When the Irish first came to New York, they brought more than just hope of finding a better life – away from famine, rebellion and civil war. They brought with them their religion, their industriousness, their warmth – remnants of home that made their way across the Atlantic. Walking through New York City today, their presence can still be felt – in the foundations of buildings and bridges, in the stained glass of cathedrals, in the green glow of Irish pubs. This is a journey through the streets of New York, tracing the echoes of Ireland that can still be heardin this sprawling metropolis.
Photo by Luke Flanagan
The Statue of Liberty – The first sight of ‘The Land of Opportunity’ for many immigrants arriving in New York for the first time, including millions of Irish. A beacon signalling the beginning of their new life in America.
Photo by Luke Flanagan
St. Patrick’s Cathedral – The Irish in New York played a major role in the building of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, found among the chaos of Fifth Avenue. It was Archbishop John Hughes, an Irish immigrant himself from County Tyrone, who decided that the growing Archdiocese of New York needed a large cathedral. Much of the labour force that built the cathedral were also Irish immigrants.
Photo by Luke Flanagan
Photo by Luke Flanagan
The Empire State Building and Chrysler Building – Irish immigrants made up a significant portion of the workforce that built the Chrysler Building, which was the tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1930. Only a year later it was overtaken by the Empire State Building – the construction of which also included many Irish immigrants – which was the tallest in the world until 1970.
Photo by Luke Flanagan
Photo by Luke Flanagan
Photo by Luke Flanagan
Gibney’s, Connolly’s and O’Donoghue’s Irish Pubs – Like walking through a portal back to Ireland, hearing familiar accents and music. You won’t walk for 5 minutes in New York without seeing at least one Irish pub. Sanctuaries set up by the Irish miles and miles away that make them feel like they never left home.
Dublin-based streetwear brand Emporium announced a brand-new collaboration last week with their New York-based counterparts Brigade, along with a special homecoming show with Wiki in the Sugar Club.
Emporium, who have rapidly grown from a small local brand to a cultural hub in the centre of the capital in the form of their Drury Street Store, also announced a surprise culture night pop up on the 19th with music and complimentary drinks from long time partners Hennessey.
The exclusive collection and shows were announced on the brands’ Instagram page in a video hosted by New York rapper Wiki, a longtime friend of both brands with deep roots in Ireland.
The brand and rapper’s relationship was first displayed at the 2024 Paris Fashion Week, where they bonded over their similar approaches to fashion and culture. Wiki’s regular visits to Ireland also encouraged his decision to join the brand for future projects.
“I might have stopped by the shop before, but not put it all together, then at Paris Fashion week, we put it all together”
Wiki
The culture night pop up shop brought some New York style to the city, with the collections boasting exclusive, one-off caps featuring both brands’ graphics, and a heavy knit jumper with graphics of the Wiki flag, a combination of the Irish and Puerto Rican flags, an Ode to Wiki’s family ties with the two island nations.
In classic Emporium fashion, the crowds and sounds from the store leaked out onto the streets, and the event turned into a public reminder of the influence that the brand has gained on the city’s youth.
On Saturday, the crew took over Leeson Street for their Sugar Club show with DJ sets from Brigade’s resident DJs and a set from Irish rapper Curtisy before Wiki was welcomed to the stage for his second show in the country since 2023.
The former Ratking Member has harboured a cult following from devoted rap fans throughout his solo journey since 2016 with a rough and fast-paced approach to his music, which portrays his New York attitude to life.
Emporium
This Dublin Brand has exploded in popularity in recent years, with their logo being featured in a glimpse of any trendy bar around the city centre, and a mainstay of the Irish DJ culture through collaborations with nightclub, Index.
They have also continued their tradition of a free drop of exclusive, one-off shirts at the Heineken stage at Electric Picnic in collaboration with the brand.
Growing in leaps and bounds, Emporium have also just announced a new collaboration with NFL team the Pittsburgh Steelers, consisting of varsity jackets, jumpers and t-shirts.
