The Irish made up a substantial portion of the canal work force in the United States and Canada in the 18th and 19fh centuries.  This was certainly true for the Illinois Michigan canal.  The Irish work force while all originally from the same country was not a homogenous group. Intersectional rivalries were not uncommon.  These no doubt were traditional and rooted in old feuding. However, this was aggravated by competition of a large labor force for a smaller pool of jobs in the United States and Canada.  Probably, the best known rivalry was between the Corkites from southern Ireland and the Fardowners from the north of Ireland.  The feuds between these two groups often erupted in serious violence and deaths