Thoughts of Old Ireland

On this glorious day, State Legislatures magazine offers some useful facts about the Ireland/USA connection. Here are a few:

  • 36.9 million U.S. residents claim Irish ancestry (more than 8 times the population of Ireland)
  • America produced 26.1 billion pounds of corned beef and 2.3. billion pounds of cabbage in 2009
  • There are 4 American towns named "Shamrock" — located in Indiana (woo hoo!); Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia
  • 9 states boast a town named "Dublin"
  • Other U.S. towns with Irish names include Emerald Isle, N.C.; Irishtown, Ill.; and Cloverleaf Township in Minnesota