The Irish Immigration to America -     From the 20's to the 80's

War, depression and restrictions on immigration marked the period ending 20 years ago. While average annual immigration exceeded a million in the years preceding WW I, it dropped substantially thereafter. During the depression years there was a net emigration.

As a consequence of the quota system, the Irish were a favored race along with other Northern European nationalities. Nonetheless, in a period in which our nation saw the empowerment and flowering of Irish and Irish Americans, migration from Ireland all but dried up as illustrated by the following data, reproduced from The Irish in America, ibid.