Welcome to Tipperary Hill

The west side Syracuse neighborhood full of Irish culture and tradition

By Leila Frankina

It is mid March, a frigid day in a neighborhood in Syracuse, NY. Two tall flags blow in the wind, one Irish, and one U.S., representing the joining of two cultures. Locals gather to share laughs and clink their beers in celebration. It’s Saint Patrick’s Day and this is the most fitting place to be: Tipperary Hill.

Tipperary Hill is a neighborhood district that contributes to about half of Syracuse’s west side population. The area is best known for its strong Irish roots, and is home to a number of Irish pubs such as Coleman’s, The Blarney Stone, Nibsy’s, and more. Despite its large Irish demographic, there are also many residents of Ukrainian and Russian descent who live within the Tipp Hill community.

As you make your way down Tompkins street, West Fayette street, and other roads in the neighborhood, you will come across the lively pubs, the celebrated landmarks, statues, and more. Together, these bring to life the history and culture of Tipperary Hill.

Tipperary Hill Association President Janice McKenna sees the unique nature of the community daily; for her, the neighborhood is always alive.

“There is a lot of history and culture up here, it’s a colorful neighborhood,” McKenna said. “It doesn’t matter where you walk on Tipperary Hill, if you have lived here for a bit, somebody will drive by you and toot their horn.”

Going hand-in-hand with the celebratory spirit of the neighborhood is the rich history of the area. Since Tipperary Hill maintains such a distinct identity, it has run into dilemmas with even the simplest of installments: a traffic light.

Staying on par with its Irish identity, the neighborhood features traffic lights with the green light on top. In an effort to follow rules of other Syracuse traffic lights, with the red light on top, the department of transportation demanded a switch. Unfortunately for them, Tipperary Hill had already embraced its quirky green light. Kids in the neighborhood rebelled by knocking the red light on top out, forcing the department to replace it. Eventually, the department of transportation allowed the neighborhood to stick to its roots.

An example of just one narrative that highlights the special nature of Tipperary

Hill, with its green light on top, differing from other Syracuse neighborhoods.

Every year, the neighborhood comes together in March to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The festivities begin with Green Beer Sunday, a tradition started by Peter Coleman at his pub, which happens on the last Sunday in February. On this day, green is all the eye can see in front of Coleman’s Irish Pub. Beth Coleman Deehan, the daughter of Peter Coleman, said that during the lockdowns of the pandemic it was hard to see the festivities so restricted. But this year, Tipperary Hill was more than ready to return to its normally scheduled celebrations.

“I remember St. Patrick’s Day in 2021 during COVID,” Deehan said. “It was very limited and we had a lot of restrictions on the crowd size. It felt good to have a big turnout after that.”

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a lot of challenges for the neighborhood. Meetings were moved to Zoom, residents could no longer socialize at the pubs, and the neighborhood’s strong community ties were threatened.

Nicole Doty, a community member, felt the strain of the pandemic in the area, describing the lack of social interaction.

On the morning of March 17, the Tipp Hill neighborhood association held the ceremony at Tipp Hill memorial park. They had elementary school students from the area sing Irish songs and an Irish acapella group perform. Members of the Ukrainian choir also came and sang the Ukrainian national anthem, demonstrating the cultural ties of the community.

“We are a very social neighborhood, so the pandemic was difficult for people,” Doty said. “I noticed there was a lot more interaction on the neighborhood social media pages, but that’s not the same as face to face interaction. It was hard, but I think we all did a good job staying connected.”

As the pandemic restrictions have lightened over the years, the Tipp Hill neighborhood has been able to host more events for the community to enjoy in their regularly celebratory spirits. This St. Patrick’s Day, they were able to continue their flag raising ceremony tradition.

“It truly is a special moment,” Mckenna said, “You stand there and wonder every St. Patrick’s Day, is anybody going to come? Then you look out and see all of the people walking toward the park. I look forward to it every year.”

Between its memorable history, renowned landmarks, and tight-knit community, Tipperary Hill is truly a unique neighborhood. No matter what street you walk down in the area, there is always a noteworthy sight to see and there is always a remarkable experience to take part in.

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