Portland, Oregon’s connection to Ireland and Irish America

The Portland Hibernian Society exists for anyone who wants to get together with like-minded people to learn more about Ireland - its history, its culture, its people, its politics. We gather on the Third Thursday of the month (Sept. through July) at Kells Restaurant (112 SW Second Ave Portland). You never know what we’ll be getting up to. The PHS also publishes a newsletter The PDX Hibernian Independent.

From The Hibernian Independent:

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Ireland. Oregon. Easter Lillies.
Ireland. Oregon. Easter Lillies.

Easter Season brings reminders of the 1916 Easter Monday Rising in Ireland. Find out how the Easter Lily from Oregon became a symbol of Republicanism after 1916. Included in the latest edition of the PDX Hibernian Independent: Rita O’Hare. Outside Mullingar. Ireland’s soccer women step up.

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Game On!
Game On!

“Ireland must get past Czechia in an all or nothing clash in Prague.” Whether Ireland makes it to this summer’s World Cup is still to be determined. Today (Mar. 26) they play Czechia. If they win they play Tuesday(Mar. 31). If they lose they go home. Ireland hasn’t qualified for the World Cup since 2002..

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Did Trump just endorse a United Ireland?
Did Trump just endorse a United Ireland?

Celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day 2026 from Portland to San Francisco to the White House to Heppner to Montserrat, really. PDX Hibernian Independent has coverage.

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Old Portland/New Portland St. Patrick’s Day Trail
Old Portland/New Portland St. Patrick’s Day Trail

There is so much more to Saint Patrick’s Day in Portland than drinking, dancing and music. But they’re a big part of the day. Old Portland and New Portland meet on March 17 and here’s a guide to where and when. And a look at what’s happening in Heppner, OR.

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From the Portland Hibernian Society Blog:

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Inside Outside Mullingar
Inside Outside Mullingar

Corrib Theatre brings John Patrick Shanley’s “Irish” play to Portland for a run that begins April 2. Not his most successful work, but one worth watching, debuted in New York in 2014. Article includes some of the lines from the play.

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What’s a World Cup without the teams from Ireland? Standard operating procedure
What’s a World Cup without the teams from Ireland? Standard operating procedure

There will be no need to search for tickets to World Cup games this summer featuring either of the men’s teams from Ireland. For the Republic’s team, this will be the sixth time since 2002 that they’ve failed to qualify. Is the pint half full or half empty? Read on.

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Why so many Irish aren’t fans of Churchill
Why so many Irish aren’t fans of Churchill

When Ireland’s leader politely pushed back on the Churchill-As-Hero narrative at the White House on St. Patrick’s Day he was tapping into Irish history. Micheal Matin acknowledged Churchill’s leadership in World War Two but differed with Trump when it comes to his legacy in Ireland.

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Portland’s Irish Potato Famine Memorial

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The brilliant career of Mary McAleese
The brilliant career of Mary McAleese

Mary McAleese (L), the eighth President of Ireland (1997 - 2011) came to Portland seventeen years ago to dedicate the Celtic Cross at the Oregon Potato Famine Memorial. Find out more about who she is and what she’s doing today.

Build the Nation: A Blessing
Build the Nation: A Blessing

by Father Jim Galluzzo. Delivered at the fifteenth anniversary of the dedication of the Oregon Potato Famine Memorial - 13 December 2023 - Mount Calvary Cemetery Portland Oregon.

Oregon Potato Famine Memorial 15th Anniversary
Oregon Potato Famine Memorial 15th Anniversary

In the summer of 2023, the newly appointed Consul General of Ireland on the West Coast, Micheal Smith, came to Portland to visit the Oregon Potato Famine Memorial. Here’s the presentation given to familiarize Smith with its back story and the accomplishment this Memorial represents for local members of the Irish Diaspora.