McClelland Irish Library

The mission of the Irish Cultural Center is to provide a link between the people of Arizona and the people of Ireland and other Celtic cultures. The goal of the McClelland Library is to make accessible a comprehensive collection of materials on Ireland and the Irish diaspora on the role of Irish-Americans in Arizona and the Western United States. The Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library are divisions of the Irish Cultural & Learning Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, and are owned and maintained by the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department. The Irish Cultural Center campus contains three buildings: The Great Hall (An Halla Mór), our traditional Irish Cottage is modeled after a rural farmhouse cottage in Bunratty, Co. Clare, and the McClelland Library. It also features our large courtyard or Clos, and An Gorta Mor (The Great Hunger Memorial). The entire campus was designed to bring a little slice of Ireland to Margaret Hance Park in downtown Phoenix. Our programs, classes, exhibits, and special events all incorporate Irish culture via history, music, dance, art, literature, drama, crafts, travel, language, sports, and other traditional activities. The primary goal of the Academy of Irish and Celtic Studies is to offer the highest quality educational and cultural programming to the entire community. Classes include music, dance, art, history, literature, Gaelic language, a Curragh rowing team, plus many more Celtic/traditional activities and programs. The McClelland Library was designed by architect, Paul Ahern, after a 12th century Norman Castle. The three-story building houses 8,000 books from Irish authors, poets, and genealogical sources. The library houses a permanent exhibit on The Book of Kells, several reading rooms, and computer access to various disciplines of Irish and Celtic studies including genealogy. The library is the largest library of its kind in the Western United States.