Authentic Irish bakery products are available at the shops lining the streets of Woodside. Tribune photo by Ira Cohen

By Liz Goff

How Many Are There? Where Do They Live?
lose to 122,000 Irish immigrants call Queens home, settling in neighborhoods in Long Island City and Astoria and particularly Woodside- which boasts the largest enclave of Irish Americans in the U.S.

When Did They Get Here?
In the years after the American Revolution, New York City saw an influx of immigrants from the island of Ireland where a population explosion coupled with low crop prices and the eventuality of the Potato famine made emigration to the United States a desirable option.

In the early years of Irish immigration, many new arrivals built close-knit communities and settled in various areas throughout the five boroughs – including sections of Queens.

Who Are They?
They are the nurses, police officers, firefighters, tavern owners, plumbers and contractors. Most are the first and second generation offspring of Irish farmers who came to America to escape famine and poverty.

Others arrived in New York City during the 1970s and ’80s from cities like Belfast, seeking refuge from the bombings, poverty and instability of their war-torn homeland.

Where Do They Worship?
Most Irish Americans are Roman Catholics and most worship at St. Sebastian’s Church in Woodside, where they have established societies and programs based on traditions passed down through generations of families.

Most Irish Americans who reside in Woodside also send their children to St. Sebastian’s elementary school which has remained open with community support while dozens of other parochial schools have been forced to close due to low enrollment.

Where Do They Shop?
Irish grocers, “delicatessens,” gift shops and service providers (hairstylists, realtors, attorneys, etc.), line Woodside Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside.

The Butcher Block, one of the largest Irish Delicatessens in New York City, is located on Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside. The highly-popular shop reopened earlier this year after it was virtually destroyed in a major fire along the strip last year.

The Butcher Block draws large crowds of Irish Americans (and everyone else), with its traditional Irish products and homemade foods, and imported Irish foods and teas.

Where Do They Eat?
The Butcher Block features a large selection of homemade soups, sandwiches and hot meals to go.

Donovan’s Pub is another favorite of Irish Americans out for dinner or a night on the “town.”

What’s In Their Future?
A reinvigoration of culture.
Over the last 20 years, a younger generation of Irish has joined the older immigrants and their American-born children in neighborhoods throughout the borough – especially in places like Woodside and Sunnyside where there has been a renewal of existing traditional Irish culture.

As a reaction to the influx of new immigrants, groups with the aim of helping the Irish assimilate into American life were born.
One such group is Woodside’s Emerald Isle Immigration Center (EIIC), which was established in 1988.

The center’s purpose in its early stages was to help Irish immigrants obtain bank accounts, driver’s licenses, housing, insurance, education and protection under the law.
Since then, EIIC has grown to include job-training and placement services and has placed an emphasis on citizenship and voter registration among Irish immigrants.

EIIC has become so well-known among the Irish-American community that it has garnered visits from Irish President Mary McAleese in 1998 and then-Irish President Mary Robinson in 1995 – the same year that Chair of EIIC’s Board of Directors Brian O’Dwyer accompanied President Bill Clinton a historic trip to Ireland.

The Emerald Isle Immigration Center is located at 59-26 Woodside Ave., Woodside.