The South Side Irish is the large

Irish-American , image = Irish ancestry in the USA 2018; Where Irish eyes are Smiling.png , image_caption = Irish Americans, % of population by state , caption = Notable Irish Americans , population = 36,115,472 (10.9%) alone ...

community on the South Side of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Illinois. After 1945, a large-scale movement to the suburbs occurred because of

white flight White flight or white exodus is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the United States. They refer ...

and the steady upward social mobility of the Irish.Although their population has spread out, Irish Americans continue to make up the majority of the ethnic white American population on the south side of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, especially in

Canaryville New City is one of Chicago's 77 official community areas, located on the southwest side of the city in the South Side district. It contains the neighborhoods of Canaryville and Back of the Yards. The area was home to the famous Union Stock Ya ...

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnoc ...

, Scottsdale, Mount Greenwood, and parts of Morgan Park.

History

Irish-Americans have had a presence on the South Side since the 19th century. Movement of the South Side Irish to the suburbs became pronounced in the 1940s and 50s due to

, highway construction, and governmental policies that encouraged

suburbanization Suburbanization is a population shift from central urban areas into suburbs, resulting in the formation of (sub)urban sprawl. As a consequence of the movement of households and businesses out of the city centers, low-density, peripheral urba ...

South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade

The South Side Irish Parade is one of three annual St. Patrick's Day parades in Chicago. The South Side Irish Parade originally started in 1979. There was another South Side parade called the Southtown Parade started in the early 1950s. The original Southtown Parade route was on 79th Street from Ashland Avenue to Halsted Avenue in the St. Sabina Parish in Auburn Gresham neighborhood, which had a large Irish population until

rapidly occurred in the late 1960s. Some years after

Richard J. Daley Richard Joseph Daley (May 15, 1902 – December 20, 1976) was an American politician who served as the Mayor of Chicago from 1955 and the chairman of the Cook County Democratic Party Central Committee from 1953 until his death. He has been cal ...

was elected mayor in 1955, he moved the Southtown Parade downtown and changed the name to the St. Patrick's Day Parade, though it continued on its old route until at least 1958. WCKG Rock n Roller

On Saturday, March 17, 1979, best friends and original creators George Hendry and Pat Coakley, along with their wives, assembled 17 children (known in parade lore as the "Wee Folks of Washtenaw and Talman") from the West Morgan Park area. The parade route began from the 109th block of S. Washtenaw and Talman streets. Marching to the parade theme of “Bring Back St. Pat”, and an original parade float of a baby buggy covered with shamrocks and the 26 county flags of Ireland, the South Side Irish Parade was born. The theme created by Hendry and Coakley was their way of wanting to bring back the South Side parade that they had enjoyed as children. They had delivered notices along the original parade route to encourage people to participate in the parade by standing and waving from their porches. Popularity continued to grow, and in 1980 it was moved to Kennedy Park with an increased 300 participants, including children, dogs, and a bag piper. It has grown since then and was moved to its current route, down Western Avenue from 103rd Street to 115th Street through the Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods, in 1981. The parade, led by the Chicago Stockyard Kilty Band and held on either the Sunday before or the Sunday of St. Patrick's Day every year, it was considered to be one of the largest St. Patrick's Day community celebrations outside of

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

. The 2008 parade was the 30th annual parade, which was held on Sunday, March 9, 2008. Of the two Chicago parades, the other being in downtown, the South Side Irish Parade was the more raucous occasion. The 2009 parade was presumably the last parade. On March 25, 2009, the South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee announced that they were not planning to stage a parade in its present form in March 2010. They noted that the event had become too large for the community to accommodate and the difficulty in policing such a large crowd while maintaining the dignity of the event. However the South Side Irish St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee outlined a security plan, saying they "feel will bring this great neighborhood tradition back as the family friendly event it was meant to be". The parade returned on Sunday, March 11, 2012. Chicago's Beverly-Morgan Park South Side Irish Parade Route

