Tell the story of
Your Irish Immigrants

This is the page where you can tell the story of the Irish immigrants in your family. If you are the one from Ireland you can tell your immigration story.

There are quite a few of us throughout the world descended from the Irish, we out number native Irish by the millions. I'm sure you have a story or two about you or your family you'd like to share. Whether it's a humorous story, a story of handed down traditions or just how and why the family got to where they were going. They might have been working class, upstanding pillars of society or just plain scoundrels; there is a story there somewhere. This is your place to share. You can upload a picture too, if you'd like. Your story will get it's own page on this website.

I'll start it off.

The Kenan's Come to America

Thomas and Anna Kenan circa 1950

My great grandfather Thomas Kenan came to America in 1883 when he was 7 years old. He came from Bangor, County Down in what is now Northern Ireland. He arrived in New York, New York with his mother and father, three brothers and four sisters. They came over from the port of Larne, Ireland on the S.S. State of Florida. Lucky for them they weren't on that ship a year later. On April 18, 1884 the ship collided mid-ocean with another ship and sank. 123 lives were lost.

The reasons they left Ireland are unknown to me but I think they were in search of a better life in America. They quickly moved up to Syracuse, New York where the family prospered. Thomas's father made a living as a Laborer. This is what most Irish immigrants did at this time in history in America that and servant work. But my great grand father Thomas would have none of this.

He married my great grandmother Anna Duff in 1901. He got a job with his new father-in-law as a wholesale produce salesman. He did this for many years. The Duffs had been here in America from Ireland for a couple of generations and had established a thriving "butter and egg" business as the family called it. They sold butter, eggs and cheese.

Thomas and Anna had three children; two daughters and a son. The son, Raymond was my grandfather. He grew up to be a small town family doctor. The Kenan’s went from Laborer to Salesman to Doctor in three generations. I wish I could say I kept up that momentum, but that’s a different story now isn’t it.

That was the story of just one of the Irish immigrants in my family.

OK, now it’s your turn to share if you’re so inclined.

Have A Great Family Story

Do you have a great story about Irish immigrants in your family? Whether it's about you or an ancestor share it!

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