Dowling Library at the UICC

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All gave some. Some gave all.
For your service and your sacrifice we honor you.

☘️🇺🇸 On this Memorial Day, we pause to remember a legacy of sacrifice deeply woven into Irish-American history. ☘️🇺🇸

For generations of Irish immigrants—many arriving in America amid hardship and exclusion—military service became a powerful, and often painful, path toward belonging. From the battlefields of the Civil War to conflicts that followed, Irish Americans served in extraordinary numbers, offering their lives in defense of a country that was still becoming their own.

Nowhere is this legacy more visible than in the Civil War, where Irish volunteers—most famously the Irish Brigade—endured devastating losses at places like Antietam and Gettysburg. Their memory is marked today by Celtic Cross monuments, by the statue of Father William Corby granting absolution before battle, and by countless graves tended each Memorial Day.

Irish Americans also hold a remarkable place in the history of military valor. A disproportionate number of recipients of the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration—have been Irish born or of Irish descent, a testament to courage forged under unimaginable circumstances.

We also remember the often-overlooked service of Irish and Irish-American women religious—the “Angels of the Battlefield”—who crossed front lines to nurse the wounded, comfort the dying, and bring dignity amid chaos. Their compassion is memorialized today in Washington, D.C., and in the living traditions of faith and service they left behind.

Here in San Francisco and across California, this remembrance continues: at the Presidio’s National Cemetery, at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, and through the stories of Irish immigrants who served, settled, and helped shape the West.

On Memorial Day, we honor not only named heroes, but also the many young Irish immigrants who fought and died far from home, with no family left to mourn them. In remembering them, we become their community of remembrance.

May we hold their stories with gratitude—and carry forward the values of courage, service, and solidarity they embodied.

☘️🇺🇸
Lest we forget.

“All gave some, some gave all” As the long Memorial Day weekend begins, we feature books from our collection which tell the story of the Irish Americans who served and died in the US harmed forces.
The Library will be Open Saturday, May 23.
Come explore the collection, join in the pop up , and stay for the trad session.

Get your tickets, and get them turned in by 4:30pm!

📣 LAST CALL for raffle tickets!

🎟️ Support Two Cornerstones of the UICC — Join Our 6th Annual Raffle!

The United Irish Cultural Center proudly invites our community to take part in the 6th Annual Raffle benefiting the Patrick J. Dowling Library & the Leo T. Walsh Scholarship Programs—two iconic programs whose legacies continue to educate, inspire, and uplift generations.

Through his deep commitment to Irish history, learning, and community memory, Patrick J. Dowling helped build a library that preserves our past while serving as a living resource for today. Likewise, Leo T. Walsh believed fiercely in investing in young people—opening doors to education, leadership, and service that ripple outward into our wider community.

Their shared vision still guides us as we build for the future, ensuring opportunity, access, and cultural pride remain at the heart of the UICC.

📅 Raffle Details
Drawing: Thursday, May 21, 2026 • 5:00pm
Location: Dowling Library
Deadline: Completed tickets & payment due by 4:30pm on May 21

Tickets:
• 1 for $20
• 3 for $50
• 7 for $100
• Free ticket available upon request

Prizes:
🥇 $1,500
🥈 $500
🥉 $250
Winners need not be present and will be notified by phone or email.

Learn more about the lasting impact of these programs:
• Leo T. Walsh Scholarship Program: https://irishcentersf.org/programs/leo-t-walsh-scholarship/
• Patrick J. Dowling Library: https://irishcentersf.org/programs/library/

💚 Our Call to the Community
Whether you buy one ticket or several, your support matters. This raffle is a simple, meaningful way to honor the past, invest in young people, and strengthen the cultural heart of the UICC.

Join us. Support these programs. Be part of their living legacy.

CONTACT
[email protected]
415-661-2702

DEADLINE
Completed tickets & payments must be received by 4:30pm on May 21, 2026

A dream team for certain!

☘️ Honored at San Francisco City Hall ☘️

This week, organizers and leadership from the 2026 San Francisco St. Patrick’s Day Parade were recognized by the Board of Supervisors for their dedication to Irish heritage, community, and one of San Francisco’s great traditions.

Presented under the banner of the United Irish Societies of San Francisco.

Pictured left to right:

Hilda Kissane — President, United Irish Societies of San Francisco

Ellie Schafer — San Francisco Civic & Events Leader

Rafael Mandelman — President, San Francisco Board of Supervisors

James Quinn — Parade Director, United Irish Societies of San Francisco

Patrick “PJ” Masterson — Board Member, United Irish Societies of San Francisco

A proud moment for the Irish community in San Francisco. ☘️

☘️

…And the highlighted page to go with this cover.