The "lace curtain Irish" were those who were well-off, while the "shanty Irish" were the poor, who were presumed to live in shanties, or roughly built cabins. [1] Mar 26, 2024 · Shanty meant rough, uncouth, and usually a drinker. Then came lace curtain Irish when they managed to move out of Five Points and move uptown or even more prosperous, to Long Island or Feb 9, 2025 · The Shanty Irish filled the ranks, but the Lace Curtain Irish were the ones who ran the show—mayors, judges, congressmen. They kept one foot in the world of the working class, but the other was planted firmly in the halls of power. This internal class distinction was famously captured by two evocative terms: lace curtain Irish and shanty Irish. These labels described more than just economic status; they represented a deep split in culture, aspirations, and identity as a new community navigated its place in American society. Mar 27, 2024 · Shanty meant rough, uncouth, and usu‐ ally a drinker. Then came lace curtain Irish when they managed to move out of Five Points and move uptown or even more prosperous, to Long Island or upstate. Then you be‐ came lace curtains, so-called because you could afford them for your windows. In many cases, the "lace curtain Irish" were as poor as the shanty Irish but they had their own notions that they were more respectable. When there was no frame house per se, some were called lace curtain simply because they would put up lace curtains for appearances' sake, even in a shanty town. Oct 16, 2024 · Today, the terms "Lace Curtain Irish" and "Shanty Irish" are still used to describe two distinct groups of Irish Americans. The Lace Curtain Irish are typically wealthier and more educated than the Shanty Irish, and they often come from Ireland's urban areas.