Chicago's Beverly-Morgan Park South Side Irish Parade Route

South Side Irish song

Written by Tom Black, Tom Walsh, and Terry McEldowney A.K.A. The Irish Choir We're the Windy City Irish-where the craic is always best Where every day is Paddy's Day and everyone's a guest If you're Irish on the North Side or Irish on the West Welcome to the South Side come join our Irish Fest! (Chorus) We're the South Side Irish as our fathers were before We come from the Windy City and we're Irish to the core From Bridgeport to Beverly from Midway to South Shore We're the South Side Irish-Let's sing it out once more! Our parents came from

Mayo Mayo often refers to: * Mayonnaise, often shortened to "mayo" * Mayo Clinic, a medical center in Rochester, Minnesota, United States Mayo may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Mayo Peak, Marie Byrd Land Australia * Division of Mayo, an Aust ...

, from Cork and Donegal. We come from Sabina's, St. Kilian and St. Gall Leo, Visitation, Little Flower and the rest. The South Side parishes are mighty-they're the best! Chorus We live on the South Side-Mayor Daley lived here too The Greatest Irish Leader that Chicago ever knew he was always proud of his South Side Irish roots! So here's to his honor to his memory we'll be true. Chorus We sing the songs our fathers sang when they were growing up Rebel songs of Erin's Isle in South Side Irish Pubs and when it comes to baseball-we have two favorite clubs The Go-Go

White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

... and whoever plays the Cubs!

Notable South Side Irish people

Steve Allen Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television personality, radio personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, and writer. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-cre ...

Edward M. Burke Edward Michael Burke (born December 29, 1943) is an American politician who is the alderman of Chicago's 14th ward. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected to the Chicago City Council in 1969, and represents part of the city's So ...

, Chicago alderman * Emmet F. Byrne * Marty Casey * George Connor *

Frank J. Corr Frank J. Corr (January 12, 1877 – June 3, 1934) was an American politician. Corr served as the 45th mayor of Chicago, Illinois. Corr's term was as acting mayor from March 15, 1933, following the assassination of Anton Cermak until April 8 ...

* John Coughlin *

Kevin Cronin Kevin Patrick Cronin (born October 6, 1951) is an American singer and songwriter, who is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and pianist for the rock band REO Speedwagon. The band had several hits on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 throughout the ...

John P. Daley John P. Daley (born December 5, 1946) is the 11th Ward Democratic Committeeman in Chicago, Illinois, a member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners ( 11th district), and the Chair of the Cook County Board Audit and Finance Committee. He has ...

Richard M. Daley Richard Michael Daley (born April 24, 1942) is an American politician who served as the 54th mayor of Chicago, Illinois, from 1989 to 2011. Daley was elected mayor in 1989 and was reelected five times until declining to run for a seventh term ...

William M. Daley William Michael Daley (born August 8, 1948) is an American lawyer, politician and former banker. He served as White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama, from January 2011 to January 2012. He also served as U.S. Secretary of Commer ...

Tom Dart Thomas J. Dart (born May 22, 1962) is an American attorney, politician, and law enforcement officer serving as the Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois. He previously served as a member of both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly. Education ...

* Thomas A. Doyle *

Finley Peter Dunne Finley Peter Dunne (born Peter Dunne; July 10, 1867 – April 24, 1936) was an American humorist, journalist and writer from Chicago. In 1898 Dunne published ''Mr. Dooley in Peace and in War'', a collection of his nationally syndicated Mr. Dooley ...

Martin Patrick Durkin Martin Patrick Durkin (March 18, 1894 – November 13, 1955) was a U.S. administrator. He served as Secretary of Labor from January 21, 1953, to September 10, 1953, where he was the "plumber" of President Dwight Eisenhower's "Nine Millionair ...

Nancy Faust Nancy Faust (born March 11, 1947) is an American former stadium organist for Major League Baseball's Chicago White Sox. Biography Early life Faust grew up in the Chicago area, and began playing the organ at age 4 by learning from her mother, Jac ...

James T. Farrell James Thomas Farrell (February 27, 1904 – August 22, 1979) was an American novelist, short-story writer and poet. He is most remembered for the ''Studs Lonigan'' trilogy, which was made into a film in 1960 and a television series in 1979. B ...

