Ann Malone Kern, the main character in my Malone mysteries, is of Irish descent but, as far as I know, I don’t have a drop of Irish blood in my veins. However, we both live in Cincinnati, a city where the Irish played an important role. Next to the Germans, they were the largest group of immigrants between 1840 and 1910.
Cincinnati was a major destination for immigrants from
Ireland who left their homeland because, due to the potato blight and resulting
famine in their country, they couldn’t pay their mortgages and they were
starving. Many were poor, spoke English with a brogue and were Roman Catholic
with large families. Some came with nothing more than a few pieces of clothing.
The city offered many opportunities for work on the
riverfront, digging for the Miami and Erie Canal and on railroad construction.
Although most had hoped to become farmers, with no money and desperate to feed
their families, when they arrived in the Queen City, many Irish took jobs that
were dangerous and unskilled with low pay.
Through the years, the Irish have contributed greatly to our
city’s growth and culture. During the Civil War, the Irish formed several
militia units, which became the core of the Ohio 10th Regiment.
Later, many became policemen and firemen, some were prosperous in industry and
others were active in politics.
Today, we have The Irish Heritage Center of Greater
Cincinnati. The IHC was founded to promote the Irish Culture through the study
of customs, dance, education, film, genealogy, history, language, lectures,
literature, music, mythology, poetry, social interaction, song, sport, theater
and the visual arts.
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| Cincinnati's Irish Festival |
And the annual St. Patrick's Day parade!
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”
