The Burren and Beyond

Ireland in America. (abridged)

In view of the triumphal progress of the Irish delegates in America, it may be interesting to give some figures showing what Irish-America really means:-
The city of New York contains more Irish than Dublin, Cork and Belfast combined.
The city of Brooklyn contains more Irish than Galway and Waterford put together.
There are more Irish in Boston than in Dublin, and more in Philadelphia than there are in Belfast – but it is in the Irish names in America that the greatest proof is evinced of the devotion of the Irish exile to the old land.

There is an Ireland in Alabama, another in West Virginia, another in Indiana and another in Minnesota.
The are three Hibernias situated in Florida, New Jersey, and New York.
There are five Erins scattered throughout the States of Georgia, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.
There is an Irishburg in Virginia, an ‘Irish Ridge’ in Ohio, an ‘Irish Ripple in Pennsylvania, an ‘Erina’ in Nebraska, ‘Erin Shades’ in “Virginia, and ‘Erin Spring’s’ in Indian Territory.

The names of Irish provinces are illustrated by Munster in Illinois, and Munster and Ulster in Pennsylvania.
In New York there is an Ulster Park, an Ulsterville, and an Ulster County.
There are 17 Dublins in the States, 18 Waterfords, 9 Tyrones, 7 Limericks, 5 Clares, 4 Mayos, 4 Sligos, 3 Corks, 3 Wexfords, 6 Antrims, 9 Derrys (four of which are called Londonderry), a Roscommon. a King’s County, a Queen’s County, a Galway, a Wicklow, a Longford, Kilkenny, Kildare, Donegal, Carlow, Monaghan and Armagh.

There are 12 places called Avoca, and 6 places called Avondale in honor of Parnell. There are also several places called after Parnell himself. There is a Garryowen in lowa, a Tullamore in Illinois, a Rathdrum in Idaho, an Achill in Roscommon County, Michigan; a Ballina in California, a Doneraile in Kentucky, a Strabane in Dakota, an Ardee in New York and in Tennessee, a Kinsale in Virginia, a Kincora in New Jersey, a Tara in lowa, a Navan in lowa, and another in Michigan, a Queenstown in Maryland and Pennsylvania while there are twelve towns called Westport, four called Newry, thirty called Newport. There’s a Valencia in Kansas and Pennsylvania, four places called Ennis, a Kilmichael, a Kilmanagh, Lismore, Lisburn, and eleven Bangors.

There are ten places called Belfast, a Boyne in Michigan, a Bandon in Minnesota and in Oregon, a Clontarf in Minnesota, a Dungannon in Ohio and twenty-five, Milfords.

Almost every State in the Union has counties called after the famous Irish-Americans of revolutionary fame. There are two counties eight towns, and seven places called after Jack Barry, ‘the father of the American Navy’ who was a County Wexford man. It would be almost impossible to enumerate the towns and places named after ‘Old Ironsides,’ Parnell’s grandfather. The ‘Starktowns are also very numerous, some in honor of General Stark and some in honor of his wife, ‘Irish Molly Stark,’ as she was always lovingly described, who took her husband’s place when he was killed at his gun, and remained in command of the gun till the end of the war. She was created captain for bravery in action, but never lost the title to ‘Irish Molly.’

In honor of O’Brien, of Machias Bay fame, there ia an O’Brien County in lowa, and an O’Brien in Glynn County, Ga. In honor of Patrick Henry we have 10 counties and 18 towns. There are towns and counties ad libitum called M’Donough, Sullivan, M’Cracken, Calhoan, O’Brien, Emmet, Meagher, Dougherty, Murphy, etc. Phil Sheridan has no fewer than 3 counties and 17 towns named in his honor while there are several Colorans, Burkes Shields, Kearney, Clebarn, Mulligan, Moran, Lynch, Kelly Mai one, etc.