Moses Greeley Parker Memorial Library (Dracut)

Real lace, America's Irish rich, Stephen Birmingham

eng

no index present

non fiction

Real lace

949866053

Stephen Birmingham

America's Irish rich

"America's Irish Catholic rich have long enjoyed the designation of F.I.F. (First Irish Family) or "real Lace" as it delineates their place in the "Irishocracy," where such names as Cuddihy, Murray, Doheny, and McDonnell inspire respect and awe. Yet, in almost every case, their origins in this country were humble. Fleeing the Irish potato famine in the 1840s, they found themselves penniless in the slums of New York and Boston where they were regarded as "invaders" and a curse, humiliated by siogns that said "No Irish Need Apply," and forced to accept jobs too demeaning to be accepted by native and other immigrant populations. Nonetheless, they possessed one important advantage over other immigrants: they spoke the language. They were also, by nature and tradition, political. And they had ambition, courage, a fighting spirit, and - perhaps most important - Irish charm. Here ... we read of how the Irish elite emerged - frequently in less than a generation's time - out of poverty into positions of both social and business prominence."--Back cover

Foreword -- Part one: The F.I.F's (1. "What happened?" ; 2. In the beginning ; 3. 'Everything but the light bulb' ; 4. 'Murray Bay' ; 5. Mr. McDonnell's gimmick ; 6. The gretest nose count of them all ; 7. The original butter-and-egg man ; 8. The wedding of the century) -- Part two: The wheeler-dealers (9. 'Ma and Pa D.' ; 10. The bubble breaks ; 11. The decline of Mr. Fall ; 12. The silver kings ; 13. Mr Ryan's fortune ; 14. And for my eldest son, one set of pearl studs ; 15. The troubles of one house ; 16. Why don't the nice peope like us?) -- Part three: High society (17. The duchess Brady ; 18. 'Atomic Tom' ; 19. The Buckleys of 'Great Elm' ; 20. The upward climb ; 21. Sons of the priory, daughters of the Sacred Heart ; 22. Royalty) -- Part four: What did happen? (23. Problems in the back office ; 24. To the bitter end ; 25. Aftermath ; 26. Robert the roué)