Brigade USA
Brigade is a New York-based brand which deals in unisex, one-off clothing releases which prides itself in firmly rooting itself in the essence of New York life.
Similar to Emporium, they take pride in creating a community through ongoing collaborations with local artists, designers, models, stylists and musicians.
Although Emporium originates from the bedroom of two young Dubliners, ambition has forced their vision out of the confines of the Irish fashion scene as they continue to conquer worldwide fashion. From New York Collabs to Japanese stores, Emporium seem to have a solid grasp on worldwide fashion so far.
Irish pride is never too far away in New York City… and neither is a drink.
By Katie Shadlow
Talking about the accomplishment and reward in owning an Irish pub in the city that never sleeps with Blaggards Pub owner Liam Lynch is enough to make you realise that Irish pride is alive and well in New York, and Irish craic is only ever a block away for the homesick.
Originally from Celbridge, Co. Kildare, Liam Lynch moved to New York and has been running his business on 8 W 38th Street for 26 years, and though he misses home, he has no regrets.
While there is evidence of Irish workmanship throughout the city in forms of architecture, cultural influence and more, it seems only fitting that the Irish bring great pubs and great craic to New York City, and here’s just a few.
All photos taken by Katie Shadlow
Blaggards Pub, opened on 8 W 38th Street, New York, in 1998 by Liam Lynch. Run by an Irish man, this pub really offers the piece of Ireland that the homesick are missing.
McGee’s Pub, located in the heart of Hell’s Kitchen, was the pub that posed as the inspiration for the iconic ‘McLaren’s Pub’ in the hit TV series ‘How I Met Your Mother’.
The Keg Room located on 53 W 36th Street, is an upscale Irish- American sports bar, which offers the perfect blend of cultures for those who miss home but not enough to want to feel at home. They also delightfully welcome you to their website with some comforting Irish words, ‘Céad Mile Fáilte’, meaning ‘One Hundred Thousand Welcomes’.
O’Donoghue’s blends the excitement of the Big Apple with the old Irish warmth right in the heart of Times Square.
The Long Acre Tavern is a contemporary Irish American pub, located on 146 W 47th Street is more in tune with its traditional American roots, but makes a nod to the Irish with its flag outside and their frequent use of their Instagram page to advertise Irish sporting events that they show in their bar.
The Playwright Irish Pub and sportsbar, located between 5th and 6th avenue, is owned by John Doherty, and while it may not have the most authentic Irish atmosphere, many reviews raise their glass to their great pint of Guinness!
Nobody does advertising like O’Donoghue’s, with this nod of appreciation to both the bar and the Irish, with the words “Great Irish Welcome” waved for everyone to see in Times Square, New York City.
After Michael Conlan’s first professional fight, James Carroll asks what the future might hold for the Irish boxer.
“I don’t think I will ever forget this night, this is a real special night for me and you know I am so proud and happy to fight here.” said Michael Conlan after his first professional victory.
He made light work of American Tim Ibarra in a junior featherweight contest at Madison Square Garden in New York on St Patrick’s Day.
Conlan headlined the fight card in front of a sold-out raucous crowd of 5,000. Irish dancers performed in the ring before the fight. And with legendary announcer Michael Buffer on the mic, this gave us a glimpse of Michael Conlan’s possible future in professional boxing.
The Belfast fighter won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and was moving on from the bitter disappointment of failing to win a medal at last year’s Rio Games where he felt he had been cheated out of victory in the quarter finals.
Conlan dominated his American opponent from the first round until the stoppage came midway through the third round.
Although he may have been anxious about putting on a show and getting a quick knockout, there was many positives on display that would suggest he has a big future ahead of him.
He found his rhythm and range early in the first round where he used his jab and picked his shots. However, he was far from composed in the second round.
Although there was little resistance by Ibarra throughout fight, Conlan was attempting to get a big knockout, but kept swinging and missing his overhand right.
