The Irish Railroad Workers Museum

Going Down the Shore: Summer Recreation for our Immigrant Ancestors

We marvel at the hard work, family devotion and associations that were an essential part of life for our immigrant ancestors. Yet, surprises abound when we discover their commitment to leisure time, spent along the abundant waterfront surrounding Baltimore: a major industrial city tucked into the land bordering the west side of the Chesapeake Bay.

Music, Dance and Pleasure

Irish Dance in Baltimore (Part 2): A Steady Trickle, then a Mighty Stream

We are thoroughly enjoying this learning experience as we look to various resources to better understand the flow of Irish dance through Baltimore history. A key to following the genre is an understanding that traditional Irish music and dance are intertwined and inseparable. Of course, each discipline is dependent on audiences to perform for, and fans of the art form give both emotional and financial support.

Irish Themes

They Danced for Erin: Irish Life with Large and Small Themes

Baltimore's Irish community did much to contribute to the establishment of a Free Ireland, and had some fun along the way. Some families with particularly capable members became major community leaders as well.

Irish Themes

A Cultural Remission, or Not: Drinking and the Irish

Baltimore's rich history includes both a modern understanding of the role of drink within the greater culture and the considerable effort in earlier years to moderate the use of alcohol in Irish parishes. We hope you enjoy learning about another era, and the efforts to keep all things in moderation.

Irish Themes

Baltimore's Early Irish Fiddlers do Battle

Two generations of fiddlers were front and center in the efforts to perpetuate Irish culture and traditions in the Baltimore area. Both were also central in the community's desire to maintain a flourishing dance tradition among the immigrant Irish and the generations to follow. Let's learn about Larry Ward and Mathew J. White.

Music, Dance and Pleasure

Wrestling the Creature

Baltimore's early Irish parishes were often led by native sons of the Emerald Isle, and West Baltimore's St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church was no exception. Their first pastor was Edward McColgan, born on May 5, 1812, in County Donegal, Ireland. He led Baltimore's Irish to remember their homeland, but also advocated for temperance in significant ways.

All Sample 2

Going Down the Shore: Summer Recreation for our Immigrant Ancestors

Irish Dance in Baltimore (Part 2): A Steady Trickle, then a Mighty Stream

They Danced for Erin: Irish Life with Large and Small Themes

A Cultural Remission, or Not: Drinking and the Irish

Baltimore's Early Irish Fiddlers do Battle

Wrestling the Creature

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