And top of the mornin' to you, too, Legolas!
ST. PATRICK'S DAY TIDBITS from U.S. Census Bureau Statistics
- There are 34 million U.S. residents who claim Irish ancestry. This number is almost nine times the population of Ireland itself (3.9 million). Irsih is the nation's second most frequently reported ancestry, trailing only German.
- There are three states in which Irish is the leading ancestry group: Delaware, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Irish is among the top firve ancestries in every state but two (Hawaii and New Mexico).
- There are 54 counties where Irish is the largest observed ancestry group. Forty-four of them are in the northeast, with 14 in New York, 11 in Massachusetts, and five in New Jersey (outnfree is part Irish and born in NJ ).
- In Middlesex County, Mass., 348,978 residents are of Irish ancestry. Among the 54 counties where Irish is the largest observed ancestry group, MIddlesex had the highest population of Irish-Americans, with Norfolk County, Mass., second with 203,285.
- A total of 4.8 million immigrants from Ireland have been admitted to the U.S. for lawful permanent residence since fiscal year 1820, the earliest year for which official immigration records exist. By fiscal year 1870, about half of these immigrants were admitted for lawful permanent residence.
Rest in peace, Grandpa Mack and Daddy!
And to all at JWD:
May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks,
May your heart be as light as a song,
May each day bring you bright, happy hours,
That stay with you all the year long.