Overview
 The Irish were among the first explorers and settlers of Western Pennsylvania. Fleeing war, economic hardship, or religious and political oppression in Ireland, or arriving as indentured servants or slaves, immigrants pushed inland from the eastern seaboard seeking greater freedom and opportunity. In the mid 1700s Captain George Croghan of Co. Sligo was with George Washington at the battle of Fort Necessity, served with General Braddock, and marched with General Forbes to Fort Duquesne. The petition to create Allegheny County in 1788 contained such Irish names as Casey and Farrell. Many emigrants from the Presbyterian Scots-Irish population in the North of Ireland made this area their home and contributed greatly to Pittsburgh's ethic of hard work and entrepreneurship. Captain James O'Hara built the first glassworks west of the Alleghenies, and part of his estate became Schenley Park.
 The Great Famine in Ireland in the 1840s drove over a million desperate people from Ireland, and Pittsburgh became home to thousands of them. "Irishtown" ran from Penn Avenue to Lawrenceville, "Old Limerick" was an area of today's South Side, and "Old Galway" was located at the junction of Fifth and Liberty, downtown. Communities such as Carrick, Castle Shannon, Banksville, Oakland and Greenfield were all named by Irish settlers. The first hospital in Pittsburgh was founded by the Sisters of Mercy who came from Co. Carlow, Ireland, and the college they founded bears the county's name. Many prominent Pittsburgh families, such as the Olivers and the Mellons, descend from Irish immigrants.
Today, Irish names are legion in the city's political, professional and cultural life: Murphy, Rooney, McGuinn, McGovern, O'Neill, O'Brien, Ryan, to name but a few. Native-born Irish in Pittsburgh include artists, architects, bankers, clergy, computer scientists, construction and development company owners and workers, doctors, entrepreneurs, musicians, museum directors, sociologists, theologians, professors, research scientists, restaurateurs, social workers, writers and, of course, good storytellers. The city hosts an annual dinner in aid of "peace, culture, and charity" in Ireland organized by the American Irish Foundation, of which Dan Rooney, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is a co-founder.
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Community Organizations
Irish Centre of Pittsburgh
Events, language and dance classes provided. 6886 Forward Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Phone: 412-521-9712
Jim Graven, President
Email: kayaks201@verizon.net
http://www.irishcentrepgh.org/
The Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh
A change-oriented organization that promotes mutual understanding between the Catholic and Protestant communities in Northern Ireland and job creation throughout all of Ireland. The Ireland Institute has a program for a three-year training program in the Pittsburgh region. Regional Enterprise Tower
425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 300
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: 412-394-3900
Fax: 412-394-0502
Email: info@iiofpitt.org
WWW: http://www.iiofpitt.org/ Immunization Action Coalition (IAC)
Vaccine Information Statements
The IAC works to increase immunization rates and prevent disease by creating and distributing educational materials for health professionals and the public that enhance the delivery of safe and effective immunization services. The Coalition also facilitates communication about the safety, efficacy, and use of vaccines within the broad immunization community of patients, parents, health care organizations, and government health agencies.
Click here for language specific Vaccine Information Statements (VIS). VIS are information sheets produced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that explain to vaccine recipients, their parents, or their legal representatives both the benefits and risks of a vaccine. Federal law requires that VIS be handed out whenever (before each dose) certain vaccinations are given. Immunization Action Coalition
http://www.immunize.org
admin@immunize.org 1573 Selby Avenue, Ste. 234
St. Paul, MN 55104
Tel: (651) 647-9009 Fax: (651) 647-9131
Pittsburghirish.org
The region's most complete resource for information and links to Irish organizations and activities: direct links to social, cultural, political and athletic organizations, as well as Irish import stores, pubs, a calendar of some of the Irish events in Pittsburgh, links to Irish information, media, etc.
http://www.pittsburghirish.org/
Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theater
Where Irish actors and actresses appear on stage, which premieres many productions by Ireland's top contemporary playwrights and numerous Irish poets.
Mullaney's Harp & Fiddle Irish Pub
2329 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Phone: 412-642-6622
Email: davidregan@harpandfiddle.com
http://www.harpandfiddle.com/index.html
Club Café
Check the Club's event listing for upcoming Irish groups. Booking manager Karl Mullen of Dublin, a talented musician and artist, schedules the best of touring Irish musical groups. 56 S. 12th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15211
Phone: 412-431-4950
Email: feedback@clubcafelive.com
http://www.clubcafelive.com
Gaelic Arts Society
For almost half a century this organization, devoted to the understanding and promotion of Irish history and culture, has been presenting monthly programs of lectures, music, drama, book reviews, and poetry. Contact: Patricia Joyce
Membership Secretary
Phone: 412-341-8023
Irish Nationality Room Committee
This civic group supports the cultural activities and intercultural exchange programs associated with the beautiful Irish classroom, one of 26 designed in the national style of the ethnic groups that have settled in Pittsburgh, all located in the University of Pittsburgh's towering Cathedral of Learning. The committee awards an annual scholarship for summer travel and study in Ireland. University Center for International Studies
Nationality Room and Intercultural Exchange Programs
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260-6271
Phone: 412-624-6150
http://www.pitt.edu/~natrooms
Photo below of man in leprechaun hat courtesy of The Multimedia Library, Copyright 1999.
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