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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Decembership - Why join the PHS
Decembership - Why join the PHS

Saturday, December 13 - A gathering at The Cross at Mt. Calvary Cemetery All are welcome. See details in the PDX Hibernian Independent. Plus Local Irish News and News From Ireland.

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Talkin’ Irish Books tonight at Kells
Talkin’ Irish Books tonight at Kells

For a nation so small, Ireland has contributed disproportionately to the literary world. So many great books. We’ll dive into some of them at the November 20 meeting of the Portland HIbernian Society.

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JFK’s goofy grandson is running for Congress
JFK’s goofy grandson is running for Congress

Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Jack Schlossberg is running for the House of Representatives. JFK’s carer began when he won a seat in the House of Representatives from Massachusetts. Can his grandson repeat that feat?

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What just happened in Ireland and New York City
What just happened in Ireland and New York City

On October 24 voters in Ireland elected a socialist as President. On November 4 New York City voters elected a socialist as Mayor. Both candidates won in a landslide. Though the voter turn out in Ireland was low, New York voters turned out in historic numbers. Is history being made in Ireland and New York City?

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From the Portland Hibernian Society Blog:

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Shangana Press In Print and More 
Shangana Press In Print and More 

Gemma Whelan talks with Hibernian Daniel Curran about her pivot to publishing with Shangana Press, named after her childhood home in Dublin. Daniel has details about the annual theater tour to Ireland she runs with her husband.

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What’s in a name?
What’s in a name?

Dublin decided not to change the name of Herzog Park. Originally named in 1995 for Chaim Herzog, a former President of Israel born in Belfast and raised in Dublin, the park’s name also honors his father, Yitzak Herzog, He was the first Chief Rabbi of Ireland after independence in 1921.

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Divorce Irish Style. Part Two
Divorce Irish Style. Part Two

PART TWO - Ireland voted to legalize divorce thirty years ago. On Nov. 24, 1995 a tiny majority of voters amended the constitution, which banned the “dissolution of marriage.” The campaign was rancorous. The outcome established the right to remarry. Divorce rates didn’t rise as much as some feared they would.

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Portland’s Irish Potato Famine Memorial

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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.