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Irish in New York
The aim of this project is to created a genealogical collection of profiles for Irish who settled in New York, this project includes all boroughs.
The secondary aim of this project is to connect the Irish New Yorkers to their place or origin in Ireland.
About the Irish in New York
The Irish community is one of New York's major and important ethnic groups, and has been a significant proportion of the city's population since the waves of immigration in the late 19th century.
As a result of the Great Famine in Ireland, many Irish families were forced to emigrate from the country. By 1854, between 1.5 and 2 million Irish had left their country. In the United States, most Irish became city-dwellers. With little money, many had to settle in the cities that the ships landed in. By 1850, the Irish made up a quarter of the population in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Buffalo, and Baltimore.
New York City today has the largest number of Irish-Americans of any city in the United States. During the Celtic Tiger years, when the Irish economy was booming, a buying spree of homes and apartments by native Irish in New York City as second homes, or as investment property was seen.
Irish-Americans play a significant role in New York city and state politics, media, Wall Street, the Roman Catholic church, and the major sports leagues. They have been highly active in the Fire Department of New York City, New York City Police Department, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Historic Irish neighborhoods in New York
- Bainbridge, Bronx
- Five Points/Chinatown, Manhattan
- Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan
- Inwood, Manhattan
- Woodhaven, Queens
- Mott Haven, Bronx
- Kingsbridge, Bronx
- University Heights, Bronx
- Parkchester, Bronx
Notable Irish New Yorkers
Majors
- James Duane
- William Jay Gaynor
- Thomas F. Gilroy Irish-born
- William R. Grace , Irish-born
- Hugh J. Grant
- John F. Hylan
- John Purroy Mitchel
- John P. O'Brien
- William O'Dwyer, Irish-born
- Jimmy Walker
- Robert F. Wagner Jr. - his mother was from Cork
Irish Bishops of the Archdiocese of New York
- R. Luke Concanen, Irish-born
- John Connolly, Irish-born
- Terence Cooke
- Michael Corrigan
- Timothy Dolan
- Edward Egan
- John Farley, Irish-born
- Patrick Hayes
- John Joseph Hughes, Irish-born
- John McCloskey
- John Joseph O'Connor
- Francis Spellman
"Notable Irish New Yorkers"
- James L. Buckley, U.S. senator, federal judge
- William F. Buckley Jr., writer, editor of National Review
- William F. Buckley, Sr., oil baron
- Edward Burns, actor, writer, director
- Joseph Brennan, basketball player
- Jimmy Breslin, former New York Daily News and Newsday writer
- Matthew Broderick, actor
- Jimmy Burke, gangster
- James Cagney, actor
- Hugh Carey, Governor of New York
- George Carlin, comedian
- William Bourke Cockran, congressman and noted Tammany Hall orator
- George M Cohan, entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, and producer
- Mad Dog Coll, gangster
- Margaret Colin. actress
- James B. Comey, Deputy Attorney General of the United States
- Jennifer Connelly, actress, model, Academy Award winner
- Kevin Connors, ESPN sportscaster
- James Coonan, gangster
- Gerry Cooney, boxer
- Bob Costas, sports broadcaster, television personality
- Charles Dolan, billionaire, owner of Cablevision, Madison Square Garden & Knicks
- James Dolan, billionaire, owner of New York Rangers & Radio City Music Hall
- William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League
- Art Donovan, football player
- Charles J. Dougherty, president of Duquesne University
- Francis Patrick Duffy, priest, Lieutenant Colonel and chaplain of 69th Infantry Regiment (New York)
- Mike Dunleavy, Sr., basketball player, National Basketball Association head coach
- Bill Dwyer, gangster
- Eagleton, John T., NY State Assemblyman
- Mickey Featherstone, gangster
- Patrick Fitzgerald, United States Attorney
- Bobby Flay, chef, television host, restaurateur
- Mick Foley, wrestler, author
- Jackie Gleason, comedian
- Pete Hamill, writer, editor in chief of New York Daily News & New York Post
- Henry Hill, gangster
- Charles J. Hynes District Attorney for Kings County
- Mychal F. Judge, OFM, priest and Chaplain of the Fire Department of New York
- George W. Keller, architect
- Raymond W. Kelly, New York Police Department Commissioner
- Caroline Kennedy, author, attorney, daughter of President John F. Kennedy
- John F. Kennedy, Jr., son of John F. Kennedy, magazine editor
- George Kennedy, actor
- Steven McDonald, NYPD Detective, public speaker, peace maker
- Owney Madden, gangster
- Dennis Hart Mahan, professor of military theory and engineering at West Point
- Alfred Thayer Mahan, influential naval historian
- Wellington Mara, owner of New York Giants, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Frank McCourt, author, winner of Pulitzer Prize for literature
- John McEnroe, tennis player, winner of seven Grand Slam tournaments
- Patrick McEnroe, tennis player
- Roderick McMahon, boxing and sports promoter
- Vincent J. McMahon owner of World Wrestling Entertainment, sports promoter
- Mary Tyler Moore, actress
- Daniel Patrick Moynihan, U.S. Senator
- Joe Mullen, hockey player
- Richard Mulligan, actor
- Chris Mullin, basketball player, member of 1992 Dream Team
- Conan O'Brien, late night talk show host
- John P. O'Brien, mayor of New York City
- Jerry O'Connell, actor
- Carroll O'Connor, actor
- Charles O'Conor, United States Attorney, former presidential candidate
- Rosie O'Donnell, actress, comedian
- Ryan O'Neal, actor
- Tatum O'Neal, actress
- James Aloysius O'Gorman one-term United States Senator from New York, Justice of the New York District Court, Justice of the New York Supreme Court
- Walter O'Malley, owner of Brooklyn Dodgers, infamous for moving them to Los Angeles
- Bill O'Reilly, news commentator
- Regis Philbin, television personality
- Colin Quinn, comedian
- Richard Riordan, former mayor of Los Angeles
- Frank Shannon, Florida politician, political analyst, conservative columnist, and writer
- Al Smith, governor of New York, 1928 Democratic Party presidential candidate
- John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO
- Gene Tunney, boxer
- Jimmy Walker, mayor of New York City