Colorado mayor visits Beara ahead of memorial unveiling

THE mayor of Leadville in Colorado this week visited Allihies ahead of the official unveiling of a memorial in the State, which will commemorate over 1,000 Beara men who are buried there.

Mayor Greg Labbe, whose city has a population of just under 3,000, said it was ‘very moving’ to visit the men’s homeland. Along with his partner Judy, Mr Labbe travelled to Allihies as guests of the copper mine museum.  

Tadhg O’Sullivan, chair of the museum, outlined how Allihies has long had strong links with Butte Montana, with many Beara men emigrating there to seek work when the copper mines in Allihies closed. However, it was only in the last ten years that it was discovered that many first went to Leadville to work in the area’s silver mines. 

Leadville is over 10,000ft above sea level, leading to gruelling working conditions for the miners, resulting in many deaths. The average age of many of the Irish men who died there was 23.  

The initiative to memorialise the men was instigated by Irish American historian Prof Jim Walsh from the University of Colorado, who estimated that in 1800s, two out of every five people living in Leadville came from Beara.

The memorial is located in the Evergreen cemetery in the city, and includes a bronze sculpture of a miner by Wicklow-based Terry Brennan.      

Tadhg O’Sullivan said they welcomed Mr Labbe’s visit to Allihies. ‘We have been able show him the area where these miners came from and to further develop the ties between our two communities and our plans to twin Allihies and Leadville. We have signed proclamations of understanding in relation to this to bring discussions to a more formal level.’ Mayor Labbe said he had always hoped to visit Allihies since the project to memorialise the miners first came about. ‘Being here has made a huge difference because now I’m starting to understand the history of the area.’  

Leadville still has a large Irish population. ‘Many have links to those first emigrants. They had a hard life, but it was a life that gave them hope.  Anyone from Ireland who has visited Leadville and seen the memorial finds it very emotional,’ he said. The official unveiling of the memorial in Leadville will take place in September and attended by a delegation from Allihies.