The St. Louis County Library Special Collections department offers a special finding aid outlining the Irish resources available at the library. Click on St. Louis County Library Finding Aids for further information. St. Louis Genealogical Society has an Irish Special Interest Group, which meets four times a year, and concentrates its efforts on Irish research pertaining to St. Louis.

One St. Louis Irish community was called Kerry Patch, named after the Irish immigrants that arrived from County Kerry, Ireland. The approximate boundaries of this community were between 12th and 18th from Mullanphy and O’Fallon Streets. Many Irish families that migrated to St. Louis attended St. Bridget’s Church, which was near Kerry Patch. Read more about Kerry Patch at the Irish in St. Louis website.

Another St. Louis Irish community is called Dogtown, is located in the Oakland neighborhood on the western border of the city, near Forest Park. The Irish formed St. James the Greater Catholic Church in that area.

Irish Catholic churches opened as early as 1843 and continued to grow with the Irish community. This is a list of Irish Catholic Churches in St. Louis with the year they were established. To determine the church where your ancestor worshipped, compare the church address and your ancestor’s address on a St. Louis map.

St. Patrick’s – 1843
St. Michael’s – 1849
St. Bridget of Erin – 1853
St. Lawrence O’Toole – 1853
St. James the Greater – 1860
Holy Name of Jesus – 1865
St. Teresa of Avila – 1865
St. Alphonsus Liguori – 1867
Sacred Heart – 1871
Our Lady of Mount Carmel – 1872
St. Columbkille – 1872
St. Kevins – 1876
St. Cronan – 1878
St. Rose of Lima – 1880
St. Thomas of Aquinas – 1882
St. Leo – 1888
Holy Rosary – 1891
St. Agnes – 1891
St. Edwards – 1893
St. Matthew – 1893

Bibliography

Brunsmann, Sandra M. Early Irish Settlers in St. Louis, Missouri, & Dogtown Neighborhood 1798–2000. St. Louis: Gene-Del, 2000.

Faherty, William Barnaby. The St. Louis Irish: An Unmatched Celtic Community. St. Louis: Missouri Historical Society Press, 2001.

Fowler, Simon. Tracing Irish Ancestors. Richmond, Surrey: Public Record Office, 2001.

Grenham, John. Tracing Your Irish Ancestor: The Complete Guide. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1999.

Wayman, Norbury L. History of St. Louis Neighborhoods: Oakland & Clifton. St. Louis: St. Louis Community Development Center, 1980.

Wayman, Norbury L. History of St. Louis Neighborhoods: Old North St. Louis. St. Louis: St. Louis Community Development Center, 1978.