<P> New York City today has the largest number of Irish - Americans of any city in the United States . During the Celtic Tiger years, when the Irish economy was booming, the city saw a buying spree of residences by native Irish as second homes or as investment property . </P> <P> Irish - Americans play a significant role in city and state politics, media, Wall Street, the Roman Catholic church, and the major sports leagues . They have been highly active in the Fire Department of New York City, New York City Police Department, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey . </P> <P> Irish Americans make up approximately 5.3% of New York City's population, composing the second largest non-Hispanic white ethnic group . Irish Americans first came to America in colonial years (pre-1776), with immigration rising in the 1820s due to poor living conditions in Ireland . But the largest wave of Irish immigration came after the Great Famine in 1845 . The largest number of Irish immigrants came from some of Ireland's most populous counties, such as Cork, Galway, and Tipperary, surprisingly large numbers also originated in Counties Cavan, Meath, Dublin, and Laois, places not usually associated with the highest levels of emigration . </P> <P> In the "early days", the 19th century, the Irish formed a predominant part of the European immigrant population of New York City, a "city of immigrants", which added to the city's diversity to this day . </P>

When did the irish come to new york
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