(Newswire.net — March 12, 2015) Franklin, TENNESSEE — In the 1880s there were three catholic churches in Nashville and it was decided that a fourth was needed on the Southside. The Southside of Nashville was predominantly Irish and the new church was to be named St Patricks Catholic Church.
The Southside Irish immigrants came together and raised all the funds to build the new church. Not alone did they provide the financial wherewithal for the construction of the new church, the Irish builders, carpenters and laborers also donated their time and expertise. In less than seven months, on February 8th, 1891 the new Second Empire Style building was completed.
Down through the years the parish has grown and flourished and then it became distinguished in a very unique way. The “Irish Travelers” became a remarkable aspect of St. Patricks church parish. This is a group of Irish immigrants of the mid-1800’s that has not assimilated into the American population as other ethnic groups have done over the years. Instead, this group remains clannish and they live an itinerant lifestyle. Over the years, various families from the Irish Travelers community would appear in the Nashville area to hold a common funeral for those who had died since the last gathering. Weddings and baptisms were performed as the gathering was equated to a family reunion. Times have changed and the Irish Travelers no longer roam the countryside by wagon but they will return at times to St. Patrick and renew their connection to the parish. The Irish Travelers have shown their appreciation for St. Patricks by the donation of the Infant of Prague statue found in the church vestibule and the statue of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
“I love the fact that St. Patricks Church has such a rich historical connection to Ireland and the Irish” says Éilís Crean, founder of The Irish Gift, Inc an Irish organization that preserves a rare Irish music style called the East Galway Irish Music Tradition (EGIMT). “However, being one of only a few Irish ex-patriots in this area I would love if we could do more to build an Irish community in this area and to have more opportunities to celebrate the Irish culture, music and language”.
And maybe the St. Patricks Day celebrations of 2015 will be the first step to achieve that goal. Music City Irish Fest in partnership with Tourism Ireland is set to cast a green veil over Nashville with it all culminating in a celtic musical extravaganza called Music City Irish Music Fest. On March 14th, various Irish groups will beset Music Row with lively jigs, cheerful drinking songs and an evening concert by the Red Hot Chili Pipers, the most famous Scottish bagpipe band on the planet. Now if this does not bring together the Irish of Nashville, then what will!
Click here to learn more about preserving old Irish traditions.
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