HELENA — A sea of green washed over the Montana State Capitol for Irish heritage celebrations on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The Irish flag was raised bright and early outside at the flag plaza, a four-decade tradition that sets Montana apart from other states.
From there, the crowd assembled in the Rhotunda for an event hosted by the Thomas Francis Meagher Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Festivities included performances by the Ternan Irish Dancers, the Pipes and Drums of the Black Devils, and a rendition of “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.”
Watch the video here:
Governor Greg Gianforte, Lewis & Clark County Commissioner Tom Rolfe, and Helena City Commissioner Sean Logan all read proclamations declaring it Irish Heritage Day.
“Each year, we gather at our State Capitol to celebrate Montana’s rich Irish heritage and recognize the generations of Montanans of Irish descent who helped shape our great state,” Gianforte said. “Today, we honor the faith, tradition, and strong sense of community that Irish Americans have brought to Montana for generations.”
SIGHTS & SOUNDS - WATCH:
Attendees told MTN this is always a fun event that they’re proud to share with their families and the community.
“I mean, it's so cool. I used to come here with my parents, and I just live down the street,” said Kevin Casey, who attended with his family. “So, you know, we'll take any opportunity to come up to the capital. And even more, even better, when you get a chance to dress up.”
As always, the statue of Thomas Meagher in front of the Capitol was dressed for the occasion by the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
The Irishman was born on August 3, 1823, in Waterford City, Ireland, to Thomas Meagher and Alicia Quan. His father was a wealthy merchant and the mayor of the city. Raised Roman Catholic, Meagher was a prominent Irish political figure with the Young Irelanders who spoke out against English influence in the country. In 1847, Meagher helped lead an Irish independence movement in the country called the “Irish Confederation.” During this time, he was given a tricolor of green, white, and orange by French women sympathetic to the Irish cause. That flag would later become the official flag of Ireland.
The Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848 ended when Meagher and his compatriots were arrested, tried, and convicted of sedition. He was exiled to Tasmania, but later immigrated to the U.S. and served as a general in the Civil War before making his way to Big Sky Country.
Meagher was appointed Secretary of the Territory of Montana, but soon after arriving, he was designated acting Governor. Ever the politician, Meagher tried to create a working relationship between the territory’s Republican executive and judicial branches and the Democrat-led legislature. Those attempts failed, and Meagher ended up making enemies in both camps.
He died mysteriously near Fort Benton in 1867. Sometime in the early evening of July 1, 1867, Meagher is said to have gone overboard from a steamboat into the Missouri River. There is still much debate about whether his death was an accident or foul play. His body was never recovered.
MONTANA AND IRISH-AMERICAN HISTORY
Montana and Irish-American history are closely woven together, with the state seeing a large influx of Irish immigrants during the last four decades of the 19th century. The travel website AFAR noted: "According to the most recent U.S. Census, Butte is the most Irish city in the union per capita; almost a full quarter of its residents are of Irish descent."
"We know that a lot of the Irish that came to Montana came from the Western Seaboard of Ireland, and we know that for the most part were Irish speakers, so they were post-famine immigrants that left Ireland, so when they came here to Montana, they came steeped into Irish Tradition," said Ciara Ryan with the Montana History Foundation.
During the late 1800s, Irish and Catholics sometimes faced discrimination in the eastern parts of the United States. Montana - Butte and Anaconda in particular - was lauded as a place Irish could go to be free from persecution and make an honest wage for a day’s work. "They did face significant discrimination in the 1850s and again in the 1890s," said Emmons.
"Signs were sometimes posted outside of businesses back east that read 'Irish need not apply.'" Emmons believes that could have enticed many Irish Americans to head west to Montana.
Irish businessmen gained control of the hard rock mining industry and controlled a large portion of the state’s wealth. Another way Irish Americans showed their strength against the discrimination was by planning and celebrating the Saint Patrick's Day Parade. "It started in New York in 1852, because the Irish were saying we are here," Emmons said.
The website Irish Central noted: "By 1900, half of Butte’s 30,000 population were Irish; Butte’s, suburbs were named Hungry Hill, Dublin Gulch, and Cork Town. Irish societies flourished too, with the Clann na Gaels, the Gaelic League, the Parnell Guard, the Emmet Guard, Daughters of Erin, the Robert Emmet Literary Association, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians."
