Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Republic of Ireland tilts toward the US—both geographically and economically.
Every Irish family seems to have a brother, niece, cousin, or uncle in America. About 50
million people claim Irish descent in North America alone. Irish immigrants brought with
them to the US the first political organization for the downtrodden: the “green machine”
grassroots voting blocks that came to dominate big-city politics in Boston, New York, and
Chicago. To cozy up to these valuable votes, every politician wanted to be seen marching
in the parade on St. Patrick's Day. Today, St. Patrick's Day is the most widely celebrated
national feast day in the English-speaking world, and a particularly raucous four-day fest-
ival in Dublin.
