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.