IRISH IMMIGRATION IN THE 1800s

In the 19th century, nearly a million Irish emigrated into the U.S., during what became known as the “Irish Potato Famine.” They often arrived sick and weak from lack of food and the hardships of the long journey, and without resources in an unknown land. As a result, they settled in slums that became exclusively Irish, falling prey to sickness and disease due to lack of sanitary conditions and landlords who exploited their desperation. At that time, an Irish adult lived on average just six years after setting foot on American soil. The infant mortality rate among the Irish was one of the highest in the country.

During this time, anti-Irish sentiments became fashionable. Stores and Newspapers often published “NINA” disclaimers: “No Irish Need Apply.”  The Irish were stereotyped as brawling, drunken men with few practical skills. Because of this, Irish men were typically utilized for incredibly dangerous jobs. They would work for less money because they did not make the same demands for reasonable working conditions as other groups.

Irish labor was an invaluable resource for the development of America, where they were most often employed for construction projects, in the course of which thousands of Irish would die. There was an expression among railway men: “an Irishman buried under every tie.” If a worker was injured, he was fired, and if he was killed, his widow and children received no compensation. In the 1840s, Irish men received just under 75 cents a day for 12 hours of work. 

Most Irish women worked in factories or as domestic servants. In Boston, New York and Philadelphia in 1833, Irish women making cotton shirts made six to ten cents a shirt, and could only make nine shirts a week when averaging 14 hours a day (putting the maximum pay at 90 cents per week). Ironically, the Irish were often blamed for causing economic problems, because they would work for lower wages.

We can attribute much of our early infrastructure to the hard work of the Irish. However, they were not welcomed here -- they were taken advantage of, stereotyped, insulted and abused.

When both of their parents died within the year, it was enough for the Dolan brothers to seek out a new start. They had heard of what opportunities existed in the "new world," and thought that it would be worth the risk of the dangerous journey to find a new beginning. However, once Seamus heard about how difficult the journey could be, and how challenging it could be to find a way to settle, he thought he would go ahead of his younger brothers. 

It had been over a year since Jimmy and Declan heard from Seamus, so they assumed the worst, and moved on. Jimmy married his childhood sweetheart, Rose, and began to think of ways that he and his brother could manage the farm to make a living. However, due to the famine and the overwhelming debts they had to pay from their father's attempt to keep the farm productive, they lost the land. Jimmy began to think of America again, and continued to hear from others how there was opportunity and possibility for life.

Jimmy took his pregnant wife, along with his brother and they boarded the ship to New York. They were packed like sardines. The conditions were worse than he could have ever imagined. The environment of the ship was so unsanitary that many died and even more got terribly sick. Before boarding the ship, Rose shared with Jimmy that she believed she was pregnant. The look on Jimmy's face when she told him was one of joyous surprise and introspective challenge. On that ship, Jimmy learned to sleep standing up so that he could give Rose an extra bit of room to curl up and lay down.

The combination of exhaustion, the environment, malnourishment and stress brought a terrible sickness on Jimmy. So concerned for Rose and the baby's health, he barely ate and gave most of his food to his wife. At one point, Jimmy had a conversation with Declan, that Declan didn't allow him to finish. In the middle of the night, with a small ray of light from the moon peeking through a crack in the ship and shining on Jimmy's eye, he said to his brother, "Decks, if somethin' happens. I want you to..." Declan interrupted, "That's the sick talkin' Jimmy! You'll make it." 

They made it. Barely. 

Seamus Dolan disappeared after he left to America ahead of his brothers to prepare the way for their arrival. Assuming he was dead, they went on without him. However, Seamus was thrown into a whirlwind of struggle after he landed in New York. It was so turbulent that he could not find a way to get word back to his brothers about the disappointment of this new world where "Irish need not apply." Seamus thought that his brothers would assume his death, and in turn get the message to stay home. So it was a surprise to all the brothers when they saw each other on the worksite with cousin Niall for the first time. Seeing Jimmy and Declan brought Seamus much needed joy, but his brothers noticed he had changed. Their jolly, optimistic older brother was now darker, rougher, and an alcoholic.

