Past Exhibits

Take a look at some of the previous amazing exhibits we have showcased at the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library.

Irish in Latin America

First showcased from 2018 – 2019,
with a second showcase from 2024-2025

Previous Exhibit, Courtesy of Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

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, was on display in 2018 and again from 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.