On St. Patrick's Day Everyone is Irish, But Here in Braintree Nearly Half Really Are

Many claim temporary Irish heritage on St. Patrick's Day every year – for purposes of unity, celebration, and dare we say a bit of knacker drinking.

But here in Braintree, 46.5 percent of residents can proudly say they are actually of Irish descent, making the town one of the most Irish communities in the United States.

Last year, following the release of some U.S. Census data, nearby Scituate was crowned the most Irish town in America, with 47.5 percent of its residents hailing in some way from the Emerald Isle. Braintree came in a close second, and in total 16 South Shore communities ranked among the top Irish destinations.

The Boston Globe and Irish Central reported the information in 2011, drawn from the Census Bureau's 2005-2009 American Community Survey.

What's behind the numbers? Richard Finnegan, professor of political science and director of Irish studies at Stonehill College, told the Globe that the migration of Irish families from Boston down the South Shore began just after World War II.

“If you live in Dorchester or Hyde Park, you don’t think of moving to Swampscott,’’ Finnegan said. “Where will I move if I can get ahead and move up the social ladder? Quincy, Weymouth, and down the South Shore."

Or as the Braintree Mayor's Chief of Staff Peter Morin put it recently: "We're wicked Irish here."

Below is a list of the top Irish communities, with a comparison to Massachusetts as a whole, posted by Stonehill College.

PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL POPULATION:

47.5 Scituate
46.5 Braintree
45.8 Hull
45.6 Marshfield
44.9 Avon
44.9 Pembroke
44.6 Milton
44.5 Abington
44.3 Whitman
44.2 Hanover
43.4 Weymouth
43.0 Walpole
42.2 Holbrook
41.4 Duxbury
41.2 Norwell
40.8 Hanson
17.4 Boston
23.7 Massachusetts