Proud to be Irish and all that it means
Curious about my Irish heritage, I conducted research over many years, visited Ireland three times and subsequently published a book on our family tree for my immediate family and relatives. The endeavor was a humbling experience. I gained immense respect for the sacrifices and hardships my ancestors endured, both here and in Ireland, to make each generation after them more successful.
Every March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day. Both a cultural and religious holiday for those of Irish descent, it’s a day of celebration and pride in their contributions to American society. The celebrations are open to all nationalities, leading to the saying that “everyone gets to be Irish on St. Patrick’s Day.”
But not everyone is aware of Irish history and the plight of the Irish who traveled a torturous path of political oppression, famine and indentured servitude to get to America.
Historically, England ruled Ireland and its laws deprived Catholics of their rights to worship, vote, speak their language, own land, horses and guns. To meet labor needs in their many colonies, England forcibly deported large numbers of Irish to serve as indentured servants in the Caribbean, America and Australia. The 1845 potato famine in Ireland resulted in about one million Irish dying of starvation and another million migrating to many countries – especially America. The many cargo ships (referred to as coffin ships) that transported them to America were not built for carrying humans. Herded like livestock into cramped quarters for the 60-day trip across the North Atlantic, they lacked food, water, light and toilets. The trip mortality rate was in excess of 25 percent.
Discrimination continued into the 1900s. For example, on the Titanic, Irish passengers were quartered in steerage (also known as third class), near the boiler rooms. Those who saw the movie Titanic may recall that when the ship was sinking, gates were pulled across the exits from steerage to prevent third-class passengers from getting into life boats ahead of firstand second-class passengers.
Appreciative of the freedoms and opportunities that America offered, the Irish have contributed greatly to American society. For example, 23 of our 46 presidents have been of Irish descent, including recent presidents George Bush and Barack Obama. More information on the contributions of the Irish to American society can be found online in President Biden’s “A Proclamation on Irish-american Heritage Month, 2022.”