St. Patrick's Day March from Madison Avenue to St. Colman Church, 1980

ID: 1640 | This file appears in: Saint Colman Catholic Church
St. Patrick's Day March from Madison Avenue to St. Colman Church, 1980
Among the first inhabitants of what is now considered the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood were the Irish. Initially, the Irish population in Cleveland was relatively small in comparison to its total population. With the advent of the potato famine in the middle of the 19th century, this changed drastically. By 1870, the Irish made up 10% of Cleveland's total population. Attracted by factory and dock work, Irish enclaves were developed around the east and west bank of the Cuyahoga River, and along Detroit Avenue. Another Irish community settled between W. 45th Street and W. 65th Street; St. Colman Church was a focal point of this community. St. Colman would remain a stronghold of the West Side's Irish community until its gradual dissolution following World War II. While the church continues to act as a symbol of Irish origins in Cleveland, the postwar history of the parish reflects the organization's continued service to the surrounding community.

Photograph courtesy of Cleveland State University Special Collections
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"St. Patrick's Day March from Madison Avenue to St. Colman Church, 1980" appears in: Saint Colman Catholic Church