History of Irish Americans in Washington, D.C.

People of Irish descent form a distinct ethnic group in Washington, D.C.,[1] and have had a presence in the region since the pre-American Revolution period.

[2] By the mid to late 1700s, there were a number of first- and second-generation Irish Americans living in Georgetown, as listed in the early parish registers of Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

Wealthier Irish American residents living north of the area became more accepted and assimilated into wider society in Georgetown, marrying into other middle class Catholic families of English and German descent.

The patriarch of the family, Thomas Corcoran, was born in Ireland, settled in Georgetown in 1788, and established a leather business.

Some Irish laborers were recorded as builders of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal from the mid 1820s to the 1850s and as workers in the port of Georgetown.

[12] The Swampoodle neighborhood gained a local reputation as a "shanty town" with prostitution, crime, gang activity, and public intoxication.

[2] In 1904, several row houses in the Swampoodle Irish neighborhood on 1st Street NE were demolished to make way for the Tiber Creek tunnel.

In 1907, the construction of Washington Union Station had a significant impact on the Irish American community in Washington, D.C. and the 1,600 residents of the area, as it forced the demolition of over 10 blocks of the Swampoodle neighborhood and over 100 apartment buildings, row houses, and businesses owned by the Irish community.

[19] As of the late 2000s, there has been an ongoing effort in the area to build "The Irish American Museum of Washington, D.C.," which currently hosts online exhibitions.

[25] Saint Patrick's Day is widely celebrated in Washington, D.C. and the city has held an annual parade on the occasion since 1971.

[26] National ShamrockFest is a one-day music festival held in the city, reaching audiences of over 40,000 attendees in previous years.