50+ Lifestyles

Shamrocks and Palm Trees

By Mary Schricker Gemberling

“Wherever you go and whatever you do, May the luck of the Irish be there with you!”

As promised last month my article for March is being written with my toes in the sand on a sunny Florida gulf coast beach, Anna Maria Island. Since our January arrival in the sunshine state we have logged many miles on our bicycles, visited friends on both coasts, and eaten more than our fair share of seafood.

Since Gary and I both love fish, most of our dining experiences in Florida have been at beach-side eateries with a plate of the fresh catch of the day, washed down with a cold refreshing adult beverage. Yesterday, however, we were in the mood for something other than fish and decided to stop at a local Irish pub called Duffy’s. When I saw the signage my first thought was what’s an Irish Pub doing on a beach in Florida? I mean just how many beach goers choose ‘Bangers and Mash’ over fresh gulf shrimp? I decided to ask ‘Siri’ how many Irish descendants resided in Florida; her answer could have knocked me over with a feather. Florida has the fifth largest population of Irish/Scottish ancestry in the US. That equates to one in nine residents or just over two million six hundred thousand people.

My next question was, how did they all get here and why? Some of the earliest Irishmen came to Florida not as settlers, but as soldiers. In 1781, during the American Revolution, Irishmen who had volunteered to fight for the Spanish King, fought the British for the takeover of Pensacola. Between 1783-1821 Spain wanted to populate and establish a thriving economy in Florida; Irishmen were among the men and women given land grants by the Spanish government. Many of the American settlers who entered Florida after it became a U.S. territory also hailed from Irish or Scottish ancestry. Once in Florida many of the newcomers set up small family farms and worked cattle on the open range becoming what historians often call Florida “crackers”. The Great Potato Famine of the 1840’s drove large numbers of Irish immigrants to the United States with many of them spreading into the rural areas of Florida. And the rest, as they, say is history!

The cultural impact of Florida’s Scots-Irish settlers can be seen in a variety of names, celebrations, and other traditions practiced around the state today. St. Patrick’s Day is by far the most popular traditional Irish celebration. On March 17th communities in every corner of the state of Florida, will be marking the occasion just as we are in Iowa and Illinois, by attending parades, enjoying Irish music and dancing and wearing the green.

“ May your troubles be less, your blessings be more and nothing but happiness come through your door.”

Mary, a former educator and Seniors Real Estate Specialist, is the author of three books: The West End Kid, Labor of Love; My Personal Journey through the World of Caregiving, and Hotel Blackhawk; A Century of Elegance.