Midtown - Downtown in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Irish Canal Workers
The monument behind you was erected in September 2008 to honor the Irish workers who built the Columbia Canal in 1820. They were brought here (as well as to Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York and other states) as indentured servants to build the canal and to serve as diggers and stone carvers for the construction project.
Coming from a much cooler climate, many succumbed to the Southern heat and the diseases common to the area, and were buried in the canal embankment. Those who survived and worked to free themselves of servitude went on to form a large Irish community called "Little Dublin" here in Columbia, near the present day University of South Carolina campus. They also formed the first Catholic church in the Upstate of South Carolina (which included the present-day Midlands), St. Peter's Catholic Church at Assembly and Taylor Streets.
The canal these Irish workers built was the first public "transportation infrastructure" in South Carolina, and was used to transport goods and materials from the Upstate to the ports in Charleston.
Erected by Richland County Conservation Commission and the Ancient Order
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Immigration • Industry & Commerce • Religion & Religious Structures • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is September 2008.
Location. 34° 0.174′ N, 81° 3.203′ W. Marker is in Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County. It is in Midtown - Downtown. It can be reached from Gist Street north of Blanding Street, on the right when traveling south. The marker stands on the grounds of the Columbia Canal and Riverfront Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 300 Laurel St, Columbia SC 29201, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within
Credits. This page was last revised on January 24, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 24, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 28 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 24, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
