Niall O'Dowd reports that over 120,000 Irish people are set to flee economic conditions in Ireland.

Debbie McGoldrick reports that the United States has restricted entry of Irish people into the country, despite the long historical ties and enormous contribution made to America by Ireland's emigrants.

The Irish were given 1,637 green cards. That's down from 2,088 in 2005.

From McGoldrick's article:
"Where did all the new LPRs come from in 2009? Mexico led the way with 164,920 of its citizens, followed by China, a distant second at 64,238, and the Philippines, with 60,029. Other notables include Cuba (38,954), Haiti (24,280), Pakistan (21,555), Iran (18,553), Canada (16,410) and the United Kingdom (15,748)."

What the Irish should do is what eastern Europeans have done in Brighton Beach on the splendid southern shore of Brooklyn. They have emigrated en masse to a neighborhood in New York City. The Irish could do similarly and create a symbiotic New York neighborhood as big as any of dozens of Dominican neighborhoods around the city.

New York provides all kinds of services to new arrivals, no matter the status, and there is more work here than in Ireland.

With a big Irish neighborhood in New York of say 120,000 people--easily matched by other ethnic groups--the Irish could spur a cross-Atlantic economy between the exiled in New York, and the Irish at home. Irish food suppliers could follow Korea's example and set up groceries stores and other businesses to sell Irish products from these Irish neighborhoods in New York City.