Claire met Seamus on the ship crossing the Atlantic. She was quickly won over by his wit and positivity. He kept talking to her about all the possibilities in the land he would call, "New Dublin." He married her within a week after landing, assuming all his hopes would come to pass and he would be able to take care of her with more than enough. However, after months of searching for any kind of work and finding only hostility and discrimination because of his Irish roots, he was about to give up and take Claire on a ship back to Ireland. As soon as he opened his mouth to tell Claire, she told him she was pregnant. A spark lit up Seamus eyes and he decided that he would do anything, even endure humiliation, to take care of his emerging family. That's when he met up with his uncle's son, Niall who gave him a job that far surpassed any other work environment because of the way Niall ran things.

Claire gave birth to a baby girl and Seamus couldn't have been happier. The winter that year was incredibly hard on the Irish living in the ghettos. And like many others who struggled to keep warm, put food on the table, and ensure health, Seamus was in agony trying to meet those needs. On a tragic January night, after their little girl had been battling a sickness for weeks, with no doctor to tend to her, and no medicine to ease her suffering, Seamus and Claire's daughter passed away in their arms. 

Seamus turned to work and alcohol. He would never forgive himself for what happened that night. He named his daughter Soul, and when she passed that night, his own soul went with her.

Declan was only 14 when his parents passed. His brothers kept him protected and took care of him ensuring he'd continue in school. He's the most educated of the Dolan boys and excelled in construction. He was on track to be an engineer when Jimmy decided they should move to New York. Upon their arrival the young "Decks" charismatically talked his way into all kinds of favor, even working to deliver newspapers for a while. After the Dolans joined their cousin as a part of his work crew, Declan was quickly recognized by Niall as a gifted young lad who had the potential to manage others, and being single, he wouldn't be distracted by the burdens of a family. Declan has the optimism of Seamus with the practical sense of Jimmy. He had high hopes for the new world.

Shannon O'Brien came over with her twin brother Ennis. After they lost their parents to sickness in Ireland they heard that America would give them a new start. Children of simple farmers from the countryside, they were lowly educated and had no skills. Shannon found work for Niall as a street sweeper and was able to collect a minimal amount of funds to support herself and help her brother. A pretty girl, she often caught the attention of men, but her brother's watchful eye and street savvy ways kept her from entering situations where she had to compromise herself. Recently she's been given lots of attention from Declan, who has told his brothers that he's been hit with love at first sight. Shannon isn't sure she can trust him. She's also unsure as to whether or not it's even possible to have a family in the new world without the children and parents suffering terribly. 

Niall came to New York as a child with his parents, but they died shortly after and he has the faintest memories of them. Growing up on the streets he had to not only fend for himself, but he learned that the only way he was going to survive was by tolerating the insults and condescending attitudes towards people like himself. At 9 years old he started his first job carrying tools up scaffolding to high rise builders. Over the next 30 years he would work his way up to the position of foreman where he would use his influence to employ the Irish. 

Mr. Eli put Niall in the position of foreman because he saw that Niall was loyal, but also had no family. Eli knew he could work Niall hard, because he had no obligations outside of his job. Niall often saw himself as the buffer between the abuse dealt to the Irish and the recklessness of the Americans. He surrendered the fact he'd have no time for a family in order to protect the Irish immigrants from such abuse. Recognizing the toll such a life took on his workmen, he used his life saving to open up a pub. At Niall's pub the workers not only found some "medicine" to sleep at night, but they also found community. They sang, danced, and shared their stories. To Niall, this was all he could give.

Jean was a beautiful little girl. Niall had seen the teenage lass walk about the ghettos frequently. At that time he was the junior foreman at the site, and believing he knew where her life was heading, had he not intervened, he used his influence to get her a job. 

She started out a street sweeper and after Niall bought his pub, he gave her the job of head waitress. She, Niall, Aiden and Patrick were like family, and they all shared the principle that in this hostile world, they can only do the best they can, take care of each other, and survive.

Shanna showed up at the worksite one day and started working. Niall tried to ask her to leave because he didn't have the funds to pay her, but she insisted on working anyway. After a few weeks she started telling a few others that she was Niall's daughter, and then she was given the job as a pub waitress. Niall never admitted to the rumor being the truth, but giving her the job made others think such was so. Jean often looks after her as she tends to be idealistic about the world she lives in.