History of the Irish in Saint Paul
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Irish in
Despite being outnumbered by the
History
The first Irish to come in Minnesota were immigrants who served as soldiers at nearby
A number of strong fraternal organizations had chapters in Saint Paul including the
One of the most direct connections to Ireland that still exists is Connemara Patch. In 1880, Archbishop Ireland attempted to settle the area around
In 1850 more than half of the Irish were unskilled laborers.[7] A large portion of the Saint Paul Police Department have been Irish since the 1850s.[7] The Irish in Saint Paul, like those in the Eastern United States participated heavily in politics. Many sought government jobs such as policemen, due to the job security. As a result, the Irish's particularly visible role prompted complaints and allegations from other ethnic groups such as the Germans who wanted more representation.[14]
Politics
Nine of the ten men who served as mayors of Saint Paul between 1932 and 1972 were Irish.
The O'Connor System was created by the Chief of Police, John J. O'Connor and his brother Richard. The system allowed known criminals to live in the city as long as they obeyed the law in Saint Paul. As a result, criminals such as Machine Gun Kelly, John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson lived in Saint Paul. After the O'Connor brothers retired from politics and a series of high-profile kidnappings occurred, the system fell apart.[18]
Population
The city had a sizable Irish population working as household servants and dock laborers in 1851. In the 1857 census only 17% of Saint Paul's 9,973 residents were born in the United States. The largest foreign-born group were the Germans, with the Irish being the next largest.[19] Immigration from Ireland peaked in 1890.[20] In 1880, Irish immigrants made up 10% of Saint Paul's work force; 10 years later they made up 6%.[21] In 1895, Irish-born residents made up between three and five percent of Saint Paul residents.[22]
Culture
Irish Fair of Minnesota
The grounds of Harriet Island in St. Paul, is the location for the annual Irish culture festival, known as the Irish Fair of Minnesota. It is held in August of every year. Visitors can choose from the many activities the festival has to offer, like listening to music on one of the three stages, having a bit of Irish food and drink, learning about the many engaging aspects of Irish culture, taking part in a workshop on how to play the Irish bodhran, watching the incredible Irish dancers, and perusing through the Irish marketplace. The Irish Fair is free, no admission charge to the festival.
Saint Patrick's Day
Saint Paul held Minnesota's first St Patrick's Day parade in 1851. The celebration was an impromptu event, with 300 participants partaking in flag-raising, speeches and a fired salute.[7] When the parades first started, temperance was an integral theme. The Irish Catholic Temperance Society led many of the first parades, and in 1856 the Benevolent Society of Erin hosted a dinner complete with toasts of cold water. Festivities grew more elaborate during the Civil War.[23] The celebration reached a zenith in 1901, when the city's chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians arranged special railroad rates in conjunction with James J. Hill, and as a result 4,000 people took part in the parade. The following year no activities took place, with the Irish celebrating "very quietly and religiously". Archbishop Ireland called to a halt celebrations that had turned into what he termed "midnight orgies". Around a half of a century later, the parade was revived by downtown businessmen in 1967.[24] The parade has since grown to be an organized affair with 100,000 attending the downtown parade in 2007.[25][26] In addition to a parade, the Irish Music and Dance Association hosts dancing, live music, and vendors in the nearby Landmark Center.[27]
Notables
- Archbishop John Ireland
- James J. Hill
- F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Danny Hogan
- Randy Kelly
- Chris Coleman[28]
- Éamon a Búrc
Notes
- ^ Kunz, Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years, 32
- ^ Regan, Irish in Minnesota, 29
- ^ Kunz, Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years, 10
- ^ Regan, Irish In Minnesota, 7
- ^ Kunz, Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years, 12
- ^ Kunz, Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years, 15-16
- ^ a b c d Kunz, Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years, 33
- ^ Regan, Irish In Minnesota, 31
- ^ a b c Kunz, Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years, 57
- ^ Regan, Irish In Minnesota, 44-45
- ^ Regan, Irish In Minnesota, 22-23
- ^ Binchy, Brewer's dictionary of Irish phrase & fable, 393
- ^ Johnston, Minnesota's Irish, 43-46
- ^ Kunz, Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years, 56-57
- ^ Kunz, Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years, 79
- ^ Kunz, Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years, 79-80
- ^ Johnston, Minnesota's Irish, 16
- ^ Kunz, Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years, 79-81
- ^ Kunz, Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years, 35
- ^ News Tribune, (March 17, 2007), "EH?", Duluth News Tribune
- ^ Regan, Irish in Minnesota, 35
- ^ Regan, Irish in Minnesota, 32
- ^ Johnston, Minnesota's Irish, pp.82-84
- ^ Johnston, Minnesota's Irish, pp.82-86
- Saint Paul Pioneer Press
- Saint Paul Pioneer Press
- ^ Saint Patrick's Day Irish Music and Dance Association
- ^ Crosby, Jackie (March 17, 2006), "For Mayor Coleman, it's easy being green - The St. Paul mayor brings a strong Irish heritage as he celebrates St. Patrick's Day and leads the city's annual parade.", Star Tribune
References
- Johnston, Patricia Condon (1984). Minnesota's Irish. Afton, Minnesota: Johnston Pub. Inc. ISBN 0-942934-07-5.
- Don Boxmeyer; Donald Empson. The Street Where You Live: A Guide to the Place Names of St. Paul. ISBN 0-8166-4729-1.
- Regan, Ann (2002). Irish in Minnesota. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press. ISBN 0-87351-419-X.
- Kunz, Virginia Brainard. Saint Paul: The First One Hundred and Fifty Years. Bookmen. ISBN 0-9630690-0-4.
- Binchy, Maeve; O'Donoghue, Jo (2004). Brewer's dictionary of Irish phrase & fable. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-304-36334-0.
- Wingerd, Mary Lethert (2001). Claiming the city: politics, faith, and the power of place in St. Paul. Ithaca, N.Y: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-8885-0.