Famous Irish Americans
No doubt you’ll recognize most of the following names. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but merely a sampling of well-known Irish Americans. Numerous American Presidents claim Irish heritage, but in the interest of space, I haven’t listed each one here. They include James Buchanan, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.
Daniel Boone–Explorer, settler
John and Lionel Barrymore–Stars of stage and screen
George M. Cohan–Composer, director, performer, American musical comedy star
Mathew Brady–Renowned Civil War photographer
Davy Crockett–Pioneer, settler. Died at the Alamo
Bing Crosby–Singer, screen star. Oscar winner for Going My Way
F. Scott Fitzgerald–Author
Edward J. Flannagan (Father Flannigan)– Founder of Boys Town
John Ford–Film director, Oscar winner (Grapes of Wrath, The Informer, How Green Was My Valley, and others
Henry Ford–Founder of the Ford Motor Co.
Judy Garland–Singer, stage and screen star
Helen Hayes–Actress. First Lady of the American Theater.
James Hoban–Designed and supervised construction of the White House, which was modeled on Leinster House in Dublin. He also oversaw the reconstruction after the original was burned by the British in 1814
Gene Kelly–Singer, dancer, film star
Marrion Morrison–We know him as movie legend, John Wayne
Edward R. Murrow–News correspondent
Flannery O’Connor–Novelist and short story writer
Maureen O’Hara (Maureen Fitzsimmons)–Film star
Eugene O’Neill–Pulitzer-winning playwright (The Iceman Cometh, Long Day’s Journey into Night)
Gregory Peck–Oscar winning film star (To Kill a Mockingbird)
Alexander Stewart–Established the first true American department store
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