San Francisco might soon get a cultural district that celebrates the historical and cultural importance of its Irish community.
District 4 Supervisor Alan Wong announced that he has introduced legislation to establish an Irish Cultural District in the city’s Sunset District neighborhood.
He made the announcement with leaders from the city’s Irish community at a St. Patrick’s Day weekend event in the city, according to a news release.
“The Irish community has played an important role in shaping San Francisco’s history and continues to be a vibrant part of the Sunset today,” Wong said. “This legislation recognizes the generations of families, community leaders, and cultural institutions that have helped build and sustain this neighborhood, while beginning the process of formally establishing an Irish Cultural District in the Sunset.”
“This legislation recognizes the generations of families, community leaders, and cultural institutions that have helped build and sustain this neighborhood, while beginning the process of formally establishing an Irish Cultural District in the Sunset.”
Supervisor Alan Wong
The news release states that many Irish immigrants came to San Francisco in the mid-19th century, fleeing the Great Famine in Ireland. Despite anti-Catholic hostility and barriers to employment, in 1870 the community accounted for more than 20% of the city’s workforce. Many of the immigrants settled in the Sunset District, which became an Irish enclave in the city.
The proposed Irish Sunset District will promote traditional Irish music, dance, language, and Gaelic sports events in the neighborhood. The legislation recognizes “the deep roots, traditions, and cultural contributions of the Irish community in San Francisco and the Sunset District,” the news release said.
The legislation is grounded in the city’s Cultural Districts program dedicated to “preserving, maintaining and developing unique, cultural and historic assets,” as outlined in the city’s administrative code.