Aug16Wed

The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia

Irish (The) and Ireland
By William E. Watson

Contacts between the Philadelphia region and Ireland began in the late seventeenth century, shortly after the creation of Penn’s colony. Long a part of the urban fabric of Philadelphia, Irish Catholics endured nativist assaults of the Bible Riots of 1844 and did not see one of their own become mayor until  James H. J. Tate, who served from 1962 to 1972. By the twenty-first century, the Irish continued to exert significant cultural and political influence in the region, especially in South and Northeast Philadelphia and in surrounding suburban counties.

See reference below to the Irish Chamber.

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Aug14Mon

Irish Philadelphia Farewell

On Thursday, August 10th, the Irish Community in Philadelphia partnered to celebrate our Consul General, Barbara Jones, and wish her well in her next post as Ireland’s Ambassador to Mexico.

Many thanks to our members, Free Library of Philadelphia, PA Department of Community & Economic Development, and Villanova University Center for Irish Studies, who were generous event sponsors. It was our pleasure to join the Irish Community in presenting this very special event.

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Jul12Wed

From IrishCentral.com: 2017 Green Card Lottery Results

Anti-American countries get far more green cards than than the Irish do
By Niall O’Dowd
IrishCentral.com

The numbers from the annual diversity lottery visa are out and they make this Irishman’s blood boil. We’ve been had as a nation, as one of the founder countries who helped create this great republic.

What the 1965 immigration reform act has done for the Irish is made new Irish immigrants as scarce as hen’s teeth.

And yes I know, it was Senator Edward Kennedy who played the major role in drafting that law. He tried to reverse its anti-Irish outcome before he died, but it was too late.

Now comes just the latest example. Each year 50,000 US Green Cards are allocated among 35 countries who are disadvantaged by current immigration law.

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