Exploring Transatlantic Connections: Sustaining Irish Island Communities in Early 20th Century America

Summary

Immigration from Ireland in the early 20th century contributed to the decline of island population, leaving fragmented fishing villages, yet simultaneously created vibrant new Irish communities in the United States.  By tracking inhabitants of Inishark and Inishbofin, two small islands off the coast of Galway, to the eastern United States, this paper explores the movement of individuals, families, and communities through the 19 and 20th centuries.  This paper investigates the reconstruction of island communities in the small town of Clinton, MA, highlighting the development of distinct ethnic neighborhoods, businesses, and social organizations.  This study sheds light on the complexities of reformed communities at the international scale and the formation of new identities for migrants and island residents in their respective homes.  The movement of individuals in late 19th and early 20th century creates the basis for present day culture in these places. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Hidden Island Histories: Narratives of Transformation, Emigration and Interaction within 18-20th Century Irish Coastal Communities   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 586