May 17, 2013 -- Immigration from Ireland hit its peak in the 1850s, when more than a million Irish immigrants -- many fleeing their homeland because of famine -- became legal permanent residents.

It’s a storied, if not controversial, history that spans back to the early 18 th century. But do you know about the Irish immigration before after the historic Battle of the Alamo?

More than 90 Irish immigrants perished. Today, there is a memorial to the lost at one of Cohasset’s cemeteries and the story of the Brig St. John is told through an exhibit at the Maritime Museum.