The New York Irish (Paperback)

~ Ronald Bayor (Editor), Timothy Meagher (Editor) "SEVERAL MAJOR themes emerge from the story of the Irish in early New York..." (more)
Key Phrases: first free exercise case, liberating doubleness, women pickets, New York, Irish American, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

New York was the primary entry point for most Irish immigrants coming to America, so the history of the Irish in New York is, to some extent, also the history of the Irish in America. And it's safe to say that reading the essays in The New York Irish would enrich anyone's understanding of American history, which is, of course, the story of how different ethnic groups came together to form a nation. Of particular interest in the collection are essays about the Irish in New York's early days, from the Colonial period up to the years of the Great Famine (which led to the "Great Migration" of Irish to America). The history of the Irish as they sought to become Americans is often painful, and riots, church burnings, and rampant discrimination are recounted in chilling detail. Yet the essays, which have been intelligently selected and organized, are quite readable and often entertaining.

Review

"A handsome, weighty tome that boasts contributions from the cream of Irish history specialists." -- Irish Echo

"A landmark work for Irish-American scholarship." -- Irish Literary Supplement

"This reading should be compulsory... [for those] who would like to view New York City's history from a different but most significant angle." -- New-York Genealogical and Biographical Record

"This Bayor and Meagher collection repays slow, careful reading, from beginning to end, notes and all. The notes and references are excellent." -- Irish Studies Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 768 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (July 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801857643
• ISBN-13: 978-0801857645
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #413,244 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exhaustive and Significant, January 20, 2004

By	Rocco Dormarunno (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I received this book as a gift from a friend who knew I was fascinated with the history of New York City. She was hesitant to give me this gift because she figured I knew just about everything about the history of Irish immigration to New York. She need not have hesitated. This exhaustive and significant collection of essays and excerpts, brilliantly edited by Ronald Bayor and Timothy Meagher, will offer several nuggets of the Irish experience in NYC that that previously had been ignored, overlooked or misinterpreted.

The essays are arranged chronologically from the first Irish to come to America through to the modern era. I particularly enjoyed the sections surrounding the roles of New York Irish during the era surrounding the American Revolutionary War. The discussions about how Protestant Irishmen defended the rights of Catholic Irishmen is extremely interesting and important, as these court decisions cemented the barrier between church and state.

Also, the book is sprinkled with dozens of well-chosen and well-rendered illustrations. But this is by no means a coffee table book. It's demanding reading but the pay-off is extraordinary. You will learn a lot about one of the many groups that helped make New York City, and for that matter, America become great.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points