The Tipperary Hill Heritage Memorial, dedicated in 1997,
is located on
Tipperary Hill
Tipperary Hill, sometimes known as Tipp Hill, is a district in the city of Syracuse, New York. It is largely settled by immigrants from Ireland, especially from County Tipperary. It makes up half of Syracuse's Far Westside neighborhood. Histo ...
in
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...
. The memorial was erected in honor of early citizens who, in the opinion of local residents, were brave sons of Ireland who stood up to City Hall and won the battle of the "Green over Red" traffic light.
The memorial features bronze, life-size figures of a 1930s
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
immigrant family and was sculpted by Dexter Benedict of
Penn Yan, New York
Penn Yan is an incorporated village and the county seat of Yates County, New York, United States. The population was 5,159 at the 2010 census. It lies at the north end of the east branch of Keuka Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. Penn Yan, New Yor ...
. The father is pointing out the
traffic light
Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa are signalling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traf ...
to his wife, daughter and son
who has a sling shot in his back pocket, hinting that he might know a little bit of the history of the light.
The memorial is located in ''Tipperary Hill Memorial Park'' which was originally the site of a commercial building that held a prominent position on the northeast corner of Milton Avenue and Tompkins Street and was later demolished. It is the newest city park in Syracuse.
History
When the city first installed
traffic signals
Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traffic.
Traffic light ...
in 1925, they placed one at a major intersection on
Tipperary Hill
Tipperary Hill, sometimes known as Tipp Hill, is a district in the city of Syracuse, New York. It is largely settled by immigrants from Ireland, especially from County Tipperary. It makes up half of Syracuse's Far Westside neighborhood. Histo ...
, in the center of the neighborhood business district, located on the corner of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue.
Stone throwers
The ''Stone Throwers'' were several youths from the neighborhood who were among some of the original residents who rallied against the addition of the new traffic light on
Tipperary Hill
Tipperary Hill, sometimes known as Tipp Hill, is a district in the city of Syracuse, New York. It is largely settled by immigrants from Ireland, especially from County Tipperary. It makes up half of Syracuse's Far Westside neighborhood. Histo ...
because it sported the British "red" prominently placed over the Irish "green". Due to strong national rivalries, the traditional "red-over-green" lights were interpreted as symbols of
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
over
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and offended the youths of the close-knit Irish neighborhood.
The youths, aged 11 to 17, included John "Jacko" Behan (born 1909), Richard "Richie" Britt (born 1908), James M. "Duke" Coffey (born 1910), Kenneth "Kenny" Davis (born 1914), George Dorsey, Gerald "Mikis" Murphy (born 1914), Francis "Stubbs" Shortt (born 1908), and Eugene Thompson (1911-2001).
Patrick "Packy" Corbett (born 1909), former
Onondaga County
Onondaga County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 476,516. The county seat is Syracuse.
Onondaga County is the core of the Syracuse, NY MSA.
History
The name ''Onondaga'' derives from ...
Sheriff,
was named honorary member of the group after growing up on Tipp Hill, however, would not acknowledge vandalizing the traffic light.
By 1925, the city was divided into north, east, west, and south side ethnic neighborhoods. According to one of the ''Stone Throwers'', "if you were Irish, you stayed in the Westend."
The youths gathered up stones which they called "Irish confetti" and "took aim at the red lenses, managing to put the signal out of commission," an act they performed many times. Eventually, neighborhood leaders, led by ''Tipp Hill'' alderman, John J. "Huckle" Ryan and a number of local businessmen persuaded the city fathers to install a green-over-red traffic signal, the only one of its kind in the U.S. and it has been that way ever since.
Establishment of memorial
In 1997, local residents of Irish ancestry and business owners, including Peter Coleman, gathered resources and encouraged the city to demolish an old commercial building, to build a small park and erect the ''Tipperary Hill Heritage Memorial''.
In a fund raising effort, Coleman, a saloonkeeper for over 50 years and owner of ''Coleman's Authentic Irish Pub'' at 100 South Lowell Avenue, also sold commemorative bricks engraved with the names of loved ones for $75 each which were set around the base of the statue. There were a total of 450 installed.
Jerry Wilson, a local jewelry store owner,
was also instrumental in the establishment of the memorial park. On March 17, 1995, he helped Coleman raise $6,000 for the statue and the two planned a fund raiser "among pubs on The Hill."
References
{{Reflist, 2
External links
Stone Throwers Park Day, City of Syracuse - Office of the Mayor
Monuments and memorials in New York (state)
Parks in Syracuse, New York
1997 sculptures
Bronze sculptures in New York (state)
Irish-American culture in New York (state)
Statues in New York (state)