Irish Americans facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Irish Americans are people in the United States who have family roots in Ireland. They might have full or partial Irish heritage or be Irish citizens living in America. Many Irish Americans also speak some Irish (called Gael-Mheiriceánaigh in Irish).

Quick facts for kids
Irish Americans
Gael-Mheiriceánaigh (Irish)
Irish Americans, % of population by PUMA and state
Total population
10,909,542 3.2% Claim full Irish ancestry 38,597,428 11.6% Claim full or partial Irish ancestry (2020 census)
Regions with significant populations
Significant populations in most urban areas of the United States, but particularly New England (Boston • Rhode Island • New Hampshire • Middlesex • Worcester) • New York (New York City • Long Island • Upstate New York) • Pennsylvania (Scranton • Philadelphia • Pittsburgh • Delaware Valley • Coal Region) • Midwestern United States (Chicago • Cleveland • Detroit • Milwaukee • Columbus) • California (Southern California • San Francisco) • Texas (Houston • DFW Area) • Florida • Baltimore • Delaware • DC Beltway • Phoenix • Seattle • Omaha • Savannah, Georgia • Denver
Languages
Majority English (American English dialects); minority Irish, Shelta
Religion
Catholicism and Protestantism
Related ethnic groups
Other Irish • Anglo-Irish • Irish-Traveller Americans • Scotch-Irish Americans • Irish Catholics • Irish Jews • Scottish Americans • Ulster Protestants • Manx Americans • English Americans • Cornish Americans • Welsh Americans • British Americans • Breton Americans • French Americans • Icelandic Americans • Faroese Americans • Spanish Americans • Portuguese Americans • Basque Americans • Galician Americans

Number of Irish Americans
Year	Number
1980	40,165,702
1990	38,735,539
2000	30,528,492
2010	34,670,009
2020	38,597,428

Irish Immigration to the United States
- Early Irish Settlers in America (1600s-1800s)
- Irish Immigration from the Mid-1800s Onward
  - Irish Americans During the Civil War and Early 1900s
Irish American Social History
Demographics of Irish Americans
- Cities with Irish American Populations
  - 2020 Irish American Population by State
- Irish American Communities and Status
Notable Irish Americans
- Irish Americans in Politics and Government
  - Irish American Supreme Court Justices
See also

Irish Immigration to the United States

Early Irish Settlers in America (1600s-1800s)

U.S. counties by the percentage of their population self-identifying Scotch-Irish or American ancestry according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2013–2017 5-Year Estimates. Counties where Scotch-Irish and American ancestry combined are greater than the United States as a whole are in full orange.

U.S. states by the percentage of their population self-identifying Irish ancestry according to the U.S. Census Bureau. States where Irish ancestry is greater than the United States as a whole are in full green.

U.S. states where self-identified Irish Americans are overrepresented by the percentage of self-identified Catholics according to the Pew Research Center. States where the percentage of Catholics is greater than the United States as a whole are in full red.

U.S. states where self-identified Irish Americans are over-represented by the percentage of self-identified Protestants (Evangelical or Mainline), according to the Pew Research Center. States where the percentage of Protestants is greater than the United States as a whole are in full blue.

Some of the first Irish people came to the Americas in the 1500s with the Spanish in Florida. Later, between 1604 and the 1630s, Irish settlers helped start colonies in places like Newfoundland and Virginia. Historians believe very few Irish people were forced to come during this early time.

Irish people came to the Americas for many reasons. In the 1500s and 1600s, changes in Ireland, like new settlements by English and Scottish people, made life difficult. Many Irish looked for a better life in other lands.

As European colonies grew in the Americas, they offered new places to live. Many Irish immigrants came as 'indentured servants.' This meant a richer person paid for their trip, and in return, they worked for that person for a set time. Some Irish were also merchants and landowners, helping to build new businesses and colonies.

By the 1620s, many Irish workers traveled to English colonies. These included Virginia on the mainland and islands like the Leeward Islands and Barbados in the Caribbean.

During America's colonial times (1607–1775), about half of Irish immigrants came from Ulster and were mostly Protestant. The other half came from other parts of Ireland.

In the 1600s, few Irish people moved to the Thirteen Colonies. Most were Irish Catholic men who came as indentured servants. About 8,000 were sent to work in the Chesapeake Colonies in the 1650s after wars in Ireland. Before the American Revolutionary War, about 10,000 Irish Catholics had immigrated to the United States.

Traveling across the Atlantic was expensive. So, many people became indentured servants to pay for their journey. These servants often went to the colonies chosen by the people who paid for them.

In colonial Virginia, the Anglican Church was the official religion, and practicing Catholicism was restricted. However, Maryland was different. In 1639, Maryland passed laws to protect religious freedom. Later, in 1649, the Maryland Toleration Act specifically allowed Catholics to practice their faith freely.

Life for indentured servants in the Chesapeake Colonies was very hard. Many, mostly men, died before their work contracts ended. The area had unhealthy conditions, and many people got sick. Most men did not start families. The population grew mainly because more immigrants kept arriving, not because families were growing. Many who survived their service moved away from the region.

By 1650, all five Catholic churches in the British American colonies were found in Maryland.

Different colonies had different rules about religion and voting. Carolina allowed people to vote regardless of their church. New England colonies like Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay only let members of the Puritan church vote. Rhode Island had no official church. New York, New Jersey, and Delaware also had no official church. Pennsylvania, founded by William Penn, allowed all Christians to practice their religion freely.

After the Glorious Revolution in 1688, Catholics in many colonies, including Maryland and New York, lost their right to vote. Maryland restored this right in 1702.

In 1692, Maryland made the Church of England its official church. Later, Maryland, Virginia, and Carolina passed laws to limit Irish Catholic indentured servants. By 1700, about 2,500 of Maryland's 29,600 people were Catholic.

