Emerald Thread: The Irish in Buffalo

Emerald Thread tells the story of the Irish in Buffalo, beginning with some of the poorest, most wretched immigrants to wash up on American shores. Despite fierce bigotry from Buffalo's Protestant establishment, they continued emigrating from Ireland to make Western New York their home. Within a few generations, these hardworking, determined immigrants, many of whom settled in the Canal District, First Ward, and South Buffalo, transformed the city and staked their claim to the American Dream.

From Buffalo's earliest days, Samuel Wilkeson and the Irish Erie Canal diggers shaped the city, and Bishop John Timon and the Sisters of Charity uplifted its residents. Other Buffalo Irish men and women who made an impact on the city and nation include Mayor Jimmy Griffin, Congressman Brian Higgins, and Governor Kathy Hochul; journalists Tim Russert and Margaret Sullivan; controversial industrialist "Fingy" Conners; military heroes General "Wild Bill" Donovan (architect of the CIA) and Rear Admiral C. Wade McClusky; entertainer Chauncey Olcott ("When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"); and NHL star Patrick Kane. Non-native Buffalonians connected to the Queen City are also profiled, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, architect Louis Sullivan, US Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly.