John Dillon was fiercely proud of his Irish ancestry. When the Irish Ambassador at the time. Dermot Gallagher. visited Syracuse in 1997. it was John Dillon who regaled the Ambassador with the history of the West End of Syracuse. the home to many immigrant families. With great pride and his characteristic dry wit. John Dillon recalled the layout of the neighborhood and. using nicknames for the colorful characters of his youth. told a touching story of an entire generation of Irish immigrant families. He told of the Stonethrowers. the young men who defied city officials by repeatedly breaking the red light over the green on the traffic light at the main intersection of Tipperary Hill on the West End. Never would the English red sit atop the Irish green. he told Ambassador Gallagher with fervor.
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immigrant