“I don’t think I performed too well but I still got the stoppage but I had a lot of nerves you know, it feels like I’m fighting for a world title and it is only my professional debut.”
Michael Conlon
In round three, he went back to basics with the jab. Before long, Conlan had Ibarra on the ropes. Then he unleashed a flurry of combinations to the body, and the referee called a halt to proceedings.
“I don’t think I performed too well but I still got the stoppage but I had a lot of nerves you know, it feels like I’m fighting for a world title and it is only my professional debut,” Conlan said after the bout.
UFC star Conor McGregor walked out with Conlan to his first professional fight. McGregor also offered encouragement to the boxer throughout the match
“It was special. You know, who gets the biggest star in their country, and possibly the world, to carry the flag out with me. We are a small country, we stick together, we have Niall Horan here from One Direction, we’ve got big support,” said Conlon.
Conlan’s future
Conlan is now based in Los Angeles near Venice Beach with his fiancee, Shauna Olali, and their two-year-old daughter, Luisne.
He signed a contract in September 2016 with Top Rank, the biggest boxing promoter in the world.
“Top Rank are expecting massive things from him, they’ve invested a lot of money into him and that adds a little bit of pressure as well and he has to go out and perform now,”
Kenneth Egan
Bob Arum, Top Rank’s CEO, has been in the business for 51 years and has promoted everybody from Muhammad Ali to Sugar Ray Leonard. He has said he sees potential in Conlan’s professional career.
“Like everybody else we watched the Olympics. We saw that this extraordinarily talented young Irish lad got screwed by the politics in amateur boxing and felt that when he turned pro, we would love to handle his career because he could be a major international boxing star,” Arum said to NewsTalk FM.
Former amateur boxer and Olympic silver medalist Kenneth Egan spoke to The City about what the future might hold for Conlan.
“Top Rank are expecting massive things from him. They’ve invested a lot of money into him and that adds a little bit of pressure as well and he has to go out and perform now,” he said.
Egan says that moving to LA was absolutely the correct decision for Conlon.
“The first thing he did was find a good home out there, so he is in the right place… [away from] the hassle and stress that he would have had if he was flying from Belfast to LA every few weeks,” said Egan.
Conlan will fight six times a year under his current deal. He is scheduled to fight again in May.
“I’d like to see a few more fights soon. He didn’t get the knockout on Saturday but he needs the knockout soon because that’s why the fans tune in,” said Egan.
“His punch variety is very good but we don’t know what his punching power is yet in the pro- game. I think Michael has always had a fantastic work rate, throws an awful lot of punches and he is super fit.”
Some worry that not having his extended family around could affect Conlan’s performance, but Egan does not subscribe to that. “He can’t learn a lot more, he already knows the shots all too well, he is well educated in that sense.”
Will there be anything that his new coach Manny Robles can teach him?
“The new trainer might fine tune him, train him for 12 rounds and show him the tricks of the trade of the pro-game,” Egan said.
Top Rank will patiently build his profile, so the fans should not be expecting a world title fight in 2017, but Egan expects him to be competing for a world title in three years.
Friday’s bout was unlikely to ever be a contest but Conlan showed his skill set – a good jab, nimble footwork, and solid head movement. However, he is far from the finished article yet.
A massive part of training will be gradually building up fitness for 12 rounds and being more patient and cleaner with his shots. His skills will develop with more fights and allow him to show his punching power.
Top Rank have booked Madison Square Garden on St Patrick’s Day for the next five years. This suggests that they want a fantastic atmosphere and competitive fights in the famous venue.
Conlan has all the right supports to succeed – a leading promoter, a world class coach and, more importantly, his family.
Although there will be greater tests ahead for the Belfast fighter, the only thing that could slow his progress is the chaos that surrounds boxing: the fame, the media and the politics.
Conlan’s own statements suggest he has no fear of those pitfalls: “I do believe I’ll be Ireland’s greatest ever fighter and three-weight world champion and you know what, this is the start of something great.”
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