of Ireland, but primarily to protect Irish firefighters. The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) Emerald Society was founded in 1961. Emerald Societies are now found in most major U.S. cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, WI, Jersey City, NJ, District of Columbia, Boston, Chicago, San Jose, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Saint Paul, Colorado, Baltimore and Cincinnati. Federal law enforcement officers such as Special Agents and Customs and Border Protection officers and who are of Irish/Gaelic descent are eligible to join the Emerald Society of the Federal Law Enforcement Agencies.
WFishtown is a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Located immediately northeast of Center City, its borders are somewhat disputed today due to many factors, but are roughly defined by the triangle created by the Delaware River, Frankford Avenue, and York Street. Some newer residents expand the area to Lehigh Avenue, while some older residents shrink the area to Norris Street. It is served by the Market–Frankford Line rapid transit subway/elevated line of the SEPTA system. Fishtown was formerly a working class Irish Catholic neighborhood, it has recently seen a large influx of young urban professionals and gentrification.
WThe Flanagan Brothers were an Irish American band formed in the 1920s which consisted of brothers Michael, Joseph, and Louis Flanagan. Their choice of instruments and related skill gave them a unique sound, which led them to become one of the leading attractions in New York City's Irish dancehalls during the 1920s and 1930s. Subsequently, their phonograph records extended their popularity and fame to Ireland proper and into the homes of Irish emigrants throughout the world. They became a household name among Irish entertainers and were on par with the other great music ambassadors of the time, Michael Coleman and John McCormack.
WFlogging Molly is an Irish–American seven-piece Celtic punk band formed in Los Angeles in 1997. Led by Irish vocalist Dave King, formerly of the hard rock band Fastway. They are signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records.
WFour to the Bar was a "well loved and well respected" American band from New York City during the early to mid-1990s.
WThe Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, officially The Society of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland, is an American charitable and social organization for Irish-Americans founded in 1771.
WThe Congressional Friends of Ireland, or Friends of Ireland, is an organization in the United States Congress that was founded in 1981 by Irish-American politicians Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator Daniel Moynihan and House Speaker Tip O'Neill to support initiatives for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
WHavertown is a residential suburban unincorporated community in Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately 9 miles west of the center of Philadelphia. Havertown's ZIP Code is 19083 and "Havertown" is a postal address. The name "Havertown" does not appear until the advent of the ZIP Code in the early 1960s. Prior to the ZIP Code's introduction, each constituent community was known by its local name: Bon Air, Brookline, Penfield, Beechwood, Llanerch, Manoa, Oakmont, Coopertown, Ardmore. Under William Penn's land divisions these communities were part of the Welsh Tract and comprised the area known as Harford, a Welsh contraction of Haverford.
WHouse of Pain was an American hip-hop trio who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue a solo career. The group's name is a reference to the H. G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau, a reference carried further by the naming of their 2011 tour He Who Breaks the Law. The group is best known for its 1992 hit single "Jump Around", which reached number 3 in their native America, number 6 in Ireland and number 8 in the United Kingdom. The group broke up in 1996 but returned in 2010, after the trio had been members of supergroup La Coka Nostra for several years.
WThe Irish button accordion has been popular in the Irish music scene in the United States, evolving in parallel with the instrument's progress in Ireland. The players included Irish emigres, locally born Irish-Americans, and also Americans of no Irish descent who played Irish music. Initially the primary instrument was the 1-row 10-key melodeon, later expanding to two- and three-row instruments.
WIrish potato candy is a traditional Philadelphia confection. Despite its name, it is not from Ireland, and does not usually contain any potato. The candies have a coconut cream inside and are rolled in cinnamon on the outside, resulting in an appearance reminiscent of small potatoes. The treats are about the size of a large marble and are especially popular around St. Patrick's Day.
WIrish-American Heritage Month is celebrated by proclamation of the President and Congress in the United States to honor the achievements and contributions of Irish immigrants and their descendants living in the United States. It was first celebrated in 1991. The heritage month is in March to coincide with Saint Patrick's Day, the Irish national holiday on March 17. Heritage Months are usually proclaimed by nations to celebrate centuries of contributions by a group to a country.
W"Kathleen Mavourneen" is a song written in 1837, composed by Frederick Crouch with lyrics by a Mrs. Crawford. Crawford's name is variously cited as Annie, Julia, Louise Macartney, Louise Matilda Jane, or Marion; Crouch is also sometimes incorrectly cited as the author of the song's lyrics. It was popular during the American Civil War. "Mavourneen" is a term of endearment derived from the Irish Gaelic mo mhuirnín, meaning "my beloved".
