Do the Boston Celtics have a big fan base in Ireland?
Whilst many will feel the Irish influence on a number of different things, it would be impossible not to notice its presence when thinking about the Boston Celtics. The NBA team are heavily influenced by Irish culture, with their mascot even being “Lucky the Leprechaun” as the city look to acknowledge Boston’s historically large Irish population.
Indeed, whilst many of those in Boston - and in other states - will look to continue to enjoy things such as an Irish themed online casino, it is important to understand why there is so much love for the Irish themes within the region.
History
The simple reason as to why there is a huge Irish influence within Boston, Massachusetts, is simply down to historical detail.
During the 19th century, the city had dramatically changed following the arrival of a large number of European immigrants. A large portion of these were Irish, with many of them having been on the first wave of people to come to the region; largely in part because of the Great Irish Famine that was being experienced.
At one point, they even joined in with the American Civil War during the 1860s, which meant that they would be accepted by many as prejudice against them would be dispelled, and their influence can still be felt within the city today. Charlestown and South Boston are both heavily Irish, for instance.
How did Boston Celtics get their name?
According to the information that has been provided by the NBA franchise themselves, the Boston Celtics managed to get their name after Walter Brown had an epiphany when he and Howie McHugh were throwing out potential nicknames.
Having been formed in 1946, Brown and McHugh had initially thought of Whirlwinds, Unicorns and Olympics until it dawned on Brown that the region was Irish.
“Wait, I’ve got it - the Celtics. The name has a great basketball tradition from the old Original Celtics in New York (1920s). And Boston is full of Irishman. We’ll put them in green uniforms and call them the Boston Celtics,” he said.
Do the Boston Celtics have a big fan base in Ireland?
Whilst the sport of basketball continues to be one that grows in popularity and appeal, there will be many Irish fans that will have taken to the Boston Celtics as their favourite team. Of course, this would have only been natural as they would have instantly been able to relate to them due to the various factors such as the team’s name, the green colours that they play in, the logo and mascot that the NBA franchise use, whilst there are also a number of links between them and Ireland in general historically.
It is a no-brainer for many, which is why the team have a rather big fan base in the Emerald Isle and one that is only likely going to increase as the sport of basketball continues to get bigger.