In the 1700s, more Irish Protestants than Catholics moved to the Thirteen Colonies. Most of these Protestants were from Ulster. They were often descendants of Scottish and English settlers in Ireland. They usually moved as families, not alone. They left Ireland due to poor harvests, rising rents, and local troubles.

Maryland passed laws in 1704 that restricted Jesuits from teaching and holding public Catholic Mass. These laws were later changed to allow private Mass. Maryland also started taxing Irish Catholic indentured servants. In 1718, Catholics again lost their right to vote.

However, these laws were not always strictly enforced in Maryland. This allowed Catholic churches on Jesuit farms to grow and serve more people.

By 1750, half of the 30 Catholic churches in the Thirteen Colonies were in Maryland. Pennsylvania had 11, and the former New Netherland colonies had 4. The number of Catholics in Maryland and Pennsylvania grew steadily.

From 1717 to 1775, about 250,000 Irish immigrants came to the Thirteen Colonies. By the American Revolutionary War in 1775, indentured servants made up a small part of the workforce. During the war, immigration stopped, except for some German soldiers who stayed. Many Irish-born soldiers fought and died at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

By the end of the war in 1783, there were about 24,000 to 25,000 Catholics in the United States, out of a total population of 3 million. Most Catholics in the colonies were from England, Germany, and France, not Ireland. By 1790, about 400,000 people in the U.S. had Irish roots, making up over 10% of the population. The Catholic population grew to about 50,000 by 1800 due to more Irish Catholic immigration in the 1790s.

During this time, marriages between Catholics and Protestants became more common, especially in some areas. However, many Catholic parents still preferred their children to marry other Catholics.

Many Irish Catholics who came to the U.S. between 1770 and 1830 joined Baptist and Methodist churches during a religious movement called the Second Great Awakening.

Between 1783 and the War of 1812, 100,000 immigrants from Ulster came to the United States. After wars in Europe ended in 1815, Ireland faced an economic downturn.

From 1815 to 1845, another 500,000 Irish Protestant immigrants arrived in the U.S. By 1820, the U.S. Catholic population grew to 195,000. By 1840, it reached 663,000, partly due to German immigration. After the potato blight in 1845, which caused the Great Famine in Ireland, over 1 million more Irish people, mostly Catholic, immigrated to the U.S. between 1846 and 1851.

Before the Famine, Irish emigrants were often skilled Protestants. The Famine caused widespread hunger among Irish Catholics, leading many to seek new lives in England, Canada, and America. Irish immigration greatly increased from 1845 to 1849.

Many Famine immigrants arriving in New York City had to stay in quarantine on Staten Island or Blackwell's Island. Weakened by hunger and poor conditions on crowded ships, thousands died from serious illnesses.

Marriages between Catholics and Protestants remained uncommon in the U.S. in the 1800s.

Understanding "Scotch-Irish" Identity

Historians have noted that the term "Scotch-Irish" can be confusing. It is mainly used in North America, not often in Ireland or Scotland. The term was first recorded in 1573 by Elizabeth I of England, referring to Scottish Highlanders who married Irish Catholics.

In the 1700s, Protestant immigrants from Ireland were often called "Anglo-Irish." Some preferred to call themselves "Anglo-Irish." The term "Scotch-Irish" likely became common among some groups in Pennsylvania for Ulster Protestants who immigrated there.

However, from the American Revolutionary War until 1850, the term "Scotch-Irish" was not widely used. Most Ulster Protestants identified simply as "Irish." After many Irish Catholics immigrated during and after the 1840s Famine, some Ulster Protestants in America began to call themselves "Scotch-Irish" to show their different background. Those who did not live near the new Catholic immigrants continued to identify as "Irish" or later as having "American ancestry."

Historians suggest that the renewed use of "Scotch-Irish" after 1850 was partly due to unfair feelings against Catholics among Ulster Protestants. Despite this, some historians argue for keeping the term to describe this specific group.

During the colonial period, Irish Protestant immigrants settled in the Appalachian mountains and the Carolina Piedmont. They became a main cultural group there and helped lead the westward movement into Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas. By the 1800s, their descendants often identified as "Americans" after marrying people of English and German backgrounds. The early Ulster immigrants and later Catholic immigrants usually settled in different areas. Ulster immigrants went to inland regions, while Catholic immigrants settled in Northeast and Midwest cities like Boston and Chicago. However, some Irish moved inland for work on canals and railroads.

The descendants of Irish Protestant settlers greatly influenced the culture of the Southern United States and the country as a whole. They contributed to American folk music, country music, and stock car racing.

Charles Carroll, the only Catholic signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, was from an Irish noble family. Signers Matthew Thornton and George Taylor were born in Ireland.

Irish immigrants played a big part in the American Revolution. One British officer even said that "half the rebels" were from Ireland. Many Irish Americans signed important documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Several U.S. presidents, starting with Andrew Jackson, also had Irish roots.

Irish Population in 1790 by State

This table shows the estimated Irish American population in the United States in 1790.