WPatrick Charles Keely was an Irish-American architect based in Brooklyn, New York, and Providence, Rhode Island. He was a prolific designer of nearly 600 churches and hundreds of other institutional buildings for the Roman Catholic Church or Roman Catholic patrons in the eastern United States and Canada, particularly in New York City, Boston and Chicago in the later half of the 19th century. He designed every 19th-century Catholic cathedral in New England. Several other church and institutional architects began their careers in his firm.
WKells Irish Pub is a pub in Portland, Oregon, United States. The restaurant is housed in the Glisan Building, in the southwest portion of the city's Old Town Chinatown neighborhood. Opened in 1990, the restaurant is owned and operated by Gerard and Lucille McAleese. Their son Garrett opened Kells Brew Pub in northwest Portland in 2012. Since 1995, money affixed to the ceiling has been donated to charity. The restaurant also hosts an annual Kells Irish Festival, and hosted the first Irish Beer Festival in 2017.
WThe Kennedy family is an American political family that has long been prominent in American politics, public service, entertainment, and business. The first Kennedy elected to public office was Patrick Joseph "P. J." Kennedy in 1884, 35 years after the family's arrival from Ireland. He served in the Massachusetts state legislature from 1884 to 1895. At least one Kennedy family member served in federal elective office in every year from 1947, when P. J. Kennedy's grandson, John F. Kennedy, became a member of Congress from Massachusetts, to 2011, when P. J. Kennedy's great-grandson, Patrick J. Kennedy, retired as a member of Congress from Rhode Island, a span of 64 years.
WKensington is a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its placement within the broader division of sections of Philadelphia is debated, but it is often considered as a dividing line between or belonging to both the Lower Northeast section of Philadelphia and North Philadelphia. It is generally considered part of the Philadelphia River Wards. Modern Kensington is larger than the former Kensington District, and unlike Kensington District it does not include Fishtown. As with all neighborhoods in Philadelphia, the lack of any official designation means the boundaries of the area vary between sources and over time. Traditionally, Kensington is known for its large working class Irish Catholic community. Kensington was the location of the Philadelphia Nativist Riots in the 19th century. Kensington is also the birthplace of the K&A Gang,, an Irish American organized crime network. Originally, Kensington was also home to a large English American community. For example, the six Episcopal parishes in the neighborhood were founded by 19th-century immigrants from England.
WLooney's Pub is a Maryland-based chain of Irish sports-bars with four locations throughout the state. Looney's is known for its fresh crab options in the form of pretzels, dips and crab cakes.
WJames McNulty was an activist for Irish independence and served as the commandant of the Doe Battalion of the Irish Volunteers during the 1916 Easter Rising in County Donegal in Ulster, Ireland, and was a stonemason by trade.
WNortheast Philadelphia, nicknamed Northeast Philly, the Northeast and the Great Northeast, is a section of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the 2000 Census, the Northeast has a sizable percentage of the city's 1.547 million people—a population of between 300,000 and 450,000, depending on how the area is defined. Beginning in the 1980s, many of the Northeast's middle class children graduated from college and settled in suburbs, especially nearby Bucks County. The Northeast is known as being home to a large working class Irish American population, but it is also home to Polish, German, Jewish, Italian, African American, Portuguese, Brazilian, Russian, Puerto Rican, and Dominican neighborhoods.
WOff Kilter is a Celtic rock band. Off Kilter was formed in 1997, and performed regularly at Epcot from their inception in 1997 through September 27, 2014. Their first album, Off Kilter, included some traditional songs like "Dirty Old Town" and "Fields of Athenry" as well as covers of popular rock songs generally from Canadian artists such as "Takin' Care of Business" and "Summer of '69." They have also produced covers of the Battlefield Band's "The Rovin' Dies Hard". It was announced on August 28, 2014, that Off Kilter's final performance at Epcot would be September 27, 2014. They were replaced with a lumberjack-inspired show at the Canada pavilion, which was canceled November, 2015. Off Kilter continues to perform, and is currently touring the country performing at many different venues.
WPennsport is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
WThe Philadelphia Nativist Riots were a series of riots that took place on May 6–8 and July 6–7, 1844, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States and the adjacent districts of Kensington and Southwark. The riots were a result of rising anti-Catholic sentiment at the growing population of Irish Catholic immigrants. The government brought in over a thousand militia—they confronted the nativist mobs and killed and wounded hundreds.
WThe Quiet Man is a 1952 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by John Ford. It stars John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond and Victor McLaglen. The screenplay by Frank S. Nugent was based on a 1933 Saturday Evening Post short story of the same name by Maurice Walsh, later published as part of a collection titled The Green Rushes. The film is notable for Winton Hoch's lush photography of the Irish countryside and a long, climactic, semi-comic fist fight. It was an official selection of the 1952 Venice Film Festival.
