"The Most Irish Town in America?"

[Smaland]

Brendan McDonough in Butte, MT. Image posted in The Irish Times.

High in the US Rockies, the one-time mining town of Butte, Montana – Irish-American stronghold and home town of Evel Knievel – is revving up for its annual St Patrick’s Day parade, celebrating links with Cavan, Cork, Kerry and Mayo, writes FRANCIS CURRAN

THEY SAY that Butte, Montana, has the largest St Patrick’s Day parade in the Rockies, but I didn’t know whether it was going to be far removed from the reality of Ireland, a sort of disconnected theme parade. Was the Irishness of the participants merely an imaginary notion? Did they have any real contemporary connection, any awareness of what was going on in Ireland?

Full story

[Cato]

My hometown has an Irish neighborhood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tipperary_Hill

Well, it's more than Irish these days, but you get the idea. Too bad Tipp Hill borders the west side of town, which is basically all blacks and other minorities.

[Cato]

An antecdote about Tipp Hill, off topic, but I thought it was funny when I read it in the Wikipedia article.

When the city first installed traffic signal lights in 1925, manufactured by Crouse-Hinds Company of Syracuse, they placed one at a major intersection on Tipperary Hill at the corner of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue. This was the main business district of the area.

The "Green-on-Top" or "Red-on-Bottom" Traffic LightLocal Irish youths, incensed that anyone would dare to put the "British" red above the "Irish" green, threw stones at the signal and broke the red light. The city replaced it, but the Irish soon threw more stones and broke the replacement.

John "Huckle" Ryan, then alderman of the Tipperary Hill section, requested that Tipperary Hill's first traffic signal be hung with the green above the red in deference to its Irish residents. This was done, but soon the State of New York stepped in with regulations. City officials reversed the colors. This despite assurances from local residents that what they were doing was "against nature and would never stand the test of time."

Once again, the red topped the green and officials noted that the signal light began to fail on a regular basis. The local press reported it "was the work of the Little People." Officials doubted this theory, but still were reported to have commented that the marksmanship of those responsible for shattering each red light they installed was "nothing short of miraculous." As fast as a red lens was replaced, it disintegrated.

A contingent of residents went to the city fathers including local businessmen John R. O'Reilley, Dinty Gilmartin, Jim Kernan, Dr. Raymond Devine, and Isadore Wichman. They were members of a group called Tipperary Hill Protective Association.

On March 17, 1928, Commissioner Bradley handled the meeting with the Tipp Hill residents. It was explained to him carefully, "Directing traffic's one thing, but an insult's another, and a thing like that on a day like this is an insult." When the commissioner did not quite get the point, it was explained to him carefully, "It's that light at Tompkins and Milton. If you don't do something about it at once, you won't have a light there tonight."

When the commissioner questioned what the problem with the light was, he was told, "Why, what do you think is the matter with it? Here it is St. Patrick's Day and darned if that light isn't flashing; first green, which is all right, and then orange, and then red. It's got to stop. I want to tell you this and I want you to get it straight and don't get excited about it. That light isn't going to stand there all day flashing its red and orange all over Tipperary Hill. Not while there's any stones on the hill."

The city leaders relented, to a point, and green was given the place of honor, however, they would not remove the traffic signal despite the members request. To this day, the green light is still above the red.

Throughout the years, the local youths are remembered fondly by Tipp Hill residents as the Stonethrower's.

[The Lawspeaker]

[Cato]

You know I've through Tipp Hill so many times, I've never even noticed the traffic lights are different.

[Gálvez]

If with America you also include Canada, then it's Newfoundland:

Newfoundland: The Most Irish Place Outside of Ireland

[Cato]

Irish-Americans is one of the largest ethnic groups in the U.S.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_American

The population of Irish-descended Americans is probably much higher given that there're many Americans who've got Irish ancestry who don't identify with Ireland (like me; I just call myself English/Anglo).

[Jack B]

Irish-Americans is one of the largest ethnic groups in the U.S.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_American

The population of Irish-descended Americans is probably much higher given that there're many Americans who've got Irish ancestry who don't identify with Ireland (like me; I just call myself English/Anglo).

There was a programme on tv here not long ago which stated the exact opposite, that perhaps more than half of those claiming Catholic Irish ancestry in the States are in fact of Protestant Scots-Irish or Ulster Scots descent, they went into some detail and used some famous examples. Either way there was obviously a significant influence, as shown by some of the names above

John R. O'Reilley, Dinty Gilmartin, Jim Kernan, Dr. Raymond Devine, and Isadore Wichman.

Aside from Isador Wichman they all sound like everyday names here, even have a Dinty

[Cato]

There was a programme on tv here not long ago which stated the exact opposite, that perhaps more than half of those claiming Catholic Irish ancestry in the States are in fact of Protestant Scots-Irish or Ulster Scots descent, they went into some detail and used some famous examples.

As far as I know I don't have any Catholics in the family tree, so you might be right.

[Nglund]

The population of Irish-descended Americans is probably much higher given that there're many Americans who've got Irish ancestry who don't identify with Ireland (like me; I just call myself English/Anglo).

The same applies to English Americans.
I say...

We can't have you anyway, feck tha' !!!