State or Territory
	Ireland				Irish Total
	Ulster		Free State		Irish Total
	#	%	#	%	#	%
Connecticut	4,180	1.80%	2,555	1.10%	6,735	2.90%
Delaware	2,918	6.30%	2,501	5.40%	5,419	11.70%
Georgia	6,082	11.50%	2,010	3.80%	8,092	15.30%
Kentucky & Tenn.	6,513	7.00%	4,838	5.20%	11,351	12.20%
Maine	7,689	8.00%	3,556	3.70%	11,245	11.70%
Maryland	12,102	5.80%	13,562	6.50%	25,664	12.30%
Massachusetts	9,703	2.60%	4,851	1.30%	14,554	3.90%
New Hampshire	6,491	4.60%	4,092	2.90%	10,583	7.50%
New Jersey	10,707	6.30%	5,439	3.20%	16,146	9.50%
New York	16,033	5.10%	9,431	3.00%	25,464	8.10%
North Carolina	16,483	5.70%	15,616	5.40%	32,099	11.10%
Pennsylvania	46,571	11.00%	14,818	3.50%	61,389	14.50%
Rhode Island	1,293	2.00%	&&&&&&&&&&&&0517.&&&&&0517	0.80%	1,810	2.80%
South Carolina	13,177	9.40%	6,168	4.40%	19,345	13.80%
Vermont	2,722	3.20%	1,616	1.90%	4,338	5.10%
Virginia	27,411	6.20%	24,316	5.50%	51,727	11.70%
1790 Census Area	190,075	5.99%	115,886	3.65%	305,961	9.64%
Northwest Territory	&&&&&&&&&&&&0307.&&&&&0307	2.92%	&&&&&&&&&&&&0190.&&&&&0190	1.81%	&&&&&&&&&&&&0497.&&&&&0497	4.73%
French America	&&&&&&&&&&&&0220.&&&&&0220	1.10%	&&&&&&&&&&&&0135.&&&&&0135	0.68%	&&&&&&&&&&&&0355.&&&&&0355	1.78%
Spanish America	&&&&&&&&&&&&&060.&&&&&060	0.25%	&&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037	0.15%	&&&&&&&&&&&&&097.&&&&&097	0.40%
United States	190,662	5.91%	116,248	3.60%	306,910	9.51%

A 1932 report found that about 6.3% of the White population had native Irish roots. This was based on unique Irish last names. Many native Irish Americans were Protestant, having changed their faith before or after settling in the colonies.

Irish Catholics in the Southern States

In 1820, John England, an Irish-born bishop, became the first Catholic bishop in Charleston, South Carolina. He defended the Catholic community against unfair feelings. He also started free schools for African American children. In 1835, a crowd attacked his school, and he led Irish volunteers to protect it. Soon after, all schools for free Black children in Charleston closed.

In 1828, two Irish groups started colonies in coastal Texas. These colonies, San Patricio and Refugio, were settled by Irish, Mexicans, and others. Many Irish also settled in the Peters Colony in Texas in the 1840s. Irish people were involved in Texas's fight for independence from Mexico. Many Irish-born individuals fought and died at the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto.

Irish Catholics in the South often lived in cities like Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans. They became important in local politics, often supporting the Democratic Party. They generally favored keeping the United States united in 1860.

After the Southern states left the Union in 1861, the Irish Catholic community supported the Confederate States of America. About 20,000 Irish Catholics served in the Confederate Army. Their leaders encouraged them to support the Confederacy.

Irish nationalist John Mitchel, living in exile, supported the Southern states during the American Civil War through his newspapers.

Even though most Irish Catholics in the South started as unskilled workers, they achieved average or better economic status by 1900. They were generally accepted by society. Southern leaders did not mind Irish immigration because it did not overwhelm their cities. Irish workers also took on dangerous jobs, which helped protect the valuable enslaved workforce. Their Catholic faith was not a major concern for Southern natives.

Irish Immigration from the Mid-1800s Onward

Irish immigration to the United States (1820–1975)
Period	Number of immigrants	Period	Number of immigrants
1820–1830	54,338	1911–1920	146,181
1831–1840	207,381	1921–1930	220,591
1841–1850	780,719	1931–1940	13,167
1851–1860	914,119	1941–1950	26,967
1861–1870	435,778	1951–1960	57,332
1871–1880	436,871	1961–1970	37,461
1881–1890	655,482	1971–1975	6,559
1891–1900	388,416
1901–1910	399,065
Total : 4,720,427

Before the 1800s, Irish immigrants often moved to the countryside. They worked as farmers, fishers, or on ships. In the 1800s, Irish immigrants in the United States mostly stayed in the big cities where they arrived.

"Leacht Cuimhneacháin na nGael", Irish famine memorial located on Penn's Landing, Philadelphia

From 1820 to 1860, nearly 2 million Irish people arrived. Most came after the Great Irish Famine (1845–1852). Studies show that farmers' sons and those who couldn't read were more likely to leave Ireland. Immigration was highest in poorer areas with strong connections to America.

Many Irish immigrants died crossing the ocean due to illness and bad conditions on "coffin ships." Irish immigration grew in the 1830s because of the need for workers to build canals, cut lumber, and construct buildings in the Northeast. Many Irishmen worked on large projects like the Erie Canal. They formed close communities in growing cities like Philadelphia, Boston, and New York.

Most Irish immigrants during this time preferred large cities. There, they could find support and protection in new communities. Cities with many Irish immigrants included Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Chicago, and San Francisco.

Gravestone in Boston Catholic cemetery for a native of County Roscommon, born before the Great Famine.

While many stayed in cities, countless others moved west. They were drawn by stories of gold and new job opportunities. In 1854, the Kansas Territory opened to settlers. Irish men were important in building towns and cities in the West, like Kansas City. The expansion of railroads also brought many Irish workers west. They often settled in the places they helped build.

Between 1851 and 1920, 3.3 to 3.7 million Irish people immigrated to the United States. This included many Ulster Protestants. After the Great Famine, most immigrants came from Munster and Connacht. The Catholic population in the U.S. grew significantly, reaching 19.8 million by 1920.

In 1880, 309 Irish emigrants from Connemara arrived in Boston. They were chosen by local clergy for a new life in America. Archbishop John Ireland of St. Paul, Minnesota, helped settle thousands of Irish Catholics from crowded cities onto rich prairie lands.

Thomas Ambrose Butler, an Irish Catholic priest, encouraged Irish immigrants to settle in Kansas.

However, Irish Catholics never made up the majority of the U.S. Catholic population. This was due to continued immigration from Germany, Italy, Poland, Canada, and Mexico. In the 1920s, another 220,000 Irish immigrants came to the U.S. After the Immigration Act of 1924 and the Great Depression, immigration from Ireland slowed down. Better economic times in Ireland and new immigration laws also reduced mass immigration.

