This is probably one of the five most important groups to settle in the USA. Probably 50 million Americans have some Irish blood.

This group has been a major contributor to the American gene and corresponding name pool. Outside of their role in establishing Catholic churches and schools, they have not had much of a cultural impact though. The Irish strike me as a people that work within the system instead of transforming it. Their success as political leaders is an example of that trait. Influence grade of 3 stars.

I'm more this than anything else, but don't feel it is fair or right to rate them above or below any other group, though I feel more fair about rating this group than any other, I suppose. Good points- great storytellers and authors, fine conversationalists, and share with blacks and Jews an uproarious sense of humor. Bad points- IMHO, the Americanization referred to is a mixed blessing. Of course some degree of assimilation is necessary and inevitable, and a good thing in many ways- but as a people we took it a little too far at times in my view, and there's a lot of people I know with little to no understanding about Celtic tradition and history, beyond the stereotypical. Speaking English for the most part already was an advantage. We're a group that was starved and persecuted for religion, and yet I can't tell you how many Irish American kids I knew back home would scream about the I.R.A. back home and yet be racists or fail to draw any parallels with other issues, or be extremely pro I.R.A. and what not but be pretty far right on other matters. As for me, I'm in favor of the I.R.A's GOALS but not their METHODS, violence is , generally speaking, a tool of the ignorant and abhorrent. And yeah, a lot of us do like to fight and drink,some stereotypes have a degree of validity to them. In my view, this group has been used, and taken for granted by the far, far right, who play on race fears and stuff like that. The swing to the far right,by this I don't mean the Republican Party as a whole, but the far, far right by people in this group is frankly distressing to me, and I would hope that a group that has been oppressed since 1171 would at least develop a little EMPATHY for other oppressed groups around the world. I wonder how many ethnic Catholics realize what the elite really think of them behind closed doors?

To quote the Pogues song: Did you work upon the railroad, did you rid the streets of crime, were your daughters from the White House, or were they from the Five and Dime? In the tradition of the wild geese mentality of the Irish, they endured, made themselves at home, and won themselves a place. We're not always the easiest people to get along with, but we should get credit for resiliency.

Perhaps the most Americanized group in the country. The Irish have taken full advantage of what they country has to offer and have grown for it, becoming an integral part of much of the country from the beginning of the nation on. The Irish are a part of much of what is American - they worked as laborers , fought in all our wars, are involved in Politics up to the highest levels and religion. They have established themselves solidly in some aspects of the country - as Police officers, Firemen, Blue collar workers, politicians. They also are known for having bars pretty much everywhere.

(hiccup) My brother looks like the Fighting Irish mascot.