The Irish of Maine

“The Irish have had a huge influence on Maine, and we're not talking green beer, potatoes and Irish whiskey...

The Irish came to Maine long before the potato famine in Ireland in the 1840s and '50s — many coming from Canada — beginning the process of integration as early as the Civil War...

They have founded our communities, built our ships, organized our churches, led our government, run our factories and pioneered our arts...In Bangor and Lewiston, they built and ran the mills. In Portland they worked the docks...”

Paula Gibbs
Lewiston Sun Journal
Mar 14, 2010

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