Since the 1970s, surveys show that most Irish Americans identify as Protestant. While more Catholics immigrated after the 1830s, birth rates were lower than when Protestant immigration was higher. Irish immigrants after the Famine often moved to cities because starting a farm was too expensive. By the early 2000s, more people were moving to Ireland from the U.S. than the other way around.

Irish Americans During the Civil War and Early 1900s

Concentration of people born in Ireland in 1870 Census. These were mostly Catholics; older Scots-Irish immigration is not shown.

During the American Civil War, many Irish Americans joined the Union Army. At least 38 Union regiments had "Irish" in their names. Over 144,000 Union soldiers were born in Ireland, and many more were of Irish descent. Some formed their own groups, like the Irish Brigade.

However, some Irish people resisted being forced to join the army. In 1863, a draft law led to major conflicts in New York City. Many Irish immigrants, who had just become citizens, were suddenly expected to fight. They often couldn't afford the fee to avoid service. Many Irish workers saw Black people as rivals for jobs and blamed them for the war. During these conflicts, Black Americans were sometimes harmed. An orphanage for Black children was attacked by a mostly Irish crowd, but the police, many of whom were Irish-American, helped the children escape.

About 30,000 Irish or Irish-descended men joined the Confederate Army. Some of these soldiers left their posts or changed sides. During the time after the war, some Irish Americans supported ideas of racial superiority and were involved in conflicts against Black people in cities like Memphis.

In 1871, conflicts known as the Orange Riots happened in New York. Irish Protestant groups marched through Irish Catholic neighborhoods, leading to clashes. The governor sent soldiers to protect the marchers, and police fired into the crowd, causing many deaths.

U.S. President Grover Cleveland twisting the tail of the British Lion as Americans cheer in the Venezuelan crisis of 1895; cartoon in Puck by J.S. Pughe

Relations between the U.S. and Britain were tense in the 1860s. After the Civil War, American authorities did not stop Irish groups, called "Fenians," from planning to invade Canada. These plans failed, but Irish Catholic politicians often spoke out against Britain to gain votes.

American political cartoon by Thomas Nast titled "The Usual Irish Way of Doing Things", depicting a negative stereotype of an Irishman. Published 2 September 1871 in Harper's Weekly

Later Irish immigrants mostly settled in industrial towns and cities in the Northeast and Midwest. These areas already had Irish American neighborhoods.

Irish Americans had a big impact on America. By 1910, New York City had more people of Irish descent than Dublin's entire population. Many cities still have large Irish-American communities today. Unskilled Irish men and women found jobs in factories, domestic service, and public works projects.

In the mid-1900s, Irish immigrants continued to come to the U.S. looking for jobs.

Irish American Social History

Faith and Community

Religion has always been important to Irish American identity. Surveys since the 1970s show that most Irish Americans identify as Protestant. Their ancestors arrived mainly in colonial times. Irish Catholics are mostly descendants of 19th-century immigrants. Irish leaders have been important in the Catholic, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches in the U.S. for over 150 years.

In the 1990s, 51% of Americans who identified as "Irish" said they were Protestant, and 36% identified as Catholic. In the Southern U.S., 73% of those with Irish roots were Protestant, and 19% were Catholic. In the Northern U.S., 45% were Catholic, and 39% were Protestant.

Irish Catholic and Protestant Relations

Before 1820, most Irish immigrants to America were Protestants, simply called "Irish." The religious difference became important after 1820 when many Irish Roman Catholics began to immigrate. Some descendants of early Irish Protestant settlers started calling themselves "Scotch-Irish" to highlight their origins and distance themselves from Irish Catholics. Others still called themselves Irish. By 1830, over 60% of Irish immigrants were Roman Catholics from rural Ireland.

Some Protestant Irish immigrants joined groups that were against Catholics, like the Orange Institution. However, this group was never as large in the U.S. as it was in Canada. In the early 1800s, many Protestant Irish immigrants supported republican ideas and did not join anti-Catholic groups. Most Irish loyalists moved to Canada, where such groups were more common.

By 1870, there were only 43 Orange lodges in the eastern U.S., compared to about 930 in Ontario, Canada. These few American groups were short-lived. There were some clashes between Irish Protestant and Catholic immigrants, like the Orange Riots in New York City in 1824, 1870, and 1871.

The Orange riot of 1871 as shown in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. The scene is at 25th Street in Manhattan looking south down Eighth Avenue.

The first recorded Orange riot was in 1824 in New York. Several members were arrested for causing trouble. The court told the immigrants that in the U.S., people from all nations find a safe place, and everyone is expected to follow the law. After the deadly Orange Riots of 1870 and 1871, the Orange Order was banned for a time, and its activities stopped.

America offered a fresh start. Most descendants of Ulster Presbyterians and many new Protestant Irish immigrants moved away from Irish associations and blended into the American Protestant community.

Catholic Communities

Irish priests came to large cities in the East in the 1790s. The first bishop of New York was an Irishman, showing the importance of early Irish clergy.

St. Augustine's Church on fire. Anti-Irish, anti-Catholic Nativist riots in Philadelphia in 1844.

The Saint Patrick's Battalion was a group of several hundred immigrant soldiers, mostly Irish, who left the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War and joined the Mexican army.

In Boston, from 1810 to 1840, there were disagreements between the bishop and local church members. By 1845, the Catholic population in Boston grew to 30,000 due to Irish immigrants. When John B. Fitzpatrick became bishop, these tensions eased as the Irish Catholic community supported his leadership.

In New York, Archbishop John Hughes, an Irish immigrant, was deeply involved in the "Irish question" – Ireland's independence from British rule. He supported peaceful movements but disagreed with violent groups. Hughes also encouraged immigrants to become part of American life while still feeling proud of Ireland. He believed large Irish settlements in the West would keep immigrants too separate.

