Irish Monument

The lives and the contributions of the Irish to the City of New Bedford are celebrated by an imposing and symbolic monument in the form of a Celtic cross by the water’s edge at the mouth of New Bedford harbor. The monument, dedicated on 24 June 2005, was designed and is located quite intentionally.

Although the form of the Celtic cross predates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland in about 432 a.d. this particular memorial is designed to represent the deeply-seated faith and beliefs that anchor the culture and emotions of the Irish. The symbols and pictorial panels on the monument commemorate the historical contributions of Irish and Irish-American people to the Greater New Bedford area and among the Friendly Sons.

The symbolism extends also to the location of the monument at the water’s edge. Its placement recognizes the emotional, cultural and economic odyssey of those who gave up their homes to seek a new and better life on the shores of North America. It celebrates the livelihood and success many achieved as they plied their trade locally and often even on these very waters.