When it comes to smiling Irish eyes, Seattle area ranks near the top of the nation

Plenty of Irish eyes are smiling on St. Patrick’s Day in the Seattle area.

The U.S. Census Bureau is having a wee bit of fun Wednesday with graphics that explore Irish roots in every U.S. county, and it turns out King County ranks in the top 10 with its nearly 200,000 kiss-me-I’m-somewhat-Irish residents.

But interestingly, Ferry County in Northeast Washington is even greener when you look at what percentage of the population has Irish ancestry.

The Irish presence in Washington dates at least as far back as the 1830s, according to Historylink.org, with about one in 12 claims in Washington Territory made by Irish-born settlers as of 1856.

Nationwide, more than 31 million people claim Irish roots, the census bureau said in a comprehensive ancestry breakdown in 2019.

But whether you’re Irish or not, we all need an excuse to celebrate. You might start with these recipes for soda bread, proper Irish stew and a comforting shepherd’s pie. Then perhaps end the day with chocolate Guinness cake and Irish coffee.