Powering Chicago Members Proudly Display Their Irish Heritage

Posted: March 10, 2020
better communities, Kevin O’Shea, Shamrock Electric

In the mid-1800s following the great famine, millions of Irish immigrants settled in North America in the hopes of finding good-paying, steady jobs. This led many of these Irish immigrants into the trades. Today, the Irish community is still heavily represented by these same families, and at no other time during the year is that more on display than during St. Patrick’s Day.

This Friday, over 700 people will be on hand for another iteration of the St. Paddy’s Day Luncheon. Started in the early 1950s by a group of electrical salesmen, the group has grown from seven people celebrating Frank Cummins’ birthday to an industry-wide event that offers more than just a good meal.

“It’s become a great networking event,” said Kevin O’Shea, CEO of Shamrock Electric. “Plus, everyone likes to get together on a Friday and have a few drinks to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.”

Kevin O’Shea’s father, William J. (Bill) O’Shea, pictured with his parade marshal sash.

O’Shea’s family got into the electrical industry after the First World War but didn’t open Shamrock Electric until 1957. The O’Shea’s are just one of many Irish families who have stayed in the electrical industry for generations.

“When someone would come over from overseas, like Ireland, they would typically be in the same neighborhood,” O’Shea explained. “So, you’d have very strong neighborhoods that were Irish or German or Polish and you’d need a sponsor when you’d come over from the old country. That sponsor would give you a room and they’d be responsible for getting you a job so when the Irish started to become electricians it became easier to get a job in the industry.”

This was the case for IBEW Local 134 Business Manager Mike Boyle, who helped lead the industry through the worst year of the Great Depression. Boyle was born in 1879 to Irish immigrants and was a strong and progressive leader during his time. He helped secure the best deals for his members by fighting city officials and even those involved in the lawlessness of the Prohibition Era.

Members of IBEW Local 134 march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Today, members of IBEW Local 134 continue to celebrate their Irish roots by marching in Chicago’s many St. Patrick’s Day parades and, while that won’t be possible this year with the cancellation of the parades, it doesn’t diminish the pride we have in the electrical industry’s Irish roots.