Visitors to New Orleans might be surprised to know that Irish immigrants are part of a city culture that is well known for evolving from early French and Spanish colonization, Caribbean commerce and the legacies of enslaved Africans
The grandly colonnaded old city hall was designed by an Irish architect. A neighborhood near the wharves is still known as the Irish Channel. Landmark towers and spires of Catholic churches built for Irish immigrants dot the skyline.
New Orleans is well known for a culture that evolved from early French and Spanish colonization, Caribbean commerce and the legacies of enslaved Africans. But immigrants from a variety of countries also influenced New Orleans’ art, architecture, food and music. March brings an annual focus on the Irish, with St. Patrick’s Day celebrations that include shamrock-themed block parties and neighborhood parades.
“If you look back on the Irish history in New Orleans or the Irish politics in New Orleans, a lot of our mayors and representatives and council people were from Irish descent,” said Ronnie Burke, the grand marshal of this weekend’s Irish Channel parade.
He grasped a string of rosary beads made of marble from Connemara in Ireland’s County Galway. His family emigrated from there five generations ago to escape the Great Hunger, which set off a wave of Irish migration in the 19th century.
He was among scores of green-clad New Orleans residents gathered at a park near the Mississippi River on Thursday during an Irish-themed block party and fundraiser for St. Michael, a school serving students with learning disabilities. The event also served as something of a reunion for former Irish Channel residents who attended a Catholic school in the area.
