In the early 1800's, Irish Catholics began to cross the Alleghenies and settle in Pittsburgh. In 1808, these immigrants built St. Patrick's Catholic Church in the Strip District and settled the bustling downtown business district. The Great Irish Potato Famine brought even more Irish immigrants, more than doubling the population of Allegheny County over a ten year period. Most of these men and women, did not come as a result of the famine, however. They were primarily from prosperous areas of Ireland, such as Ulster, and brought their skills to the area as teamsters and shopkeepers. The Sister's of Mercy, also among this group of immigrants, made many important contributions to Pittsburgh's heritage including St. Paul's Cathedral, Carlow College and Mercy Hospital.

Irish from other parts of the U.S. also ended up in Pittsburgh while working on the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad and the Ohio Canal. Many left the railroad gang while in Pittsburgh to find better paying jobs as dockhands or in the coal fields.

During 1890, more Irish immigrants poured into Western Pennsylvania, settling primarily at the Point in downtown Pittsburgh. An entire community of Irish sprung up around the old Fort Pitt Blockhouse, calling themselves "Little Ireland." Other Irish communities grew in the South Side, Strip District, North Side, Oakland and Lawrenceville. Most of these settlements were crowded and very impoverished, leading Pittsburgh politicians to encourage a distrust of these Irish immigrants. Many factories even hung "Irish Need Not Apply" signs on their doors. Eventually, fraternal groups such as the Ancient Order of Hiberians helped to bring about change in people's attitudes to the Irish settlers and civic leaders rallied against low wages and poor working conditions.

1940 brought David Lawrence, the first in a long string of Pittsburgh Irish mayors and later the governor of Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh's Irish heritage was finally something of which the city was proud.

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