Vaudeville is often viewed as the source of some of the crude stereotypes that positioned the Irish immigrant in America as the antithesis of native-born American citizens. Using primary archival material, Mooney argues that the vaudeville stage was an important venue in which an Irish-American identity was constructed, negotiated, and refined.

1. Introduction
2. "Irish By Name": An Overview of Irish and Ethnic Performance in Vaudeville
3. Performing Irishness at Tony Pastor's Opera House, 1865-1874
4. Representations of Irish Masculinity in Vaudeville
5. Representations of Irish Women in Vaudeville
6. Conclusion

Jennifer Mooney is an independent scholar working on the history of vaudeville. She received her PhD from the University of Ulster, UK.