In the 1840s, Hughes pushed for public funding for Catholic schools for Irish immigrants. He spoke out against public schools that required using the King James Bible, which Catholics did not accept. This debate led to a law in 1842 that created an elected Board of Education in New York City. This board could build and oversee schools but could not fund religious teaching. In response, Hughes built a large system of Catholic schools, a model followed in other cities.

The mass hanging of Irish Catholic soldiers who joined the Mexican army.

Many Irish Catholics, especially after the Great Famine, formed their own communities in cities. They came from a farming background and found it hard to fit into American Protestant society. They often faced poverty and lived in Irish neighborhoods. By 1870, most Irish Americans lived in cities in states like Massachusetts, New York, and Illinois. City life suited their community-focused lifestyle and offered closeness to other Irish people.

In the West, Catholic Irish also had a big impact. Many Irish immigrants moved west and formed "little pockets" of Irish communities. These neighborhoods often centered around a Catholic church. Irish Catholic priests sometimes started these towns, like Father Bernard Donnelly, who founded "Town of Kansas," which became Kansas City. These communities helped spread Catholic values and traditions in America.

Officers and men of the Irish-Catholic 69th New York Volunteer Regiment attend church services at Fort Corcoran in 1861.

Jesuits started colleges in major cities, including Boston College, Fordham University, and Georgetown University. Fordham, founded in 1841, attracted students from many places. Boston College, started in 1863, focused on urban Irish Roman Catholics.

Irish Americans became important leaders in the U.S. Catholic Church by the 1850s. By 1890, most bishops were Irish. Even in the 1970s, Irish Americans made up a large percentage of priests, bishops, and leaders of Catholic colleges and hospitals.

Protestant Communities

The Scots-Irish who settled in colonial America's backcountry were mostly Presbyterians. It was hard for the Presbyterian Church to provide enough educated ministers for these new settlements. Other religious groups, like Baptists and Methodists, did not require higher education for their ministers. This allowed them to supply ministers more easily. By 1810, Baptist and Methodist churches were more common, and many Scots-Irish descendants today are Baptist or Methodist. They were active in religious revivals from the 1740s to the 1840s. They are proud of their Irish heritage and the role the Scots-Irish played in the American Revolution and American culture.

Presbyterian Influence

The first Presbyterian community in America was in Southampton, New York, in 1640. Francis Makemie, an Irish Presbyterian immigrant, later started churches in Maryland and Virginia. He was educated in Scotland and helped build many Presbyterian churches. In 1707, he was charged with preaching without a license in New York but won his case. This was an important victory for religious freedom for Scots-Irish immigrants.

New Light Presbyterians founded the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, in 1746. It was created to train ministers and became a center for Scots-Irish American education and religion.

In Ohio, Scots-Irish Presbyterians founded Muskingum College in 1837. It was led by clergymen and grew to serve the entire Muskingum Valley. It is still connected to the Presbyterian church today.

Cyrus McCormick, from a Scots-Irish Presbyterian family, invented the mechanical reaper. He used his wealth to support the Presbyterian Church, helping to establish seminaries and religious publications.

Methodist Pioneers

Irish immigrants were the first to build and organize Methodist churches in America. Many early Irish Methodists had German-Irish backgrounds. Barbara Heck, an Irish woman of German descent, immigrated in 1760. She is known as the "Mother of American Methodism." Heck guided her cousin, Philip Embury, and they built the John Street Methodist Church, often seen as the oldest Methodist Church in the U.S. Another Irish Methodist, Robert Strawbridge, may have built an earlier church.

Irish Jewish Americans

While most Irish Americans are Christian, some are Irish Jews. A 1927 news article reported that New York City had 1,000 Irish American Jews, with thousands more across the U.S. In the same year, a group called "The Irish Jews of America" formed in Brooklyn.

In 1969, an Irish American Jewish group in New York City, "Loyal Yiddish Sons of Erin," celebrated when Purim and St. Patrick's Day fell on the same date. They also held an annual banquet with traditional foods.

Irish American Women's Experiences

Irish Lass depiction in 1885.

Irish people were among the first to immigrate to the U.S. in large numbers, including many single young women aged 16 to 24. Before this, most free women came with their husbands or were brought over to marry. Many Irish women left Ireland to escape unemployment and hunger during the Great Irish Famine. While wealthier Irish moved to England, lower-class Irish and women found little work in Europe, leading them to seek opportunities in America.

Some Irish women faced very difficult situations and sometimes engaged in illegal activities to survive in large cities. Most single Irish women preferred domestic service jobs. They earned more working in middle- and high-class homes as nannies, cooks, and cleaners than in factories. They often lived in their employers' homes, which helped them save money or send it to their families in Ireland. By 1870, 40% of Irish women in New York City worked as domestic servants, making up over half of that industry.

Unfair ideas about Irish people were common. Newspaper cartoons often showed Irish men as hot-headed and prone to trouble. This initial negative reaction led Irish immigrants to stick together, making it a long process to fully blend into society.

Black Irish Americans

Historians are now looking more into the history of Black Irish Americans. Records from the New Deal's Federal Writers' Project show that Irish American slave owners and poor Irish American workers sometimes had relationships with enslaved and free Black people, leading to children of mixed Irish and Black heritage.

The African American Irish Diaspora Network, founded in 2020, works to highlight Black Irish Americans' history and culture. Activists and scholars are increasing awareness of this diverse part of the Irish-American community.

In 2021, New York University published a report on Black and Brown Irish Americans. This report aimed to show the racial diversity within the Irish-American community.

Irish Language in America

Until the late 1800s, many Irish immigrants arrived speaking Irish as their first language. This continued for some from certain counties even in the 1900s. The Irish language was first spoken in North America in the 1600s. Many Irish immigrants in the 1700s brought the language with them, especially to Pennsylvania and New York City.

