Irish Americans in New York City

The Irish community is one of New York's major and important ethnic groups, and has been a significant proportion of the city's population since the waves of immigration in the late 1800s.

As a result of the potato famine in Ireland, many Irish families were forced to emigrate from the country. By 1854, between 1.5 and 2 million Irish left their country. In the United States, most Irish became city-dwellers. With little money, many had to settle in the cities that the ships landed in. By 1850, the Irish made up a quarter of the population in Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.

New York City today has the largest number of Irish-Americans of any city in America. [ [http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/st-patricks-day/irish-numbers.htm Irish American Fun Facts & Trivia ] ] With the Irish economy booming, there is a buying spree of homes and apartments by native Irish in New York City as second homes, [The Real Estate Bloggers [http://www.therealestatebloggers.com/2007/05/08/the-irish-are-coming-the-irish-are-coming/] ] or as investment property. [An Irish Taste for Real Estate in Manhattan, by Patrick McHeehan, N.Y. Times, May 8, 2007 (The page number is not available; it is available on-line with registration).]

The Irish are an American success story. Today, Irish-Americans play a significant role in New York city and state politics, Wall Street, the Roman Catholic church, the Media, the major sports leagues, In fact, Irish Americans own the Knicks, Rangers, Giants, Liberty, Madison Square Garden, and World Wrestling Entertainment. Also Irish Americans are massively active in the Fire Department of New York and New York Police Department, and even the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and have been for over 150 years.

Irish neighborhoods

Current

* Hamilton Heights
* Bainbridge, Bronx [Information on Norwood, a.k.a. Bainbridge: [http://www.answers.com/topic/norwood-bronx Answers.com page on Norwood] ] [ [http://www.stbarnabasbronx.org/ St. Barnabas' Parish web site] ]
* Throgs Neck, Bronx
* North Riverdale, Bronx [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40B15FC395B0C778CDDAB0894DF404482 NY Times article, requires registration] ] [Irish fire-fighter obit: [http://www.irishtribute.com/tributes/view.adp@d=236920&t=238541.html] ]
* Woodlawn, Bronx [A bit o' the Irish brogue: Woodlawn: An Irish enclave in the far reaches of the Bronx, by Patrick Ward, amNY, February 8, 2007, at pp. 34, 36, 38; see also at [http://www.amNY.com] .] [ [http://www.answers.com/topic/woodlawn-bronx Answer.com page on Woodlawn] ] [ [http://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=restaurants&find_loc=North+Riverdale%2C+New+York%2C+NY Irish restaurants in N. Riverdale] ]
* Bay Ridge, Brooklyn [ [http://brooklyn.about.com/od/barsnightlife/tp/irishpubs.htm "Top 7 Brooklyn Irish Pubs and Bars", by Wendy Zarganis, About:New York:Brooklyn web site] ] [ [http://overinbrooklyn.blogspot.com/search/label/Irish%20Brooklyn Blog: "A Shamrock Grows in Brooklyn"] ] [ [http://henrygrattans.net/ Henry Grattan's Pub web site] ]
* Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn [ [http://www.house.gov/weiner/neighborhoods/hoods_gerritsenbeach.htm Congressman's site] ] [ [http://www.answers.com/topic/gerritsen-beach-brooklyn Answers.com] ] [ [http://www.gerritsenbeach.net/ Neighborhood web site] ]
* Marine Park, Brooklyn [ [http://www.marineparkcivic.com/president.htm Civic group] ] [ [http://www.omalleyirishdance.com/omevents.htm Irish dance group] ]
* Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn
* Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn [ [http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/Vinegar%20Hill%20Page/vinegar.html Forgotten NY web site] ] [ [http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0449,adkison,59179,15.html "Close up on Vinegar Hill", by Danial Adkinson, Village Voice web site] ] [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E04EFDA1E39F932A0575BC0A9659C8B63 "If You're Thinking of Living in Vinegar Hill...", by Dulcie Leimbach, N.Y. Times, August 31, 2003 on line.]
* Broad Channel, Queens
* Belle Harbor, Queens
* Breezy Point, Queens
* Stuyvesant Town, Manhattan [ [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-context=qt&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_QTP13&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-tree_id=403&-redoLog=false&-all_geo_types=N&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=14000US36061004401&-search_results=01000US&-format=&-_lang=en Census Tract 44.01, New York County, New York - QT-P13. Ancestry: 2000 ] ]
* Peter Cooper Village, Manhattan [ [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=y&-context=qt&-qr_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U_QTP13&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF3_U&-tree_id=403&-redoLog=false&-all_geo_types=N&-_caller=geoselect&-geo_id=14000US36061006000&-search_results=01000US&-format=&-_lang=en Census Tract 60, New York County, New York - QT-P13. Ancestry: 2000 ] ]
* Sunnyside, QueensEllen Freudenheim, "Queens: What to do, where to go (and how not to get lost) in New York's Undiscovered Borough", pp. pp. 15-16 (Woodside), 262-265 (Rockaways), 267-275 (Sunnyside), 277-287 (Woodside). (St. Martin's NY 2006) ISBN 0-312-35818-0.]
* Rego Park, Queens, especially Woodhaven Boulevard [ [http://queens.about.com/od/barsandnightlife/gr/pub_woodhaven.htm Review of Woodhaven House] ] [ [http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irishinamerica/entertainment/EntertainmentGuide-201206.asp "Irish Voice" official web site Entertainment Guide web page] ] [The headquarters of the St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee is located on Woodhaven Boulevard. "See" Dan Barry, "Secret List Sets Off St. Patrick's Parade Squabble", March 7, 2001, found at [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04E3DE1E3BF934A35750C0A9679C8B63&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/S/St%20Patrick's%20Day NY Times article about the St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee] . Accessed November 8, 2007.]
* Rockaway Beach, Queens
* Woodside, Queens [cite book|author=Bayor and Meaghar|title=The New York Irish|year=1996|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|id=ISBN 0-8018-5199-8 (p. 414)]
* St. George, Staten Island [ [http://www.statenislandarts.org/cultural/cultural.html Staten Is. Cultural web site] ] [http://www.statenislandirish.org/Home_002.html Staten Island Irish Fair web site] ]
* West Brighton, Staten Island
* Randall Manor, Staten Island

