Weymouth Among Most Irish Towns in Massachusetts

WEYMOUTH, MA — They don't call the South Shore the Irish Riviera for nothing.

With St. Patrick’s Day taking place Friday and the parade in South Boston following two days later, it shouldn't come as a surprise if Weymouth and other nearby communities seemed more excited about the holiday than others. That's because Weymouth has the 10th highest percentage of residents with Irish ancestry, coming in with 39.3 percent, according to U.S. Census data.

Marshfield takes the crown as the most Irish community in Massachusetts, with 46.4 percent of residents claiming to be a bit Irish.

In fact, eight of the 10 most Irish towns in the state are on the South Shore, with Walpole and Nahant taking seventh and ninth.

Below is a list of the top 10, according to census data obtained by the Boston Globe.

1. Marshfield - 46.4 percent
2. Hanover - 46.3 percent
3. Scituate - 46.2 percent
4. Whitman - 44 percent
5. Norwell - 42.3 percent
6. Abington - 41.7 percent
7. Walpole - 41.4 percent
8. Braintree - 40.2 percent
9. Nahant - 40.2 percent
10. Weymouth - 39.3 percent

Image: File Photo