Shows what life was like in the late nineteenth century for a poor Irish-American family.

Cassidy presents a history of the Irish influence on American slang in a colourful romp through the slums, the gangs of New York and the elaborate scams of grifters and con men, their secret language owing much to the Irish Gaelic imported with many thousands of immigrants. With chapters on How the Irish Invented Poker and How the Irish Invented Jazz, Cassidy stakes a claim for the Irishness of American English. Includes a preface by Peter Quinn and an Irish - American Vernacular Dictionary.

Luck has nothing to do with it! Of course you want to be Irish. Look what it did for Daniel Day-Lewis, Sinead, Maeve Binchy, Roddy Doyle, JFK, Seamus Heaney, Angela's Ashes, and all those Riverdancers. But until now, the secrets of how to be Irish have been hidden in a Celtic Twilight of blather and blarney. Now this easy-to-read (with plenty o' pictures) handbook dares to tell you: How to have an Irish name How to talk, look, and act Irish How to vote Irish How to have thin skin, a terrible temper, and the gift of gab Whether you're proudly Irish, anti-Irish, fallen-away Irish, or would-be Irish--that is to say, if you're a living, breathing human being--How to Be Irish is for you. Learn (to your surprise) who's really Irish and who's only passing! Discover (to your astonishment) your own underground Irish roots! And brace yourself, Bridget, for the shocking (if brief) history of Irish-American sex! From the Trade Paperback edition.

Narrated by a much-loved grandchild, herself now old enough to be a grandmother, the story is about two young people, betrayed by their first loves, who found one another in an unexpected way. Because they’re first cousins, some considered their blossoming love anathema. They didn’t care and spent the rest of their lives unashamedly loving each other. It is also the story of a family, a mother, father, son and daughter who loved and were loved by the two titular lovers. The book brims with love, between mothers and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren, people and pets! There is also humor, the best kind stemming from interesting people in unexpected situations and the adage that truth is stranger than fiction. You may laugh, and you may cry, and when you’ve finished the book, you will know you’ve met real, genuine people, and you’ll probably love them.

As strong and fiery as undiluted Irish whiskey.--New York Times Book Review

It took a long time before St. Louis finally accepted its Irish population. When the first waves of Famine Irish arrived on the landing in the 1840s, the city was appalled by their poverty. As subsequent waves of Irish fled political oppression after the Civil War, anti-Catholic sentiment sparked bloody riots in which the Irish gave as good as they got. But after seven centuries of enslavement in their own country, nothing would stop them from creating a place in their adopted city. The story of their assimilation is as multifaceted as the Irish character itself. From Shanty to Lace Curtain introduces us to a range of St. Louis Irish, from priests like Timothy Dempsey and Charles Dismas Clark (the "Hoodlum Priest") to gangsters from the Bottoms Gang and Egan's Rats. We meet artists and revolutionaries, entrepreneurs, and entertainers. It takes us to the rough and tumble neighborhoods of 19th-century Kerry Patch and Dogtown, where immigrants and their children forged paths into the city's mainstream while preserving their Irish identity. We visit contemporary Irish St. Louis, where Irish dance and music thrive. At McGurk's Pub and the Pat Connolly Tavern we discover what makes an Irish pub truly Irish. We also learn the behind-the-scenes story of why St. Louis has two St. Patrick Day Parades. Local author and artist Patrick Murphy uses photos, interviews, and photos to compile this comprehensive collection dedicated to the Irish immigrants who helped make St. Louis what it is today.