Morgan Park in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Irish Nationalist Monument

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, April 29, 2026

1. Irish Nationalist Monument Marker

Inscription. Erected Aug. 26, 1888 to the memory of departed brothers

God Save Ireland

Erected 1888 by The Irish Nationalists of Chicago.

Topics. This historical marker and monument is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Wars, Non-US. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.

Location. 41° 41.371′ N, 87° 41.631′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Morgan Park. It can be reached from West 111th Street east of South Sacaramento Avenue, on the right when traveling east. The memorial is in Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2755 West 111th Street, Alsip IL 60803, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker and monument is in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker,

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measured as the crow flies: Mt. Olivet Cemetery (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Korean War Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); Palliser’s Cottage Home No. 35 (approx. ¾ mile away); Morgan Park World War I Memorial (approx. one mile away); Evergreen Park Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.9 miles away); Blue Island Cemetery (approx. 1.9 miles away); Gail Woodman and Roy Woodman (approx. 1.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. According to a Chicago Tribune report about a ceremony dedicating this memorial on the last day of September in 1888, the memorial was the first in America dedicated to Irish nationalism. Featuring an obelisk held by a base featuring four Corinthian columns, the 81-foot memorial is made of Barry gray granite and cost $3,000 to erect.

The speaker for the ceremony in 1888 was Father Maurice J. Dorney, a Catholic priest in Chicago whose father was Irish, and who was known as an advocate for workers at the city's stock yards. "The Irish by right should be a nation," the Tribune quoted him as saying. "We

Names on the Irish Nationalist Monument (north side) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, April 29, 2026

2. Names on the Irish Nationalist Monument (north side)

don't believe somehow or other, that we have the same blood nor the same interest of other races. God, it seems, created us for special design. We are to give to the world today proof that we are loyal to friends not only in life but also after death."

Regarding Irish Nationalist Monument. The memorial originally when erected had just two names etched to the side of the base: Timothy Crean, who died August 28, 1886, and James Walsh, who died July 20, 1887. In the 140 years since then, about 20 more names have been added to the three other sides of the memorial. While the details for why each man was listed here could not be comprehensively determined — the most recent names etched to the statue date to the 2010s — the stories that could be found show that they were all associated either directly with nationalism in Ireland, or with Irish heritage groups in Chicago. This far-south-side section of Chicago where this cemetery sits has long been a home for Irish immigrants, and Irish flags remain common on porches in this neighborhood.

Also see . . .
1. Famed Irish Nationalist Buried in Unmarked Grave at Mount Olivet Cemetery.

Names on the Irish Nationalist Monument (south side) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, April 29, 2026

3. Names on the Irish Nationalist Monument (south side)

This August 2015 news article on the now-dormant DNAinfo website is about Martin Hogan, an Irish nationalist who was once imprisoned by the British and eventually settled in Chicago. A gravestone was placed at his burial site in October 2015. (Submitted on April 30, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

2. The Ulster Irish Liberty Legion: Chicago's Irish Nationalists, from Partition to the Provos. Research on the Chicago Irish community's nearly two-century connection to Irish nationalism. (Submitted on April 30, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Irish Nationalist Monument at Mt. Olivet Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, April 29, 2026

4. Irish Nationalist Monument at Mt. Olivet Cemetery

Credits. This page was last revised on April 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 24 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 30, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.