Historic

* Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
* Inwood, Manhattan
* Woodhaven, Queens [Diana Shaman, "If You're Thinking of Living In /Woodhaven, Queens; Diversity in a Cohesive Community", "New York Times" September 20, 1998, found at [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9505E4DD1331F933A1575AC0A96E958260 NY Times article on the diversity of Rego Park including Irish-Aamericans] . Accessed November 8, 2007.]
* University Heights, Bronx

Notable Irish New Yorkers

Irish mayors

* James Duane
* William Jay Gaynor
* Thomas F. Gilroy, Irish-born
* William R. Grace, Irish-born
* John F. Hylan
* John Purroy Mitchel
* John P. O'Brien
* William O'Dwyer, Irish-born
* Jimmy Walker

Irish Bishops of the Archdiocese of New York

* R. Luke Concanen, Irish-born
* John Connolly, Irish-born
* Michael Corrigan
* Edward Cardinal Egan
* John Cardinal Farley, Irish-born
* Patrick Cardinal Hayes
* John Joseph Hughes, Irish-born
* John Cardinal McCloskey
* John Cardinal O'Connor

Notable Irish New Yorkers

* James Buckley, U.S. Senator, Federal Judge
* William F. Buckley Jr., writer, editor of "National Review"
* William F. Buckley, Sr., oil baron
* Edward Burns, actor, writer, director
* Joseph Brennan, basketball player
* Jimmy Breslin, former "New York Daily News" and "Newsday" writer
* Matthew Broderick, actor
* Jimmy Burke, gangster
* Gabriel Byrne, Irish-born actor
* Jimmy Cagney, actor
* Hugh Carey, Governor of New York
* John E. Carton, NYC President of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association
* Mad Dog Coll, gangster
* Margaret Colin. actress
* James B. Comey, Deputy Attorney General of the United States
* Jennifer Connelly, actress & model, Academy Award winner
* James Coonan, gangster
* Gerry Cooney, boxer
* Bob Costas, sports broadcaster, television personality
* Charles Dolan, billionaire, owner of Cablevision, Madison Square Garden & Knicks
* James Dolan, billionaire, owner of New York Rangers & Radio City Music Hall
* William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League
* Art Donovan, football player
* Charles J. Dougherty. president of Duquesne University
* Mike Dunleavy, Sr., basketball player, National Basketball Association head coach
* Bill Dwyer, gangster
* Mickey Featherstone, gangster
* Patrick Fitzgerald, district attorney
* Mick Foley, wrestler, bestselling author
* Jackie Gleason, comedian
* Pete Hamill, writer,editor in chief of New York Daily News & New York Post
* Henry Hill, gangster
* Charles J. Hynes District Attorney for Kings County
* George W. Keller, architect
* Raymond W. Kelly, New York Police Department Commissioner
* Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy, President of Kennedy Library Foundation
* John F. Kennedy, Jr., son of John F. Kennedy, magazine editor
* George Kennedy, actor
* Owney Madden, gangster
* Wellington Mara, owner of New York Giants, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
* Frank McCourt, author, winner of Pulitzer Prize for literature
* John McEnroe, tennis superstar, winner of seven Grand Slam tournaments
* Patrick McEnroe, tennis star
