Celebrating Irish-American Heritage Month: Ireland by the Numbers
The
St. Patrick's Day celebration marks the highlight of Irish-American
Heritage Month. MERIC is "lucky" enough to know the
answers to such questions as: How many Missourians are of Irish
ancestry and which Missouri city has the largest Irish population?
How much does Missouri export to Ireland every year? What's so
special about St. Patrick, MO.?
Population
229,458
Number of the 5.6 million Missourians who report Irish as their
single ancestry. Among those reporting Irish as some part of their
ancestry, there are 871,181 Missourians.
31,228
Number of Kansas City residents with Irish as a single ancestry, the
largest of any Missouri city. Other Missouri cities with large Irish
ancestries are: St. Louis (19,961), Independence (13,793),
Springfield (10,406), Lee's Summit (7,706), Columbia (6,727), and
St. Joseph (6,247).
12.7 Percent
Percentage of Missouri's ethnic Irish ancestry. Germans (23.5%) make
up the largest percent of Missouri's ethnic roots, followed by
Native and African-American combined (10.5%), English (9.5%) and
French (3.5%). Irish also make up 12 percent of the U.S. population.
34.7 Million
Number of U.S. citizens who claim Irish ancestry, almost nine times
the population of Ireland (4.2 million). Irish is the second most
frequently reported ancestry among U.S. citizens, trailing only
German ancestry.
Exports
$74.5 Million
Amount Missouri exported to Ireland in 2006, ranking the country
19th among the 191 international buyers of Missouri goods. This
marked an increase from the previous year of $4.1 million, a change
of 5.86%.
Famous Irish-Missourians and St. Patrick, MO
Mark Twain
Humorist, satirist, writer and lecturer was born in Florida,
Missouri and grew up in Hannibal descended from Scotch-Irish
ancestors.
Ulysses S. Grant
Eighteenth President of the United States and leading Union general
in the Civil War worked as a St. Louis farm laborer and bill
collector also descended from Scotch-Irish ancestors.
St. Patrick, Missouri
Village town in northeast Missouri with a population of 19. Some 700
travelers visit the town on St. Patrick's Day every year to witness
the Shrine of St. Patrick. Father Francis O'Duignan began raising
money for the $250,000 shrine in 1936 by sending letters around the
country to people with Irish last names, asking if they would like
to have their letters postmarked from the town and inviting them to
make a contribution. The shrine was dedicated in 1957 and celebrated
its 50th anniversary on St. Patrick's Day of this year.
Sources:
2005 American Community Survey, http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
Missouri Division of Tourism,
http://www.visitmo.com/historyCulture.cfm?CultureID=9&Culture=Detail
A
Wee bit of
http://www.americanprofile.com/article/21052.html
WISER,
www.wisertrade.org/
