Irish Pride- Uncovering New York’s 25 Most Irish Cities

When you think of New York State, do you think of a place that has a lot of people of Irish descent? Here's 25 of the most Irish cities and towns in all of New York state.

With the United States being the great melting pot that it is, there are people from all walks of life in this country. Believe it or not- New York especially has quite the high amount of Irish people living here, if for no other reason than Ellis Island. Of course that was the place where millions of immigrants entered the U.S. How many of those immigrants moved northwest to Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, and beyond though?

When it comes to March, it is the time when everyone celebrates St. Patrick's Day. To be honest, celebrating by getting drunk on green beer and eating too much corned beef may not have been how the Irish intended this day. In fact, St. Patrick's Day is considered a religious day.

Why did so many Irish come to New York State?

According to Macaulay, the Great Famine had left thousands of Irish with no food, no money and no clothes. People needed a place to go:

Emigration from Ireland increased from 40% to nearly 85%. They settled in the cities that the ships landed in, one of them being New York City, which the Irish soon made up a quarter of the population in 1850."

After 1855, the numbers that arrived became smaller and smaller. Between 1820 and 1880, almost 3.5 million Irishmen had entered the United States. New York City today has the largest number of Irish-Americans of any city in America.

Where Can You Find The Most Irish Cities In New York State?

Here's a list thanks to Zip Atlas where you can find the most Irish cities in the state: