Irish Denver

Images of America: Colorado

by Dennis Gallagher, Thomas Jacob Noel, James Patrick Walsh

The very first Irish in Denver came as miners, railroad workers, soldiers, and domestic servants. These workers, cogs of an expanding American industrial empire, later gave way to 20th-century politicians, priests, and business leaders who defined Irish respectability. Denver has always been a prominent stopping point for Irish patriots and cultural icons on their way to California. Former visitors include Oscar Wilde, Michael Davitt, Eamon de Valera, and Mary McAleese. Irish cultural institutions and businesses continue to flourish across Denver, which today boasts of having the second-largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the nation.

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2012

Reviews

[Seana · Rating 2 out of 5]

In looking for a book to fill my reading challenge spot for nonfiction about your hometown or state, I figured this would also have the added interest of linking to my heritage. While there are certainly some interesting tales to be told of the Irish in Denver, I was a bit disappointed in both the quality and shallow nature of this thin volume.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok, short

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was assigned this book for school, but I found Images of America to be an interesting and unique way to tell the stories of history. I am an avid reader, and even still, the photographic narrative was more engaging than a standard historical account. The Irish were represented enough throughout Colorado history that I feel the book covers the extent of (white) Colorado's history.

In all, I think this is an ideal coffee-table-book. It's exclusively photos and factoids. It has tidbits about well-known figures such as Oscar Wilde, Jack Dempsey, and John F. Kennedy, but it of course is more likely to cover those that would only be famous to Coloradans, J. K. Mullen, Thomas Francis Walsh, and Molly Brown.

[Lukas Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great photographic history. I would have liked more information about the history beyond the photos...but I still loved it.