St. Patricks Day: 32 million Irish Americans celebrate

There are over 32 million Americans who claim Irish ancestry; that s more than seven times the population of Ireland and the second most claimed ancestry, following German. The Irish in America started out at poor laborers but soon organized and became a powerful political machine, influencing local and national politics throughout major U. S. cities. Congress declared March IrishAmerican Heritage Month and Irish everywhere celebrate Ireland s patron saint, St. Patrick, on March 17.