The Irish Immigrant’s First Steps into a New World

Céad Míle Fáilte – and welcome to your weekly Letter from Ireland. This morning we arrive in New York after a seven day journey from Southampton. What a trip it’s been as we follow in the footsteps of our Irish immigrant ancestors. As I mentioned in last week’s letter, the journey we are on is part of the grand project we are completing this year to celebrate 10 years of the Green Room (Green Room members can follow us along and see the full itinerary here).

I’m settling down with a cup of Lyons’ Tea as I write to you (yes, they do have it on board!), and I hope you’ll join me with a cup of whatever you fancy as we delve into today’s letter.

As we sail into New York harbour, the sights are almost overwhelming – and my mind casts back to how our ancestors must have felt when they sailed into this metropolis after leaving their small farms in rural Ireland. In today’s letter, I would like to capture what some of those sights must have been like for our ancestors – as well as their first experiences on American soil. 

Just last week, I received the following timely request from Anne in New Hampshire. Let’s use it to line up our topic for today:

“Dear Mike, I’ve discovered that my great-great-grandparents arrived in New York from County Mayo in the early 1880s. I’m planning a trip to New York City shortly and would love to walk in their footsteps, but I’m not sure where to start. What would they have seen as they first arrived? Where would they have landed? I’d love to learn more about their first moments in America. Can you shed some light on what the Irish immigrant’s experience was like in New York during the 19th century? Anne Hannon Martell, New Hampshire”.

Well, Anne, your timing couldn’t be better. Let’s take a journey through time and explore the changing face of Irish arrivals in New York City.

Step back in time and imagine ourselves aboard one of those ships, catching our first glimpse of the New World…

Part 1: The Lower East Side – A Chaotic Welcome For Irish Immigrants (1800-1855).

Picture this: you stand on the deck of a ship that’s been your home for weeks, maybe months. The year is somewhere between 1800 and 1855, and you’re one of the thousands of Irish men and women fleeing famine and hardship back home. As you sail into New York Harbour, your eyes widen at the sight before you.

The skyline of New York, though not yet the forest of skyscrapers we know today, is impressive nevertheless. You might spot the gleaming white marble of City Hall, standing proud among the shorter buildings. The steeple of Trinity Church, finished in 1846, reaches towards the heavens, reminding you of some of the church spires back in Ireland.

As your ship nears the wooden piers lining the East River, you see Castle Clinton (then known as West Battery), a circular sandstone fort guarding the southern tip of Manhattan. Little do you know, this very fort will play a big role in the Irish immigrant story in years to come.

You gladly step off the ship onto the firm ground of the Lower East Side docks, you’re immediately engulfed by foreign sights, sounds, and smells. There’s no official welcome centre, no orderly process – just the chaotic energy of a growing city and excited chatter, hope and apprehension among your fellow immigrants. You might be approached by a “runner” offering lodging or work, but beware – not all of these offers are as good as they seem!

It’s a proverbial baptism by fire into American life, but our Irish ancestors were nothing if not resilient. This is where the new chapter of their lives began, laying a foundation for the Irish-American community that would flourish in the years to come.

Part 2: Castle Garden – America’s First Welcome Mat (1855-1890).

Fast forward a few decades, and the scene has changed dramatically. Arriving between 1855 and 1890 (that’s your ancestors, Anne), your first steps on American soil would have been at Castle Garden – that same fort we saw earlier, now repurposed as America’s first official immigration centre.

As your ship sails into the harbour, you’d see the circular structure of Castle Garden standing guard at the lower tip of Manhattan. But that’s not the only impressive sight. By the 1880s, you might catch a glimpse of the Brooklyn Bridge, an engineering marvel spanning the East River. And there, in Madison Square Park, is a curious sight – the torch-bearing arm of the Statue of Liberty, on display while the rest of the statue is being constructed.

At Castle Garden, you find quite an organised welcome, though it still feels overwhelming. You are surrounded by so many accents and languages. Health inspections, questions about your origins and plans, money exchange – it’s all part of the process now. There’s also more protection from exploitation and some resources to help you start your new life.

It’s at Castle Garden that many of our ancestors first heard the words “Welcome to America” – words that must have filled them with a mixture of relief, excitement, and perhaps a touch of homesickness for the green fields of Ireland they’d left behind.

Part 3: Ellis Island – The Golden Door (1892-1900s).

As we move into the end of the 19th century and the early 20th, we come to the most renowned point of entry in America’s immigration story – Ellis Island. Opened in 1892, this small island in New York Harbour would become the gateway to America for millions of immigrants, including many of our Irish forebears.

Imagine you’re on a steam ship approaching New York in these years. The first sight to take your breath away is the Statue of Liberty, standing tall and proud since 1886. She’s a symbol of hope, a promise of the freedom and opportunity that await in this new land.

Behind her, the New York skyline is reaching ever higher. You might see the Park Row Building, completed in 1899 and then the world’s tallest building at 391 feet. The unique triangular shape of the Flatiron Building, under construction and soon to become an iconic part of the city’s architecture, catches your eye.

At Ellis Island, you’d join the throngs of people climbing the stairs to the Great Hall. It’s a huge space with a beautiful vaulted ceiling, but you will probably be too nervous to fully appreciate its grandeur. Doctors watch for signs of illness, immigration officers ask probing questions about your background and your plans. It’s a more thorough process than at Castle Garden, and for most, it’s over in just a few hours.

With a landing card in hand, you’re free to begin your new life in America. You’ve just walked through what would come to be known as the “Golden Door”. Like so many Irish before and after, you’re ready to make your mark on this land of opportunity.

Each of these entry points – the Lower East Side docks, Castle Garden, and Ellis Island – represent a different chapter in the story of Irish immigration to America. From the chaotic freedom of those early arrivals to the more structured but often overwhelming experiences at Castle Garden and Ellis Island, our ancestors showed remarkable courage and resilience to start a journey in pursuit of a better life.

As Carina and I enter into New York Harbour this morning, following a journey of seven days and nights, there is such a strong feeling of connection with many of my own ancestors – at least five of my mother’s siblings took this journey early in their lives. The courage it must have taken to leave everything behind, to face an uncertain future in a strange land – it’s the stuff of which the Irish spirit is made.

Thank you to Anne for asking her questions – and I do hope you enjoy a trip to Castle Garden. You should also take a ferry on the waters of the Hudson to get an appreciation of those first glimpses your ancestors may have had of their new home.

How about the rest of our readers – if your ancestors came in through New York, what was their first landing point? Lower East Side, Castle Garden, or Ellis Island? Do share in the comments below.

That’s it for this week’s letter.

Slán for now,

Mike.

P.S. Green Room members, don’t forget you can follow our entire journey (see itinerary here)! Not a member yet? Join the Green Room today and come aboard for this adventure and many more as we explore our shared Irish heritage together.