Real Lace: America's Irish Rich

America’s Irish Catholic rich have long enjoyed the designation of F.I.F., or First Irish Family or “Real Lace”, as it delineates their place in the “Irishtocracy”, where names such as Cuddihy, Murray, Doheny, and McDonnell inspire respect and awe. Yet, in almost every case, their origins in this country were humble. Fleeing the Irish potato famine in the 1840s, they found themselves penniless in the slums of New York and Boston where they were regarded as “invaders” and a curse, humiliated...