When were the major waves of immigrants from the Ireland to the United States?
Throughout the first half of the 19th century, Irish immigrants were mostly Protestant and middle class tradesmen. There was also a significant minority of lower class Catholics that arrived to escape the dire socioeconomic conditions of Ireland. The Potato Famine of 1845-1851 caused many of the lower class Catholics of Ireland to immigrate. Huge influxes of Irish migrants, totaling around 1.7 million, immigrated from 1845 untill 1860. Irish immigration slowly declined during the late 19th century, and has been up and down throughout the 20th century. From which regions of Ireland did they leave? Early Protestant immigrants migrated mainly from the northern provinces of Ireland. Later Catholic immigrants came from the Southern provinces; examples include the counties of Connaught and Munster. Push Factors Early immigrants, of the middle class Protestant variety, immigrated for opportunity as tradesmen in the United States. The lower class Catholic immigrants immigrated to escape the pe
