Bill--

As a student of history, I'm sure you appreciate it has been ever thus. New York City after the massive Irish immigration of the late 1840's and 1850's had by some accounts the worst crime rate in the Western world. All sorts of crime was rampant in the 5 Points--excellent book on that area by Tyler Anbinder--from stolen elections to prostitution and murder. Most of the rioters in the 1863 draft riots, the worst riots til the mid 20th century, were Irish or Irish-American. Yet Irish-American spokesmen of the Catholic church opposed the riots--and were instrumental in ending them. ( Another argument for much-despised "organized religion"?)

And I would say that the Irish have enriched the US, to say the least. Any argument?

It's too easy to tar an ethnic group--or a wave of immigration--with the misdeeds of some.