St. Patrick’s Day In The Age Of Trump

By James Fulford

03/17/2017

In March of 2016, I wrote:

I'd like to wish a Happy St. Patrick’s Day to our Irish-American readers and friends, our Irish readers in Ireland itself, and to legal Irish immigrants. (Illegal Irish immigrants are advised to get a cheap flight from New York to Shannon before President Trump catches you.)

Now we actually have a President Trump, and while he’s not targeting the Irish, most Irish who come here illegally do so to work, and when workplace enforcement happens, they might as well leave.

President Trump, as a New Yorker, is very big on St. Patrick’s Day:

Happy Lá Fheile Phadraig to all of my great Irish friends!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 17, 2017

One of the earliest things I wrote for the site was a piece called The Camp Of St. Patrick, [March 17, 2001] pointing out how much like the "Camp Of The Saints" the Famine Irish exodus was for the receiving countries in North America.

There are memorials in various places (like Grosse Île, Quebec) to the dead, who didn’t die of famine, but of cholera, which they brought with them. Wikipedia’s article on cholera outbreaks and pandemics says

Cholera hit Ireland in 1849 and killed many of the Irish Famine survivors, already weakened by starvation and fever.[12] In 1849, cholera claimed 5,308 lives in the major port city of Liverpool, England, an embarkation point for immigrants to North America, and 1,834 in Hull, England.[6] An outbreak in North America took the life of former U.S. President James K. Polk. Cholera, believed spread from Irish immigrant ship(s) from England, spread throughout the Mississippi river system, killing over 4,500 in St. Louis[6] and over 3,000 in New Orleans.[6] Thousands died in New York, a major destination for Irish immigrants.[6]

His — probably mythical — slogan: "Americay for Americans, Begorrah!"

However, the survivors became part of America’s white majority. In Alien Nation, VDARE.com Editor Peter Brimelow mentioned 19th century anti-cheap labor activist Denis Kearney (right) who fought Chinese immigration.

Brimelow wrote “[A]n Irish immigrant, Dennis Kearney, was a leader of the agitation that halted Chinese immigration into California. (His — probably mythical — slogan: 'Americay for Americans, Begorrah!')”

The Irish in America are part of the American nation, but still in their own way:

The most Irish jobs in America: fire, police, brokers, lawyers, appraisers. #StPatricksDay pic.twitter.com/rWcepm3omx

— Jed Kolko (@JedKolko) March 14, 2017

In spite of our site’s Anglo-Saxon bias, we wish the Irish well, and some of them even wish us well.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone, and here’s what we've written about St. Patrick’s Day past March 17ths.

< Previous

Next >