Originally posted on Gossiping about Dead People. Reposted with permission of the author.

http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/generationemigration/2011/11/02/traditions-of-emigration-the-irish-habit-of-going-away/irish-immigrants-ellis-island/

John and Bridget O’Donnell are fresh off the boat at Ellis Island. These newcomers are looking for a cramped tenement apartment in Manhattan’s hip Lower East Side, where their already large family can continue to grow. Their wish list includes: enough space for a separate mattress for their children; a spot for a chair in the kitchen, where Bridget can pursue her part-time contract seamstress job at home; and a local pub, so John can indulge in a pint with his fellow unskilled laborers after a hard day at the factory.

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