“Irish in Latin America”

On Display September 12, 2024 through July 30, 2025

When we think about Irish immigration to the Americas, popular imagination often transports us to the mid-19th Century in the North-Eastern United States and Canada. There, we find boats of Irish immigrants escaping The Great Hunger (An Gorta Mor) in what has become the most well-known of the Irish immigration stories to the Americas. While Irish immigration during the famine has left a lasting influence on the United States and Canada, it is not the only immigration story of how the Irish came to find a home on the American continents. Many more Irish immigration stories exist in different times and in different places in the Americas.  Another such story of Irish immigration is that of the Irish in Latin America.

Latin America, which is often defined as the countries in North and South America where Romance Languages are now predominantly spoken, is home to many incredible stories of Irish immigration. From Irish soldiers who aligned themselves to the Spanish crown to Argentine Admirals, Irish immigrants were in the thick of modern history across the two continents. Starting in September 2024, the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library is thrilled to bring the stories of the Irish in Latin America to Phoenix.

The Irish in Latin America exhibit, put together by Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Irish Cultural Center & McClelland Library, will be on display 2024-2025. The exhibit was first launched in Mexico City in October of 2016 and spans the history of Irish immigrants and their descendants across Latin America from 1611- 1968. The twenty-three informative panels will be available for public viewing from September 12, 2024 through July 30, 2025 in the McClelland Library’s Exhibit Hall. We are also pleased to share additions to the exhibit space featuring local connections and the San Patricios. Tickets to the limited-time exhibition are available in person at the McClelland Library.

$10: Adults, $5: Veterans/Student/Senior, Free: Members and Children under 6