This work tells the story of these immigrants and their descendants. From the first Irish residents of Dutch New Amsterdam to the politically influential United Irish exiles a century later, from the gallant Union Green patriots in the Civil War to the dramatic rise and fall of Irish political dominance in the 20th century, the history of the Irish in New York is almost as old as the city itself. Intellectuals and artists, politicians and poets, gangsters and priests - all have played a central role in the city's history. The Irish taught New Yorkers how to play baseball (John McGraw) and how to sing (George M. Cohan). They served as the city's mayor (DeWitt Clinton) and its archbishop (Francis Cardinal Spellman). They battled heroically against American sexism (Margaret Higgins Sanger) and Prussian militarism (Fighting Father Duffy). They sparked controversy as poets (Frank O'Hara) and political commentators (William F. Buckley). The book offers an example of how newcomers encountered America, successfully assimilated, yet retained their ethnic and cultural identity. The authors examine Irish-American life in the city while addressing issues that affected immigrants throughout the United States.