Maine may not be the first place we think of when it comes to large Irish communities, but in the years after the Great Famine, the port city of Portland became home to a significant Irish population. The communities they developed began a strong connection between the city and Ireland that endures to this day, especially with the place most connected with its immigrants— Galway. In this episode, Fin and Damian are joined by historian, genealogist and author Matthew Jude Barker, the expert on the Portland Irish, to explore their story.
As well as discussing what brought the Irish to Portland, in this episode Matt tells us about the neighbourhoods they made their own during the 19th and early 20th centuries. We explore events like the impact events like the "Great Fire" of 1866 and "Rum Riot" of 1855 had on their lives, and how they navigated local politics and nativism. Along the way we meet people like the McGlinchy brewing family, some of the women who made their living as domestic servants, and the remarkable story of Bishop James Augustine Healy, who became the first African American Catholic bishop in the United States.
Matthew's latest books are a two volume set on the story of the Portland Irish, Becoming American: Portland, Maine's Irish and the Making of Immigrant America 1840-1861 andThe Blue and the Green: The Irish of Portland Maine During the Civil War Era 1861-1870. You can purchase them here.
In the intro to this week's show Damian mentioned a three-week online course he will be running this October for the Celtic Junction Arts Center. If you would like to find out more about the course, or sign up, you can do so via this link.
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