What can you tell me about Irish accents?

Ben   Thursday, February 03, 2005, 19:55 GMT
If you go so some parts of the northern part of the United States, notably the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, people definitely speak with a kind of speech that similarly "brogue"-like to the Irish.

Part of the similarity between the American and Irish dialects can be attributed to the fact that both were first colonized by England before the great pronunciation changes that swept over the Southern UK during the late 17th and 18th centuries.
Brennus   Friday, February 04, 2005, 07:22 GMT

This is somewhat related to Ben's comment. The late American actor Pat O'Brien (1899 -1986) who was called "Hollywood's Irishman" spoke with an Irish lilt. I don't know if it was natural or affected but I'm inclined to believe that it was natural. He was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin which is not too far from northern Michigan. It appears that until about the mid-twentieth century, pockets of European immigrant accents survived throughout the United States. Bandleader Lawrence Welk, a native of South Dakota, spoke with a German accent and didn't begin learning English until he left home at the age of 21. In fact, I heard that he had a strict father who wouldn't allow him to leave his home town until then. Also, one of my grandfathers (lived from 1893 -1952) spoke with traces of an Irish accent even though he was born in Smithfield, Pennsylvania and it was his grandparents who were the immigrants.