* Edward Rowan Finnegan *

Michael Flatley Michael Ryan Flatley (born July 16, 1958) is an Irish-American dancer. He became known for Irish dance shows '' Riverdance'', '' Lord of the Dance'', '' Feet of Flames'', and '' Celtic Tiger Live''. Flatley's shows have played to more than 60 mi ...

* Terrance W. Gainer * Robert Healy * James Hickey *

Brian K. Hopkins Brian K. Hopkins (born November 8, 1961) is a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Alderman of Chicago, representing the 2nd Ward. The 2nd Ward includes Streeterville, Old Town, Chicago, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Lincoln Park, Ukrai ...

, Chicago Alderman * Michael J. Howlett *

Dan Hynes Daniel W. Hynes (born July 20, 1968) is an American politician, formerly serving as the Illinois Comptroller. Background Hynes was born in Chicago, the son of Thomas Hynes, a former Cook County assessor, president of the Illinois Senate and D ...

* Edward A. Kelly *

Edward Joseph Kelly Edward Joseph Kelly (May 1, 1876October 20, 1950) was an American politician who served as the 46th Mayor of Chicago from April 17, 1933 until April 15, 1947. Prior to being mayor of Chicago, Kelly served as chief engineer of the Chicago Sani ...

* Michael Kenna * Martin H. Kennelly *

Lisa Madigan Lisa Murray Madigan (born July 30, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as Attorney General of the U.S. state of Illinois from 2003 to 2019, being the first woman to hold that position. She is ...

Michael Madigan Michael Joseph Madigan (born April 19, 1942) is an American politician who is the former speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. He was the longest-serving leader of any state or federal legislative body in the history of the United Sta ...

Jenny McCarthy Jennifer McCarthy Wahlberg (' Jennifer Ann McCarthy; born November 1, 1972) is an American actress, model, and television personality. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for ''Playboy'' magazine and was later named their Playmate of ...

* Amy McCarthy *

Tim McCarthy Timothy J. McCarthy (born June 20, 1949) is an American former policeman and special agent in the United States Secret Service. McCarthy is best known for defending President Ronald Reagan during the assassination attempt on Reagan's life on M ...

Frank McErlane Frank McErlane (1894–1932) was a Prohibition-era Irish American gangster. He led the Saltis-McErlane Gang, allied with the Johnny Torrio- Al Capone Gang, against rival bootleggers, the Southside O'Donnell Brothers. He is credited with introduci ...

Lawrence E. McGann Lawrence Edward McGann (February 2, 1852 – July 22, 1928), born in Dooghcloon, near Attymon, County Galway, Ireland, was a U.S. Representative from Illinois from 1891 to 1895. He was a Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_ma ...

* P.H. Moynihan * Morgan F. Murphy * William T. Murphy * James C. Murray * Kevin J. O'Connor *

Catherine O'Leary Catherine "Cate" O'Leary (née Donegan; March 1827 – July 3, 1895) was an Irish immigrant living in Chicago, Illinois, who became famous when it was alleged that an accident involving her cow had started the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Born Ca ...

* Jim O'Leary * Patrick O'Malley * John R. Powers * James M. Ragen *

John C. Reilly John Christopher Reilly (born May 24, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer, and writer. After his film debut in ''Casualties of War'' (1989), he gained exposure through his supporting roles in '' Days of Thunder'' (1990), '' ...

Robin Tunney Robin Tunney (born June 19, 1972) is an American actress. Tunney made her film debut in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992) and rose to prominence with leading roles in the cult films ''Empire Records'' (1995) and '' The Craft'' (1996). Her perform ...

* Thomas M. Tunney *

Ed Walsh Edward Augustine "Big Ed" Walsh (May 14, 1881 – May 26, 1959) was an American pitcher and manager in Major League Baseball. From 1906 to 1912, he had several seasons where he was one of the best pitchers in baseball. Injuries shortened his car ...

George Wendt George Robert Wendt Jr. (born October 17, 1948) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Norm Peterson on the television sitcom ''Cheers'' (1982–1993), which earned him six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy ...

* Ryan McGuinness * Thomas Kearney

References

External links