Irish speakers continued to arrive in large numbers in the 1800s, especially after the Famine. Many brought Irish-language manuscripts with them. In 1881, An Gaodhal was founded, the first newspaper mostly in Irish. It continued into the 1900s and now has an online version, An Gael. Some Irish immigrant newspapers also had Irish language sections.

Irish immigrants fell into three groups: those who spoke only Irish, those who spoke both Irish and English, and those who spoke only English. In the 1890s, about 400,000 Irish speakers lived in the U.S., mainly in New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago. New York's Irish-speaking population peaked then, with 70,000 to 80,000 speakers. This number decreased over the 1900s.

According to the 2000 census, Irish is the 66th most spoken language in the U.S., with over 25,000 speakers. New York state has the most Irish speakers, and Massachusetts has the highest percentage.

Daltaí na Gaeilge, an Irish language group, estimated about 30,000 speakers in America in 2006. They said this was a big increase from only a few thousand in 1981.

Occupations and Work Life

Before 1800, many Irish Protestant immigrants became farmers. They often moved to the frontier where land was cheap. Many Irish Protestants and Catholics also worked as indentured servants, unable to pay for their journey or sentenced to service.

After 1840, most Irish Catholic immigrants went directly to cities, mill towns, and construction sites for railroads or canals on the East Coast. In other regions, many became farmers or ranchers. In the East, Irish men were hired by Irish contractors for construction projects like canals, railroads, and city infrastructure. Irish men also worked in these jobs in the Midwest, building new towns like Kansas City, which became an important cattle and railroad center. William Scully, a wealthy Irish landowner, bought vast amounts of farmland in the Midwest and rented it to tenants.

Labor jobs were not the only option. Some Irish moved to New England mill towns like Holyoke and Lowell. Textile mill owners welcomed these new, low-wage workers. Many Irish Catholic women took jobs as maids in hotels and private homes.

Many unemployed or very poor Irish Catholics lived in crowded city slums.

Single Irish immigrant women quickly found jobs that were in high demand but paid very little. Most worked in mills, factories, and private homes. They were often seen as being at the bottom of the female job hierarchy. Mill work was considered undesirable due to dangerous conditions.

Unlike many other immigrants, Irish women often preferred domestic work. It was always in demand, and wages were usually higher than other jobs available to them. Working conditions in wealthy homes were better than factories, and free room and board allowed them to save money or send it home.

Despite some benefits, domestic work was difficult. Irish women worked long hours, cooking, cleaning, and caring for children. Living in their employers' homes often separated them from their communities. Society also looked down on domestic work, and Irish women faced unfair comparisons.

Irish immigrants in Kansas City, Missouri, c. 1909

Although Irish Catholics started with low social status, by 1900, their jobs and earnings were similar to their neighbors. This was partly because they already spoke English when they arrived. They could advance more quickly than non-English speaking immigrants. However, many still lived in poor communities in cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York.

After 1945, Catholic Irish Americans often ranked high in society. This was due to their high rate of college attendance, which helped many Irish American men achieve higher economic status.

Irish Americans in Local Government

In the 1800s, politicians gave local government jobs to their supporters. With strong influence in city halls, Irish Americans became candidates for positions in police and fire departments, public schools, and other city services. When New York City combined its boroughs in 1897, it created 20,000 new jobs. The city also invested in large public works, creating thousands of jobs in subways, railroads, and water systems. Over half of the Irish men employed by the city worked in utilities. By 1900, about one-third of first and second-generation Irish in New York City, Albany, and Jersey City had municipal jobs.

Irish Americans in Police Forces

By 1855, almost 17% of New York City's police officers were Irish-born. By the late 1800s, five out of six NYPD officers were Irish-born or of Irish descent. Even in the 1960s, 42% of the NYPD were Irish Americans.

Today, Irish Catholics continue to be prominent in law enforcement, especially in the Northeastern U.S. The Emerald Society, an Irish American group, was founded by the NYPD in 1953. When the Boston chapter formed in 1973, half of Boston's police officers joined.

Irish American Teachers

By the late 1800s, schoolteaching became a very desirable job for second-generation Irish immigrant women. Like domestic work for the first generation, it was popular and often chosen by women who remained unmarried. The large number of Irish-American Catholic women who became teachers was helped by Ireland's national school system. Irish schools prepared young women to support themselves, inspiring them to value education and careers for their daughters.

In New York City, by 1870, 20% of all schoolteachers were Irish women. By 1890, Irish women made up two-thirds of teachers in some areas. Irish women earned good reputations as teachers, which helped some pursue even higher professions.

Irish American Nuns

Many Irish women who came to the U.S. became Catholic nuns. They joined sisterhoods in cities like St. Louis, St. Paul, and Troy. These women often went back to Ireland to recruit more nuns. This religious life appealed to Irish women because they outnumbered men, and Irish culture often encouraged delaying marriage and celibacy. The Catholic Church and nuns were highly respected in Ireland, making sisterhoods attractive.

Nuns provided great support for Irish immigrants in cities, especially in nursing and teaching. They also ran orphanages, homes for widows, and housing for single women. While many Irish communities built parish schools run by nuns, most Irish parents in Eastern cities sent their children to public schools, where Irish American women were already teachers.

Discrimination Faced by Irish Americans

1862 song (Female version)

1862 song that used the "No Irish Need Apply" slogan. It was copied from a similar London song.

Unfair feelings against Irish people were common in the U.S. in the 1800s and early 1900s. Growing anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant feelings among Protestant Americans led to more discrimination against Irish Americans in the 1850s. This reached a peak with the Know Nothing Movement, which tried to remove Catholics from public office. This party disappeared after a few years.

