Lombard Historical Society to host ‘The Irish in Illinois’ lecture for St. Patrick’s Day
On Thursday, March 26, the Lombard Historical Society presents “The Irish in Illinois” with Northern Illinois University history professor Sean Farrell celebrating St. Patrick’s Day and Irish American History month. This lively history adds to our understanding of the history of the Irish in the state over the past 250 years.
Today, over a million people in Illinois claim Irish ancestry and celebrate their love for Ireland. Farrell brings together both familiar and unheralded stories of the Irish in Illinois, highlighting the critical roles these immigrants and their descendants played in the settlement and the making of the Prairie State.
They fought in the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the Civil War, and two world wars; built the state’s infrastructure and worked in its factories; taught Illinois children and served the poor. Irish political leaders helped to draw up the state’s first constitution, served in city, county, and state offices, and created a machine that dominated 20th-century politics in Chicago and the state.
This lively history adds to our understanding of the history of the Irish in the state over the past 250 years. Illinoisans and Midwesterners celebrating their connections to Ireland will treasure this rich and important account of the state’s history.
This is a free program offered in-person and virtually at 7 p.m. at the museum, 23 W. Maple St. in Lombard.
Registration is required by March 22. Reserve your spot today. For more information, visit lombardhistory.org, email info@lombardhistory.org, or call (630) 629-1885.
Farrell is a professor of history at Northern Illinois University. He is the author of “Rituals and Riots: Sectarian Violence and Political Culture in Ulster, 1784-1886” and a co-editor of “Shadows of the Gunmen: Violence and Culture in Modern Ireland.”
The Lombard Historical Society endeavors to cultivate a deep appreciation and comprehension of our community's rich history. It operates the Victorian Cottage Museum, the Carriage House, and the Society’s Archives at 23 W. Maple St. They also manage the Sheldon Peck Homestead, a National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site, located at 355 E. Parkside Ave. in Lombard.
The Sheldon Peck Homestead offers tours and activities on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. The Victorian Cottage Museum is open for tours on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. The Carriage House Exhibitions and the Lilac Emporium Gift Shop are open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information about hours, membership, and volunteer opportunities, visit lombardhistory.org, email info@lombardhistory.org, or call (630) 629-1885.
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