Tipperary Hill, sometimes known as Tipp Hill, is a district in the city of Syracuse, New York, largely settled by immigrants from Ireland, especially from County Tipperary. It makes up half of Syracuse’s Far Westside neighborhood. Local Irish youths, incensed that anyone would dare to put the “British” red above the “Irish” green, threw stones at the signal and broke the red light. The city replaced it, but the Irish soon threw more stones and broke the replacement. John “Huckle” Ryan, then alderman of the Tipperary Hill section, requested that Tipperary Hill’s first traffic signal be hung with the green above the red in deference to its Irish residents. This was done, but soon the State of New York stepped in with regulations. City officials reversed the colors. This despite assurances from local residents that what they were doing was “against nature and would never stand the test of time.” (Taken with instagram)