Catholics and Protestants generally kept their distance. Marriages between them were uncommon and discouraged by both sides. Instead, Irish Catholics often married people from other ethnic groups who shared their religion, like German Catholics or Italians.

Irish-American journalists often reported on insults against the Irish in America. Much of what we know about this hostility comes from their reports in Irish and Democratic newspapers.

While Catholic parishes worked to build their own schools, many Catholic children attended public schools. The Protestant King James Version of the Bible was widely used in public schools, but Catholics were forbidden by their church from reading it. Many Irish children felt that Catholicism was openly made fun of in classrooms. In New York City, school lessons sometimes showed Catholics, especially the Irish, in a negative light.

Catholic Archbishop John Hughes, an Irish immigrant, campaigned for public funding for Catholic education because of this unfair treatment. Although he never got public money for private schools, his efforts led to public education becoming more secular across the country. Also, Catholic colleges like Fordham University and Boston College grew, offering options for Irish students who couldn't attend other colleges.

New York Times want ad 1854—the only New York Times ad with NINA for men.

Many Irish work crews were hired to build canals, railroads, and city streets. In the South, they sometimes worked for less money than enslaved people. This led to small cities that were railroad centers having large Irish populations.

In 1895, the Knights of Equity was founded to fight discrimination against Irish Catholics and offer them financial help.

Contributions to American Culture

The yearly celebration of Saint Patrick's Day is a well-known symbol of Irish presence in America. New York City hosts the largest celebration, with its parade drawing millions. Boston has the second-largest, dating back to 1737. Savannah, Georgia, also has a big parade.

Irish Americans have contributed to U.S. culture in many areas, including arts, film, literature, politics, sports, and religion. Famous Irish American entertainers include James Cagney, Bing Crosby, Walt Disney, and Judy Garland. Irish-born actress Maureen O'Hara became known for playing strong Irish women in films. More recently, Pierce Brosnan, also Irish-born, became famous as James Bond. Early TV stars with Irish roots included Jackie Gleason and Ed Sullivan.

Irish American contributions to politics cover all viewpoints. Socialists like Mary Harris "Mother" Jones and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn were Irish Americans. In the 1960s, writer Michael Harrington influenced social welfare programs. On the other side, William F. Buckley became a major voice in American conservative politics.

Some Irish Americans became famous for less positive reasons, like the outlaw Billy the Kid. Mary Mallon, known as Typhoid Mary, was an Irish immigrant who spread disease. Dancer Isadora Duncan was also Irish American.

Music and Entertainment

The popularity of Celtic music has led to many Irish American bands that use traditional Irish themes. Groups like Black 47 and Dropkick Murphys blend Irish music with rock and other styles. The Decemberists, with Irish-American singer Colin Meloy, have songs about Irish topics. Flogging Molly, led by Dublin-born Dave King, is another popular band in this style.

Irish Americans have also been prominent in comedy. Famous comedians of Irish descent include Jimmy Dore, Jackie Gleason, George Carlin, Bill Murray, and Conan O'Brien.

Musicians of Irish descent include Billie Eilish, Christina Aguilera, Kurt Cobain, Bing Crosby, Katy Perry, and Bruce Springsteen.

Food Traditions

Irish immigrants brought many traditional Irish recipes to the United States. They changed these recipes to use the ingredients available in America. Irish Americans introduced foods like soda bread and colcannon to American cooking. The famous Irish American meal of corned beef and cabbage was created by Irish immigrants in the U.S. They adapted it from the traditional Irish dish of bacon and cabbage. Corned beef was popular because it was cheap and easy to find in the U.S. Irish beer like Guinness is widely enjoyed in the United States, especially on St. Patrick's Day.

Sports Achievements

Starting with the children of the Famine generation, Irish Americans became very successful in baseball and boxing, and played a big role in other sports.

Logo of the Boston Celtics basketball team

Famous athletes include NFL quarterbacks John Elway and Tom Brady, NBA forward Rick Barry, tennis stars Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan, and boxing legend Jack Dempsey.

The Philadelphia Phillies started the tradition of wearing green uniforms on St. Patrick's Day.

Irish Americans were very important in professional baseball in the late 1800s. They made up a large part of the players, stars, and managers. Baseball offered a path to success for young Irish men. Famous Irish baseball players included Charles Comiskey, Connie Mack, and John McGraw. Many Irish Americans were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Philadelphia Phillies baseball team always plays at home on St. Patrick's Day during spring training. They were the first team to wear green uniforms for the holiday, a tradition started by pitcher Tug McGraw in 1981.

Two Irish stars: "Gentleman Jim" Corbett defeats John L. Sullivan in 1892.

John L. Sullivan, the heavyweight boxing champion, was one of the first modern sports superstars. He won many fights and earned a lot of money.

The Irish also brought their native games of handball, hurling, and Gaelic football to America. These sports are part of the Gaelic Athletic Association, which has many clubs across North America.

Holidays and Celebrations

Halloween is a holiday with Irish origins.

Sense of Heritage and Identity

Irish Republican mural in South Boston, Massachusetts

Many Americans with Irish roots still identify strongly with their Irish heritage.

The Chicago River, dyed green for the 2005 St. Patrick's Day celebration.

Groups like the Fenian Brotherhood supported Irish independence from the United Kingdom. The Fenian Brotherhood launched some attacks on British-controlled Canada in the 1860s. Other organizations, like the Friends of Irish Freedom and Clan na Gael, raised millions of dollars to support Irish independence movements. NORAID, an Irish American fundraising group, also collected money to help families of Irish republican members.

Irish heritage organizations, such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians, work to preserve Irish culture in the United States. This includes dance, language, music, and sports.

Many Americans continue to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Traditionally, corned beef and boiled cabbage are served in Irish-American homes. This dish was created by Irish immigrants in the U.S., adapting it from a traditional Irish recipe. Corned beef was popular because it was cheap and easy to find.

