Fr. Robert Hayman, Historian for the Diocese of Providence. Fr. Hayman’s talk focused on the "Irish immigrants in Rhode Island prior to 1860, with a special look at the Newport area". He referred to the memoirs of Bishop Fenwick of Boston who noted that in 1827 there were about 150 Irish men working at Ft.
The term "Racy" has been used in the past as a way of commending the organization or policy as exhibiting the excellence of the Irish race, according to Dr. O’Malley.