* Roderick McMahon, boxing and sports promoter
* Vincent J. McMahon owner of World Wrestling Entertainment, sports promoter
* Mary Tyler Moore, actress
* Daniel Patrick Moynihan, U.S. Senator
* Joe Mullen, hockey player
* Richard Mulligan, actor
* Chris Mullin, basketball player, member of 1992 Dream Team
* Conan O'Brien, late night talk show host
* John P. O'Brien, Mayor of New York City
* Jerry O'Connell, actor
* Carroll O'Connor, actor
* Charles O'Conor, former presidential candidate
* Rosie O'Donnell, actress, comedian
* Walter O'Malley, owner of Brooklyn Dodgers, infamous for moving them to Los Angeles
* Bill O'Reilly, news commentator
* Regis Philbin, television personality
* Colin Quinn, comedian
* Richard Riordan, former Mayor of Los Angeles
* Al Smith, politician, 1st Catholic Presidential candidate
* John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO
* Jimmy Walker, Mayor of New York City
* Maureen White, former National Finance Chair of Democratic National Committee, married to financier Steven Rattner

Irish gangs

:"see also: List of historical gang members of New York City
* 19th Street Gang
* 40 Thieves
* Dead Rabbits
* Gopher Gang
* Grady Gang
* Kerryonians
* Slobbery Jim
* The Westies
* Whyos

Entertainment about Irish in New York City

Notable movies

* Michael Clayton, 2007
* Emerald City, 2006
* Daredevil, 2003
* 25th Hour, 2003
* Gangs of New York, 2002
* In America, 2002
* Angela's Ashes, 1999
* The Brothers McMullen, 1995
* Mad Dog Coll, 1992
* State of Grace, 1990
* Q & A, 1990
* Goodfellas, 1990
* Wall Street, 1987
* Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx, 1970
* Madigan, 1968
* Mad Dog Coll, 1961
* Beau James, 1957
* On the Waterfront, 1954
* The Luck of the Irish, 1948
* The Lady from Shanghai, 1947
* My Wild Irish Rose, 1947
* The Kid from Brooklyn, 1946
* Going My Way, 1944
* Little Nellie Kelly, 1940
* East Side Kids, 1940
* The Fighting 69th, 1940
* Waterfront, 1939
* The Flying Irishman, 1939
* Angels with Dirty Faces, 1938
* Mannequin, 1937
* Me and My Gal, 1932
* The Last Dance, 1930

Television

* The Black Donnellys, 2007
* It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, 2005
* , 2004
* Rescue Me, 2004
* Grounded for Life, 2001
* The Job, 2001
* The Beat, 2000
* Family Guy, 1999
* King of Queens, 1999
* Trinity, 1998
* Brooklyn South, 1997
* Ryan's Hope, 1975
* Going My Way, 1962
* All in the Family, 1971
* Archie Bunker's Place, 1979
* Late Night with Conan O'Brien, 1993

References

External links

* [http://www.fdnyemerald.com/ FDNY Emerald Society]
* [http://fdnypipesanddrums.com/ FDNY Emerald Society Pipes and Drums]
* [http://www.fordham.edu/ Fordham University]
* [http://www.murphguide.com/irish.htm New York Irish Bars]
* [http://www.nycdemeraldsociety.com/ New York City Correction Dept. Emerald Society]
* [http://irishnyhistory.org/ New York Irish History Roundtable]
* [http://www.nypdemeralds.com/ NYPD Emerald Society]
* [http://www.oldstpatricks.com/ St. Patrick's Old Cathedral]
* [http://www.nyirish.org/ New York Irish Center]
* [http://www.woodhavenhouse.com/ Woodhaven House web site, with discussion of history of Irish pubs in Queens]