My Grandmother arrived in America from Londonderry during the early 1920's and for that I am greatful! She was a seamstress and came here alone to meet relatives in Philadelphia. Bella was quite a woman! She met my grandfather, a Scotsman from Johnston and they married here in NYC. I consider myself an Irish Lass!
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I'll tell you a true story that is absolutely no reflection on your Grandmother but is about the way the Lace-Curtain Irish viewed Philadelphia at that time....
My Grand-Parents were both the children of immigrants from Ireland (Mayo and Donegal). They were born in Manhattan and Brooklyn of middle-class families.
During the mid twenties my Grandfather had to move the family to Philly for a job. Gramdma was pregnant with their third. A month before she was due she demanded that my Grandfather get her back to NYC so that she would never have to say that a child of hers was born in "shanty Philadelphia'.