Ellis Island officially opened on January 1, 1892 and the first passenger registered was a young Irish girl Annie Moore. Today it is home to a thought-provoking history of immigration including this eEllis Island
SEE PHOTOS: Historic places across America
The Irish legacy is evident all across the United States and Canada. Irish America editor-in-chief Patricia Harty selects corners of Ireland that preserve the memory of those who came before and where current generations honor their Irish-American heritage.
From O'Neill, Nebraska, which is home to the largest shamrock in the world; Bunker Hill in Massachussetts, where the Irish helped quash a British attack, Tipperary Hill in Syracuse where the top traffic light in the sequence is green; the Donner Pass in Nevada where two Irish families were lucky to survive a deathly trek and Butte Montana, where the Cavan-born Irish "Copper King".
SEE PHOTOS: Historic places across America
*Originally published January 25, 2011.