The Irish in America

by Michael Coffey

The companion volume to a PBS television series, a compendium of essays, photographs, and illustrations explores the social, cultural, and political history of Irish Americans through contributions by Pete Hamill, Frank McCourt, Peggy Noonan, and others. TV tie-in."

Genres: History, Ireland, Nonfiction, American History, Irish Literature

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Michael Coffey received his B.A. in English at the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. from Leeds University in Anglo-Irish Literature. Former co-editorial director at Publishers Weekly, he has published three books of poems, a collection of short stories, a book about baseball’s perfect games, and co-edited a book about Irish immigration to America.

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty scattered but enjoyable reading, especially for picking up and putting down in short bits. It covers a lot of territory starting with the Irish emigration to the Americas in the 1840s due to potato blight, starvation, and incredibly bad policies by their English rulers at that time. The history of these immigrants to the new world comes first in chapters dealing with the shepherding of the Catholic Church in major cities on the east coast (not all were Catholic, but it was often safe to stick together), Irish American enthusiasm for politics—again a protection, work that these usually poorly educated farm kids found, and finally into the 20th century when many did far better than their immediate ancestors. There is good coverage of the arts, music and high office.

The illustrations and photographs are particularly interesting and the main text is interspersed with sidebars by famous people explaining some of their experiences or city life. Scattered but always interesting.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimate Reading Challenge 2017. A book about immigrants.

Irish have been coming to America since colonial days and continue to come even today, however, there was a mass emigration from 1845 - 1851 as a result of the potato famine. During a period of ten years beginning with the initial incidence of the potato famine, the population of Ireland decreased by 1/4th. About 1/2 of those died and about 1/2 left; many who left died before arriving either in the U.S. or Canada and others died not long after arriving.

Among the more famous Irish Americans who have contributed to the U.S. are: Eugene O'Neill, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Henry Ford, Daniel Boone, Davey Crockett, Henry Knox, Commodore John Barry, Andrew Jackson, Sinclair Lewis, Andrew Greeley, Matthew Brady, Audie Murphy, Helen Hayes, Walt Disney, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ronald Reagan, Nellie Bly, Gracie Allen, Stephen Foster, George M. Cohan, Walter Brennan, James Cagney, Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, Gene Kelly, John Wayne, Ellen Burstyn, Carroll O'Connor, Rosemary Clooney, Maureen O'Sullivan and 4 individuals who won the Pulitzer Prize between 1986 and 1997 (Jimmy Breslin, Anna Quindlen, Jim Dwyer, and Eileen McNamara. A great many Irish Catholic bishops, priests, and nuns emigrated to the U.S. Since the inception of the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, more Irish American have won that award than any other ethnic group. Many who came went into politics. A great number of young single females came to work as servants, either cooks or maids. Men helped to build the canals, railroads, and buildings. Many were miners. Police and fire departments were once dominated by Irish Americans. And they did all this DESPITE signs that read NO IRISH NEED APPLY. They have good reason to be proud, yet unlike some other immigrant groups, they readily assimilated and consider themselves Americans.

At one time there were more Irish in New York City than in either Dublin or Belfast. Until recently, all those who left knew they would never seem home or family again. They knew the passage was dangerous. They had no idea what awaited them in North America and many died from cholera or accidents in the dangerous work the men undertook. YET many did survive and more followed them.

[Gilbert G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting and enlightening. The Irish were terribly discriminated against after landing in America.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is lovely. A very nice companion for my commute, complete with interesting historical facts and lovely accents.

[Shandril · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful picture book showing the Irish struggle in America, full of history and anecdotal tales.

[Glenda McCarthy]

Read chapter on the Great Famine, excellent. Read pieces on Eugene O'Neill, Denis Leary's rant :) ... nice