WSaint Monica's Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the city of Barre, Vermont. It is in the Diocese of Burlington. The congregation dates from the original settlement of Barre in the 19th century, and its present building dates from the late 1880s.
WThe Saint Patrick's Battalion was a unit of 175 to several hundred immigrants and expatriates of European descent who fought as part of the Mexican Army against the United States in the Mexican–American War of 1846–48. Formed and led by John Riley, the battalion's members included many who had deserted or defected from the United States Army. The battalion served as an artillery unit for much of the war. Despite later being formally designated as two infantry companies, it still retained artillery pieces throughout the conflict. In many ways, the battalion acted as the sole Mexican counterbalance to the recent U.S. innovation of horse artillery. The San Patricios were responsible for the toughest battles encountered by the United States in its invasion of Mexico, with Ulysses S. Grant remarking that "Churubusco proved to be about the severest battle fought in the valley of Mexico".
WSaint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick, is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland.
WSaint Patrick's Day, although a legal holiday only in Suffolk County, Massachusetts and Savannah, Georgia, is nonetheless widely recognized and celebrated throughout the United States. It is primarily celebrated as a recognition of Irish and Irish American culture; celebrations include prominent displays of the color green, eating and drinking, religious observances, and numerous parades. The holiday has been celebrated in what is now the U.S since 1601.
WA shamrock is a young sprig, used as a symbol of Ireland. Saint Patrick, Ireland's patron saint, is said to have used it as a metaphor for the Christian Holy Trinity. The name shamrock comes from Irish seamróg [ˈʃamˠɾˠoːɡ], which is the diminutive of the Irish word seamair óg and simply means "young clover".
WSouth Boston is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay. South Boston, colloquially known as Southie, has undergone several demographic transformations since being annexed to the city of Boston in 1804. The neighborhood, once primarily farmland, is popularly known by its twentieth century identity as a working class Irish Catholic community. Throughout the twenty-first century, the neighborhood has become increasingly popular with millennial professionals.
WSouthwark was originally the Southwark District, a colonial-era municipality in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Today, it is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Because of its location south of the early Philadelphia, the name was adopted in allusion to the borough of Southwark in the county of London, England, just south of the city of London.
WSt. Patrick's Day is a compilation album of phonograph records by Bing Crosby released in 1947 featuring songs with an Irish theme. This includes one of Crosby's most-beloved songs, "Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral" which was number four on Billboard for 12 weeks, and topped the Australian charts for an entire month, on shellac disc record. This version, the 1945 re-recording, was released earlier in another Crosby album, Selections from Going My Way.
WA Sunday roast is a traditional British meal that is typically served on Sunday, consisting of roasted meat, roast potatoes and accompaniments such as Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, gravy and mint sauce. Vegetables such as cauliflower, roast parsnips, Brussels sprouts, peas, carrots, runner beans, and broccoli can be part of the dish. The Sunday roast is also popular in Ireland, especially in most of Ulster.
W"Tessie" is both the longtime anthem of the Boston Red Sox and a 2004 song by the punk rock group Dropkick Murphys. The original "Tessie" was from the 1902 Broadway musical The Silver Slipper. The newer song, written in 2004, recounts how the singing of the original "Tessie" by the Royal Rooters fan club helped the Boston Americans win the first World Series in 1903. The name Tessie itself is a diminutive form used with several names, including Esther, Tess, and Theresa/Teresa.
W"There's No One as Irish as Barack O'Bama" is a humorous folk song written in 2008 by the Irish band Hardy Drew and the Nancy Boys, and set to a tune derived from a traditional air. The song celebrates the Irish ancestry of the former President of the United States, Barack Obama. The song was a minor hit in the Irish Charts, peaking at Number 24 in November 2008.
W"Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral " is a classic Irish-American song that was written in 1913 by composer James Royce Shannon (1881–1946) for the Tin Pan Alley musical Shameen Dhu. The original recording of the song, by Chauncey Olcott, peaked at #1 on the music charts. The song was brought back to prominence by Bing Crosby's performance in 1944's Going My Way. Crosby's single sold over a million copies and peaked at #4 on the Billboard music charts
WWhite ethnic is a term used to refer to White Americans who are not Old Stock or White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. They consist of a number of distinct groups and make up approximately 69.4% of the white population in the United States. The term usually refers to the descendants of immigrants from Southern, Central and Eastern Europe, Ireland, the Caucasus, and France/Francophone Canada.