With a new nonstop Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Denver launching on 17th May, there’s never been a better time for Irish travellers to head to the US. These five top cities offer the chance to discover some Irish history, good craic and plenty of culture. And you won’t miss out on a pint in a good Irish establishment.
Learn the history of West Cork miners in Leadville, Colorado
With endless diverse landscapes, Colorado shares many similarities with Ireland. Famed Irishmen such as Oscar Wilde, Michael Davet and John Sullivan paved the way for many others to flock to the Centennial State. Over 150 years ago, the Irish gathered in Leadville, Colorado for the silver boom. Due to being at the bottom of Leadville’s social ladder, their lack of social status and inability to afford graves meant most of the Irish were dying very young and buried in unmarked graves. Last year, Irish artist Terry Brennan unveiled the Leadville Irish Miners’ Memorial at Evergreen Cemetery in memory of Irish miners and their family members who are buried in unmarked graves nearby. www.colorado.com/
Feel the luck of the Irish in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
From the use of ‘yinz’, derived from the original Scots-Irish form of ‘yous ones’, to the Blarney Stone rumoured to be wedged somewhere in the tower of St. Patrick Church, there are many ways to trace Irish ancestry in Pittsburgh. Head to the Carnegie Science Centre and enjoy “Ireland” – a film which documents four experiences of finding Irish genealogy and ancestral heritage. Next, explore the Irish Room at the University of Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms which houses a replica of the Book of Kells and is ornately designed with Celtic stonework. Established in 1926 as a way to commemorate the different ethnicities that helped make Pittsburgh the city that it is today, the university also offers Irish language lessons at its language centre. www.visitpittsburgh.com/
Experience the Irish links in Seattle, Washington
Some of the earliest non-native settlers in Seattle stemmed from Ireland. This included the city’s first non-native settler, David Denny, who was the great-grandson of an Irish Man and Judge Thomas Burke, known as “The Man Who Built Seattle”, was born in New York of Irish immigrant parents. The Irish Heritage Club is a non-profit organisation that hosts activities in the name of Irish culture in the Greater Seattle area. They organise everything from Irish music performances, Irish dancing, Irish language, Irish history, Gaelic games, and cultural exchanges with our Sister City of Galway, Ireland. Some of the upcoming events include an Irish Soda Bread Cooking class and an Emerald City Irish Film Festival. visitseattle.org/
Enjoy an Irish pint in America’s beer capital, Denver, Colorado
When the Silver Boom ended in the 1890s, the Irish began their descent to Denver. And in return, Denver has no shortage of Irish boozers in which to wile away an afternoon. Fresh off the direct flight from Dublin, you may want to check out one of the oldest running Irish pubs in Colorado. Clancy’s was established in 1973 and is known for its great selection of beer and over thirty Irish whiskeys. www.denver.org/
Visit the city Irish settlers helped build, Nevada
The silver and gold rushes in the 1850s attracted Irish settlers to the state of Nevada in their troves. Within a decade of the discovery of the Comstock Lode in 1859, the most profitable mineral deposit in American history, roughly a third of the residents of Virginia City were Irish-born or Irish descendents. These Irish settlers were one of the largest groups to help build Virginia City, the largest city in Nevada at the time, and much of the city’s original architecture remains today. Today Irish connections can be recognised across the state, in surnames and in leading arts and entertainment group – Shamrock Productions based in Reno, hosting Irish dance and music performances year round. travelnevada.com
