Alexandria’s long history with residents of Irish descent dates back to its founding.
More than 200 years ago, Alexandrians of Irish descent founded a Hibernian Society to aid impoverished Irish immigrants and to promote a sense of cultural identity. A March 27, 1824, letter to the Alexandria Gazette editor, Samuel Snowden, outlined the Hibernian Society’s aims. The Hibernian Society also organized the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Alexandria, a tradition that continues to this day.
The anonymous letter writer called “upon every Irishman, who loves his country, to come forward and give his name and his assistance to this infant Society.”…