The Hibernian Memorial Park will be a lasting gift to the community that honors all the sons and daughters of Ireland who came to New Orleans seeking a better life.
ABOUT THE PARK
The 4-acre park will be an interpretive site to increase awareness about the significance of the New Basin Canal. Built from 1832 to 1838, the monumental undertaking cost the lives of countless Irishmen who dug the canal with shovels and picks.
The New Basin Canal created a back door to the city through Lake Pontchartrain that contributed to the economic vitality of New Orleans for nearly 100 years. Well into the 20th century boats on the canal brought cotton, seafood, lumber, watermelons, bricks and other goods into the heart of New Orleans from the Lake Pontchartrain Basin and the Gulf Coast.
After losing its economic viability the New Basins Canal was completely filled in by 1950, but its legacy to the city was the development of New Orleans’ West End as a popular lakeside resort.
The Hibernian Memorial Park will be an ongoing celebration of New Orleans’ Irish past. It will be a focal point for Celtic culture and a perpetual symbol of the legacy of the Irish in the Crescent City.
“The Hibernian Memorial Park will be a touchstone that will promote and cultivate Irish heritage for future generations of New Orleanians.”
Why the memorial?
The 4-acre park will increase awareness about the significance of the New Basin
Canal, a six-mile waterway that created a back door to the Gulf of Mexico through
Lake Pontchartrain that brought commerce to the city for nearly 100 years.
Our Plans
With the establishment of the Hibernian Memorial Park, New Orleans will join
cities across the U.S. that have significant monuments commemorating the
contribution of the Irish before, during and after the Great Famine.
PARK FEATURES
Planned beautification elements include new walkways, benches, landscaping and a green space graded to suggest a canal.
Interpretive panels will provide information about important Irish events and people in the Crescent City.
A historical marker will describe the significance of the Irish Cross Memorial.
A dedicated space will be established for events and cultural activities.
Future plans include the installation of life-size bronze statues of Irish laborers
performing tasks during the construction of the New Basin Canal.Brick pavers and a wall of honor will bear the names of contributors who wish to memorialize their ancestors or family members.