Eli Pritchard Essays (220 words) - County Fermanagh, Maguire

Eli Pritchard Prof. Steve Batham HIST 17B January 20, 2017 Irish in America Maguire's book The Irish in America seeks to dispel the harsh stereotypes the American Irish face using both the interplay of culture and prejudice. One of the most pertinent factors beyond culture in Maguire's The Irish in America is the persecution the Irish face as outsiders. In fact Maguire tells us that most Irish communities either,"openly deplored, or it was reluctantly admitted" the notion of alcohol abuse. By his account Maguire considers the birth of the Drunken Irish stereotype to be the side effect of biased American testimonials. The Irish were the largest ethnic group in America at the time so it's not hard to imagine the drinking myth came from the largely unreceptive Protestant majority. The more interesting of Maguire's two arguments is the how both the Irish and American culture intermingle. Generally Maguire paints alcohol as openly reviled by the Irish and as a large part of American society. In Maguire's opinion it is not a natural propensity for alcohol that might cause the appearance of the Irish drinking more, but a combination of a less restrictive faith and geniality. The other major factor at play is how alcohol has played a large part in American culture since its early use as a substitute for water.