IMAGES OF AMERICA:
IRISH SEATTLE
Fascinating New Book Highlights
150 Years of the Irish in Seattle
Arcadia Publishing
By John F. Keane
Irish Heritage Club
ISBN: 978-0-7385-4878-2
SEATTLE - On March 3, San Francisco's Consul General of Ireland for the Western United States, Émer Deane, joined with other guests of the Irish Heritage Club to launch Images of America: Irish Seattle, a new book by John F. Keane.
Irish Seattle is a fascinating retrospective covering Seattle's 150 years of history and pays tribute to the first, second and third-generation Irish who lived in the Puget Sound region during that time. In more than 200 photographs and illustrations, this pictorial history chronicles the contributions of the Irish to an area whose landscape and climate reminded them of home.
"Most people will not be aware of the extent of the involvement the Irish people have had in the building of the Seattle area," said Keane. "But from the very beginning, despite its distance from Ireland and the difficulties in getting to Seattle, there were first and second generation Irish involved in Seattle; as loggers, prospectors, miners, farmers, builders, lawmen, politicians, priests, policemen and firemen. There wasn't a single profession that didn't include some Irish people."
Born in Ireland in 1942, John Keane has been involved in nearly every Irish organization since his arrival in Seattle as a young man in 1978.
Since the founding of the Irish Heritage Club in 1982, he has been continuously involved as an officer and active member. He served as president for 10 years and under his leadership, the Irish Heritage Club became by far the largest and most active Irish organization in the Seattle area.
Keane is currently chair of Seattle's Irish Week Committee which annually organizes most of the major celebrations in Seattle surrounding St. Patrick's Day. These include the St. Patrick's Day parade and Irish Week Festival.
He has been married for 32 years to Maureen, an author and nutritionist who was born in Detroit. The have one child, Micheál, 29, who works as a political consultant to Democratic Party candidates.
For more information and a list of Irish Seattle book signing locations, visit www.irish-seattle.com.
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