Irish in the West
Irish in the West
The contributions of the Irish in the West across all sectors of society cannot be denied. Ours is a living, breathing history to which we are adding all the time. Enjoy familiar stories and new tales highlighting the indelible mark of the Irish throughout our Western region—yesterday, today, and tomorrow!
Mary Jo Murphy and the Murphy School of Irish Dance
Irish in the West“Mary Jo Feeney, Irish Dance Teacher Extraordinaire, To Receive Well-Deserved Honor at the 2024 Rebel Cork’s Christmas Dinner”...
Irish Women in the Stars
Irish in the WestIrish Women have a Special Place in the History of Astronom By the time Dr. Norah Patten was born and raised in Ballina, County...
Dowling Library Nears Half-Century Mark
Irish in the WestThe first and longest running all Irish Lbrary in the United States, the United Irish Cultural Center’s Patrick J Dowling Library...
Celebrating San Francisco’s Irish Herald Newspaper
Irish in the WestCelebrating San Francisco’s Irish Herald Newspaper One of the most ubiquitous symbols of the Irish community in San Francisco is...
Remembering Peter Yorke
Irish in the WestRemembering Peter Yorke San Francisco is filled with the memory of Ireland. You’ll see the Irish in our street names. In the names...
Early San Francisco and the Irish
Historian Jeffrey Burns writes: “The most important immigrants in early San Francisco were the Irish. By 1856, more than 6,000 foreign born Irish, comprising 12% of the city’s population, had arrived in San Francisco, growing to over 30,000 by 1870. By 1880, foreign born Irish and Americans of Irish descent accounted for 33% of the city’s population…Irish filled the ranks of the police and fire departments and provided a significant portion of the city’s civil service employees.” These numbers translated quickly into power with plenty of Irish assuming leadership roles in public service and business, as well as with religious institutions and in the private sector.
Everyone’s got a story to tell, and the UICC wants to hear yours. We aim to record and preserve the contributions of the Irish and Irish Americans in San Francisco and the West for posterity.
Do you have an ancestor who left their mark on our great city and/or state? Know of someone who achieved something incredible that we should be aware of? Or perhaps you’d like to share your own story? We are always looking for great stories at the UICC that we can add to our collection and eventually share with the community.
If you would like to submit a story, the first step is to fill out our short questionnaire. This will be reviewed by a member of our team, who will then follow up with you if they need any further information.
To get started, please click on the button below.
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