Almost half of Washington, D.C.'s population in 1816 was Irish with the main wave of immigrants arriving during the Potato Famine in the late 1840s and early 1850s.

While settling into the nation's capitol, the Irish most populated three D.C. neighborhoods: Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, and Swampoodle. According to the USGen Web, the main Irish neighborhood in Washington, D.C. was below Bridge Street, now known as M Street. South of Bridge Street, Foggy Bottom contained more affordable housing and quickly became an Irish neighborhood, while some of the poorest Irishmen settled in the Swampoodle neighborhood, located near Union Station.

While Washington, D.C.'s Irish culture grew over the centuries, so too did the number of churches, monuments, and memorials constructed by or dedicated to them. From the 18th century Old St. Patrick's Church to the Embassy of Ireland, here are the 11 sites every Ireland descendant should visit.