By Jaimie Julia Winters
Long before smartphones and social media made it easy to stay connected, immigrants in Kearny built community the old-fashioned way — by gathering together. For generations of Irish families, that gathering place was the Irish-American Association on Kearny Avenue, known simply around town as “The Irish.”
Founded in 1933 by a small group of Irish and Scottish immigrants, the club became a place where newcomers could share stories of home, celebrate traditions, and build lasting friendships while working to establish themselves in America, Kearny Irish-American Club Secretary Sean McDonald said.
Many of the club’s earliest members were laborers and skilled tradesmen — carpenters, machinists, masons, and engineers — who found work in Kearny’s booming industrial economy. Local factories such as Western Electric and Congoleum-Nairn employed large numbers of immigrants.
The organization’s first president was James Gavin. In its first decade, the club grew steadily as more immigrants arrived in Kearny and surrounding towns. For these men and their families, the association was about more than socializing. It was about preserving their Irish roots, McDonald said.
“In a sense, clubs like ours were founded to provide a feeling of the homeland,” members say. Even as they worked to build new lives in America, they wanted a place where Irish culture, traditions, and community could thrive.
Over time, the club became deeply woven into everyday life in Kearny. When friends made plans to meet, they often used a simple phrase that everyone understood: “We’re going to The Irish,” McDonald said.
A soccer legacy
The club’s influence even extended onto the soccer field. In the 1930s and early 1940s, the Irish-American Association fielded a team in the now-defunct American Soccer League. One of its proudest moments came in 1944, when the team captured the Lewis Cup, according to McDonald.
Soccer remained part of the club’s identity for decades. In 1963, members founded the Kearny Celtic Supporters Club — the first overseas supporters group for the Celtic Football Club of Glasgow, Scotland, a team with deep ties to Ireland. The supporters club still exists today and will celebrate its 63rd anniversary in 2026.
Keeping traditions alive
As the organization grew, the association purchased a building at 95 Kearny Avenue, creating a permanent home that quickly became a hub of Irish-American life. Members gathered there for meetings, celebrations, and conversation — enjoying what the Irish call “craic,” a word that captures the spirit of fun, storytelling, and companionship.
In 1973, the Irish-American Association became one of four founding organizations of the United Irish Associations of West Hudson, which sponsors the annual West Hudson St. Patrick’s Day Parade, McDonald said..
The parade has since become a hallmark of local Irish heritage. The 2026 parade will mark its 50th year (with cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic).
Club members have marched in the parade for decades, and many have been honored as Grand Marshal or Deputy Grand Marshal. The club’s building — once located right along the route — was long one of the most popular gathering spots for spectators celebrating the holiday.
Each year, the organization also names an Irishman of the Year, a tradition that continues today. In recent years, the club has added new honors, including Irishwoman of the Year and Miss Teen Irish-American, McDonald said.
A brush with television fame
The club even found its way into pop culture. The exterior of the building appeared in several scenes of HBO’s The Sopranos, particularly those involving the fictional pork store Satriale’s, portrayed as being next door.
During filming, production crews temporarily replaced the Irish flag hanging from the building with an Italian one to match the show’s storyline. Cast and crew members often stopped inside during breaks, chatting with patrons, signing autographs, and occasionally sharing a drink.
A new chapter
Like many longtime organizations, the Irish-American Association faced challenges as the demographics of Kearny and the surrounding communities changed. In 2017, the club was forced to sell its longtime home — a bittersweet moment for members who feared it might mark the end of the organization, McDonald said.
The club has since adapted. Today, the association continues with more than 100 dues-paying members. Without a permanent building, meetings and events are held at locations throughout the community.
The organization has also embraced a new mission as a nonprofit, obtaining 501(c)(3) status and expanding its charitable work. In 2025 alone, the club donated more than $6,000 to various causes.
In 2022, the club established the Frankie McAllister Memorial Scholarship Fund, honoring a beloved member and officer who died at age 39 after battling male breast cancer. The scholarship is awarded annually to a graduating high school senior.
Carrying the legacy forward
Today, many members are second- and third-generation participants, following fathers, grandfathers, and relatives who belonged before them.
The club continues to host social gatherings throughout the year, including its annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration held shortly before the West Hudson parade. They now meet at the Scots-American Club in Kearny.
More than 90 years after its founding, the Irish-American Association continues to honor the immigrants who started it.
Jaimie Julia Winters chronicles the stories that shape New Jersey communities as a freelance writer for Kearny Life and Community Sentinel and former editor at The South Bergenite, Ridgewood News, Community News, The Record, and Jersey Catholic.