Sometimes, Americans, both with and without Irish roots, are criticized for misunderstanding Irish culture. The term "Plastic Paddy" is sometimes used to describe people of Irish ancestry whose ties to modern Ireland are seen as weak.

Some American conservatives have also been criticized for making exaggerated claims about how Irish people were treated in the U.S. They sometimes compare this to the struggles of other minority groups, without fully acknowledging the different challenges faced by various groups or how Irish Americans eventually became part of the general "Whiteness" in America.

Demographics of Irish Americans

Cities with Irish American Populations

Population density of people born in Ireland, 1870; these were mostly Catholics; the older Scots-Irish immigration is not shown.

Most Irish Catholic Americans settled in cities across the North, especially railroad centers and mill towns. They became a very urbanized group, with few becoming farmers. Cities with many Irish Americans include Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, and San Francisco. Massachusetts has the highest percentage of people with Irish ancestry, about 21.2% of its population.

The towns in Massachusetts with the highest percentage of Irish-descended Americans are Scituate (47.5%), Milton (44.6%), and Braintree (46.5%). Quincy, Massachusetts, has a large Irish-descended population, with its Squantum neighborhood having nearly 60% of residents claiming Irish descent.

Philadelphia, Boston, New York, and Chicago have historically had neighborhoods with many Irish American residents. The most Irish American states are Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. Butte, Montana, is also known for its large Irish American population due to its history as a mining center. Smaller towns like Greeley, Nebraska, also have high percentages of Irish Americans, often due to Irish Catholic colonization efforts in the 1880s.

2020 Irish American Population by State

As of 2020, this table shows the estimated number and percentage of Irish Americans in each U.S. state and Washington D.C.:

Estimated Irish American population by state
State	Number	Percentage
Alabama	392,052	8.01%
Alaska	71,425	9.69%
Arizona	617,231	8.60%
Arkansas	283,345	9.41%
California	2,331,714	5.93%
Colorado	619,321	10.89%
Connecticut	537,144	15.04%
Delaware	137,609	14.22%
District of Columbia	49,498	7.05%
Florida	1,776,586	8.37%
Georgia	738,036	7.02%
Hawaii	62,439	4.40%
Idaho	159,301	9.08%
Illinois	1,401,831	11.02%
Indiana	697,417	10.41%
Iowa	409,015	12.98%
Kansas	329,541	11.31%
Kentucky	500,792	11.22%
Louisiana	305,477	6.55%
Maine	223,464	16.67%
Maryland	594,307	9.84%
Massachusetts	1,354,532	19.71%
Michigan	1,017,747	10.20%
Minnesota	560,185	10.00%
Mississippi	201,669	6.76%
Missouri	750,732	12.26%
Montana	144,683	13.63%
Nebraska	229,468	11.93%
Nevada	246,595	8.14%
New Hampshire	278,913	20.58%
New Jersey	1,181,301	13.29%
New Mexico	127,440	6.08%
New York	2,167,420	11.11%
North Carolina	832,880	8.02%
North Dakota	56,241	7.40%
Ohio	1,480,335	12.68%
Oklahoma	400,967	10.15%
Oregon	460,088	11.02%
Pennsylvania	1,978,043	15.46%
Rhode Island	182,012	17.21%
South Carolina	435,703	8.56%
South Dakota	88,957	10.12%
Tennessee	628,562	9.28%
Texas	1,745,532	6.10%
Utah	185,927	5.90%
Vermont	103,241	16.54%
Virginia	767,238	9.02%
Washington	759,024	10.10%
West Virginia	232,834	12.88%
Wisconsin	615,730	10.60%
Wyoming	66,585	11.45%
United States	31,518,129	9.65%

Irish American Communities and Status

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Butte, Montana, has the highest percentage of Irish Americans per person, with about a quarter of its population reporting Irish ancestry. Boston and Philadelphia have the two largest Irish American populations overall.

Boston has many Irish neighborhoods, especially South Boston. Philadelphia's Irish neighborhoods are in Northeast and South Philadelphia. The South Side of Chicago also has a large Irish community.

There are about 10,000 Irish Travelers living in the United States.

In 2023, Irish Americans had a higher average income than the total U.S. population and all White Americans. Irish American men and women also had higher median earnings. Irish American households had a higher median income than the total population.

Irish Americans are generally more educated than the total population. About 96.2% have finished high school, and 44.3% have a bachelor's degree or higher.

About 64% of Irish Americans are in the workforce. Many work in management, business, science, and arts (51.1%). A large number also work in sales and office jobs (19.8%). Many Irish Americans work in education, healthcare, and professional services.

Notable Irish Americans

Irish Americans in Politics and Government

1928 Democratic Presidential Nominee Al Smith was the first Irish Catholic nominee of a major political party.

By the 1850s, Irish Americans were very present in city police departments. In New York City in 1855, 305 of 1,149 police officers were Irish-born. Within 30 years, Irish Americans made up almost double their share of the city's population in the NYPD. Boston's police and fire departments offered many Irish immigrants their first jobs. By 1860, 49 of Chicago's 107 police officers were Irish.

Irish Catholic Americans have been well-organized since 1850. They have produced many leaders in the U.S. Catholic Church, labor unions, the Democratic Party in large cities, and Catholic schools and universities.

Milwaukee and Detroit currently have Irish American mayors. New York City has had at least three Irish-born mayors and over eight Irish American mayors. The most recent was William O'Dwyer, elected in 1945.

The political influence of Irish Protestants has not been studied as much. By the late 1800s, most Protestant Irish had blended into the American Protestant community.

Irish American Supreme Court Justices

Joseph McKenna
Edward D. White
Pierce Butler
Frank Murphy
James Francis Byrnes
William J. Brennan
Anthony Kennedy
Neil Gorsuch (partial maternal Irish ancestry)
Brett Kavanaugh
Amy Coney Barrett