The 4-acre park is an interpretive site that increases awareness about the significance of the New Basin Canal. Built from 1832 to 1838, the monumental undertaking costs the lives of countless Irishmen who dig 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 is an ongoing celebration of New Orleans’ Irish past. It serves as a focal point for Celtic culture and a perpetual symbol of the legacy of the Irish in the Crescent City.

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By Louisiana Hibernian Charity

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