By Ryan Kirton
Medill Reports
Chicago is one of the most popular places to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the country. Ryan Kirton looks at how this came to be, and what it means for the city of Chicago.
TRANSCRIPT
NARRATION: Stock up on green clothes, Chicago. You don’t want to be caught without them on Sait. Patrick’s Day.
JOHN DIPRIMA: It’s kind of our version of Mardi Gras, I suppose. The French people in New Orleans have that, this is what the Irish people in Chicago have.
NARRATION: Chicago gets very passionate about celebrating Saintt. Patrick’s Day. This is because Irish history is rooted in the city’s identity.
BRIAN DONOVAN: They got, you know, came here, got involved and prospered.
NARRATION: Take Brian Donovan, a member and volunteer at the Irish American Heritage Center for over 40 years. Donovan says some of his family members moved to the U.S. from Ireland in the 1870s.
DONOVAN: They were involved in dance. They were involved in owning a pub, restaurant, bowling alley and swimming pool in New York. My mother’s side were lacemakers.
NARRATION: The American Enterprise Institute found that Cook County has the largest Irish population of any U.S. county. Many of their ancestors fled Ireland in the mid-1800s due to famine.
DONOVAN: Originally it was people from Limerick that came here. They had the means to come at the time. They were already coming here because Ireland at that time was one of the most populated countries in Europe.
NARRATION: They helped transform Chicago into what it is today.
DONOVAN: The Whistlers literally built the first and the second Fort Dearborn. Construction companies that had worked on the Erie Canal came to Michigan and then to Illinois to work on canals.
NARRATION: And even now, Irish businesses can be found all across the city.
MICHAEL HUGHES: My parents were both from Ireland, raised in Ireland. So it’s very important. My dad was still in good health at the time. He could give me a hand with that because he loved talking to people, and he’s a good salesman. So it was kind of a family thing.
NARRATION: But many locals find St. Patrick’s Day to be the most notable Irish contribution.
MADISON CASEY: When there are community gatherings for the Irish and Irish Americans here, especially around St. Patrick’s Day, a lot of it involves dancing, music, festivals, really good food. Really anything you can think of that reminds people of home back in Ireland.
NARRATION: The holiday began to honor St. Patrick, who brought Christianity to Ireland. Now it’s celebrated all over the world. Ireland even learned a thing or two about celebrating the holiday from the Americans.
DONOVAN: The St. Patrick’s Day parade wasn’t a big thing in Dublin until all the American pipe bands and other groups asked about how they participated in that parade, and then they decided it would be a good tourist attraction.
KIRTON: A 2025 WalletHub survey called Chicago the sixth best city in the U.S. to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. It’s why for a few days every year, the Chicago River wears some green of its own.
JOHN DIPRIMA: You’d be surprised how many people fly to Chicago just for river dyeing.
NARRATION: As a result, businesses like Lizzie McNeill’s Irish Pub and Donegal Imports experience a holiday rush.
MICHAEL HUGHES: I think a lot more people are coming around for this time of year.
MICHAEL RYAN: I actually used to come here before I started working here. It’s very hectic, in a good way. Like, there’s a line across the river.
MADISON CASEY: Chicago is one of those wonderful cities here in the U.S. where if anyone hears that you’re part Irish, or you came here from Ireland, or you have just a little bit of Irish in you, it just sparks a wonderful conversation. And it kind of just brings people together naturally and super quickly.
NARRATION: St. Patrick’s Day continues to be celebrated all around the world. But Chicago, a hub of the Irish American culture, always draws a lively crowd. In Chicago, Ryan Kirton, Medill Reports.
Ryan Kirton is a sports media specialization graduate student at Medill.