Immigrants from Ireland were instrumental in helping build and shape New York City during the second half of the nineteenth century and the first twenty years of the twentieth century.  The sheer numbers that the Irish immigrants arrived in was enough to impact New York significantly.  Three hundred thousand Irish immigrants were living in New York City around 1880.  That huge proportion of New York’s total population, in addition to the strong cultural unity the Irish brought with them made a lasting impact on New York almost certain.  The lasting impact of the Irish on New York City is a combination of both positive and negative effects, as well as some effects that just add another cultural notch in the belt that is New York.
   From the time of their arrival, the Irish of New York City were a significant force in the creation and staying power in New York unions.  Beginning with the Knights of Labor and continuing on to the American Federal of Labor, the Irish contributed manpower and a show of strength when labor began to seriously bargain with management in the mid-twentieth century.  But even in the beginning, the Irish were commonly used as cheap labor, and were “essential to the city’s skyrocketing economic growth and the shift to labor-intensive manufacture.” 1  Not only did the Irish work hard building New York’s skyscrapers and subways, but they did so for little.
    Cheap manual labor was not the only way the Irish became important in New York through work though.  The New York Police and Fire Departments have strong Irish backgrounds.  They are the most famous police and fire departments in the world, and are still composed of many Irish-Americans.  Politics is another way that the Irish benefited New York City.  Though Tammany Hall kept the Irish down the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Irish-Americans finally broke into mainstream politics and went on to become major players in New York politics.  Former Governor Al Smith, Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and Representative Joseph Kennedy II are three of the more famous Irish-American politicians that came from New York during the twentieth century.  Teaching was also an area where the Irish, particularly women, benefited New York City, especially at the turn of the twentieth century.  Though their hard work and unity as an ethnic group came to benefit New York City, Irish xenophobia during the nineteenth century certainly scarred the city.
    Because the Irish were so often put down by Protestant Anglo-Americans, the Irish were constantly worried about their job security and low social position in New York during the middle and late nineteenth century.  This worry and fear became racism and bigotry, particularly directed at African-Americans, Italians, and Eastern European Jews.  The New York City Draft Riots of 1863 and the Orange Riots of 1871 are embarrassing examples of how the Irish contributed to the mental segregation and racism that exist in New York.  Although the Irish were among the first people to marry interracially, their overall xenophobia was a set back to New York that can still be seen today when examining population distribution in New York City.  Racism and bigotry is the worst of what the Irish offered when they came to New York more than one hundred fifty years ago.
    Among the neutral effects the Irish of the nineteenth and early twentieth century have had on New York is their dedication and love for Catholicism.  Along with the Germans, it was the Irish who introduced Catholicism to New York on a large scale. Although many Irish have stopped attending the numerous Catholic churches in New York City, many churches remain, and New York is considered America’s most important Catholic diocese.  Countless Irish priests and nuns have also contributed to the well-being of New York’s poor and defenseless by way of running shelters and orphanages.  Catholicism, especially St. Patrick’s Cathedral, remains today an important part of New York and its history.
    Walking around New York today, you cannot go very far without running into an Irish pub or being reminded in some way of the Irish.  New York is as Irish as it is gigantic.  Just watched the thousands of people that parade down Fifth Avenue on St. Patrick’s Day.  Many are not even Irish, but seem to be aware of the role the Irish have played in New York for a long time now.  New York does not belong to the Irish any more, although it once did.  Even though it is an incredible mix of cultures now, New York still is Irish in some ways.  If you are still not convinced, look to the Statue of Liberty.  She’s green.