Comment by skissane

> But the fact we're trying to determine is "was there anti-Irish sentiment in colonial era America", using Franklin's words as evidence.

Franklin's words are irrelevant to the question of "was there anti-Irish sentiment in colonial era America" – because he never mentions the Irish at all.

He does express a belief in an intra-white racial hierarchy, of "more pure" and "less pure" white people. He never once tells us where he thinks the Irish sit in it. My assumption about where he would have put them is as good as yours.