The History of the Waterbury Irish

The Irish of Waterbury, Connecticut provide a Celtic flair to the Nutmeg State. The 19th century settlers arrived to find hostility directed toward their religion and customs. Their hard work in Waterbury factories made it a booming industrial city of the Northeast.

Irish in the Nutmeg State

• By 1860 there were more than 55,000 Irish immigrants living in Connecticut, making it the largest ethnic majority. Most were unskilled and found work in urban areas like at Waterbury's many brassware and clock-making factories. During the latter part of the 19th and early 20th century, many boxing events occurred in Waterbury. This was due in part to the national popularity of Irish boxers like "Gentle Jim" Corbett and John L. Sullivan.

Abrigador

• The Abrigador section of Waterbury was often called the heart of the Irish immigrant population. Washington Hill was shortened to "the Hill." What is now called Hamilton Avenue once had the name of Dublin Street.

Knights of Columbus Founder

• Michael J. McGivney was born to Irish immigrants in 1852 in Waterbury. He became a Roman Catholic priest. In October 1881 he founded a mutual benefit society with parishioners from St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Connecticut. Having seen factory families ruined when the main breadwinner died, he wanted to set up protection for them. Within a few years it was called the Knights of Columbus and currently has close to two million members.

Baseball Hall of Fame

• Roger Connor was a six-foot, three-inch left-handed baseball player. Born in Waterbury in 1857, he played first and third base with a series of teams, including the Giants and Phillies. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976, more than 40 years after his death. He is buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Waterbury.