Firefighters, mostly irish rooted?

Bernhard · 02-05-2006, 03:13 AM

Hello,

we ha a discussion at our VFD

www.feuerwehr-derichsweiler.de

about the recrutement of the US professional Fire Dept.

Is it the thruth, that most of the professional fire fighters do have irish anchestors?
Infact, all the members of our VFD are german rooted

Tx for help

Bernhard, VF since 1978

fireman4949 · 02-05-2006, 03:17 AM

YES! It's true!

Kevin

SteveDude · 02-05-2006, 04:58 AM

There are a lot of Irish in the Fire Service over here too. Not as many as in the US but there are a lot of second Generation Irish and plenty more of us with Irish in the family.....

Obviously it was never a great cause for celebration in the job when we were getting our arses blown apart fairly regularly by the IRA....but in recent years since the troubles have calmed Irish heritage is now everywhere with St Paddy's day parades, tons of Irish Bars and even the LFB now has an emerald society.... we visited FDNY last year for St Pat's as Ray and a few others may recall!!!!!

legeros · 02-05-2006, 05:31 AM

As I understand it, between 1847 and 1854, some 1.6 million people immigrated from Ireland to the (eastern?) United States following the great potato famine. Discrimination hindered employment and many took such "less desireable" jobs as police officers and firefighters. A quick Google search yields a little background: http://www.american-firefighter.com/...y/bagpipes.php . And there's this Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_American.

mjl

sconfire · 02-05-2006, 05:42 AM

Mr. Legeros hit it right on the head!

Good job Mike!

mcaldwell · 02-05-2006, 05:59 AM

And we wonder why Drinking in the Firehouse is such a big argument (and before anyone calls the PC police, I'm an Irish/Scot, so bite me).

SteveDude · 02-05-2006, 08:13 AM

The book 'Five Points' by Tyler Anbinder gives a fascinating account of Irish immigration in to US, the politics of the era and how many people moved into the Police & Fire Departments.

ChicagoFF · 02-05-2006, 09:41 AM

I thought you had to be irish to get hired!

Smoke20286 · 02-05-2006, 10:00 AM

Where I live more then 50% of the population is of Irish decent

OLINENGINE1 · 02-05-2006, 11:13 AM

I'm half Irish and half Sicilian. A good portion of firefighters are Irish then it seems to go Italian then German. You have alot of Mc's, ini's, and ino's. Like McDonough, Vartellini, Viviano. Keep up the tradition, god watch over all of us.

MEck51 · 02-06-2006, 10:08 AM

There was a show on the discovery channel a while back called "the real gangs of new york". It pointed to some of what legros stated and also had some other neat info.
Basicly the show was about the start up of the FDNY. When the FD started it was a vollie dept. Back than insurance companies would pay the first dept. that arrived. So these "gangs" that were mostly made of Irish immigrants, would race to fires, keep in mind we are talking hand drawn carts. The first guy to arrive would throw a bucket over the plug, than he would fight off members from other departments. So as things progressed the fire halls were social clubs for the immigrants, politicians releazied this and started to recruit these "gangs" for various jobs in return they would grant favors. So beings that for the most part the irish were poor they were the ones who were the firemen, who had the less desiribable jobs. With all the corruption that was occuring it was finaly decided to go to a paid department. That is kinda a rough run down, I am no historian so I can't get too in depth, but that is how I heard the story. If you ever get the chance to see the show you should watch it is pretty neat. I nearly didn't watch it because I thought it was related to that leonardo decaprio film, but glad that I did it realy heald my interest.

BFDNJFF · 02-06-2006, 10:27 AM

I think it varies where the department is. Generally its Italian, Irish, and Germans. But all proud Americans!

MOTOWN88 · 02-06-2006, 01:28 PM

legeros,

Are you the Legeros from the NC region of the country???

backsteprescue123 · 02-07-2006, 09:08 AM

I live in a town full of Polaks and Hungarians. I am of Irish descent. Also german and hungrarian ancestry too.

bptff834 · 02-07-2006, 09:58 PM

my great uncle john james o'connell was involved in some 'separationist' activity in Ireland in 1882 and was arrested.he was given the choice to go to jail or go to america.he chose the 'colonies'.(thank god).he took to america quite well.in 1885 he was appointed a call man on the Bridgeport fire department.we've here since.i too use the excuse that it's a genetic predisposition(sounds good,right?).i'd have it no other way.

PFDTruck2 · 02-07-2006, 11:02 PM

Irish & Scot.

needlejockey · 02-08-2006, 01:45 AM

Does Scottish count enough? Harder to understand an all but still....

Spectre08 · 02-08-2006, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by needlejockey

Does Scottish count enough? Harder to understand an all but still....

here here!!

Clan Murry represent

wag11c · 02-08-2006, 05:16 PM

PFDtruck2: You must be one of the worst, Scots are people who love to drink, Scots/Irish are people who love to drink but don't wanna pay for it!!!!!!

RFD1067 · 02-08-2006, 07:29 PM

This may be true in the east, but here on the west coast we have men and women of all nationalities.

PFDTruck2 · 02-08-2006, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by wag11c

PFDtruck2: You must be one of the worst, Scots are people who love to drink, Scots/Irish are people who love to drink but don't wanna pay for it!!!!!!

That really hurts. I think you should buy me a couple of rounds to make up for it.

kadjfalkd · 02-09-2006, 03:30 AM

Originally Posted by SteveDude

There are a lot of Irish in the Fire Service over here too. Not as many as in the US but there are a lot of second Generation Irish and plenty more of us with Irish in the family.....

.........and even the LFB now has an emerald society.... we visited FDNY last year for St Pat's as Ray and a few others may recall!!!!!

Does the LFB Emerald Society have a Website?

SteveDude · 02-09-2006, 04:45 AM

Originally Posted by FireGuard

Does the LFB Emerald Society have a Website?

Fireguard,
Sorry I'm afraid the LFB Emerald Society doesn't have a website.

olineng1isapuss · 04-04-2006, 12:08 AM

Originally Posted by OLINENGINE1

I'm half Irish and half Sicilian. A good portion of firefighters are Irish then it seems to go Italian then German. You have alot of Mc's, ini's, and ino's. Like McDonough, Vartellini, Viviano. Keep up the tradition, god watch over all of us.

.....TO SHUT UP!!!!

DSMtuned · 04-04-2006, 01:24 PM

Irish here. My last name is Adams...

Midtown Blogger/Manhattan Valley Follies

Translation from English

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