The role of the Irish and their descendants in building the nation gets an annual nod every March 17, but for Utah's Irish, this historically has been the only recognition they get.

Over the years, several books have been written on Utah's ethnic groups and almost none recognize the Irish as a distinct group. The most famous, Helen Papanikolas' "The Peoples of Utah," includes the Irish with the British, Welsh and Scots — an obvious mistake to anyone who knows their history.

There are many possible reasons for the snub, said Irish historian Gerald McDonough: The Irish immigrants were mostly Catholic in a predominantly LDS state, they didn't congregate to a single community as did the Swiss in Midway, Often, they were in the Army and in mining towns, both of which were disliked by LDS leaders. And because they were white and English-speaking, the Irish often were overlooked as a minority.

"Initially the Irish came as outsiders. They came with groups that were sent to put down the 'Mormon rebellion' or with mines and the railroad," McDonough said. "They've often been viewed as invaders ... much like the way people view Hispanics today."

That said, all one must do to recognize the tremendous contributions the Irish have made to the state is to walk around downtown Salt Lake City. The Keith O'Brien Building, Gallivan Plaza, Kearns Building, Judge and even Hogle (the family name was originally Gilmore). Many of the names on the oldest banks and law firms are Irish. More recently, Jack Dempsey, Ron McBride, Frank Layden and the Moran Eye Institute all prove that Irish names are still important in Utah.

"Just look at the phone book," McDonough said.

That large number of residents of Irish descent have made the Utah Hibernian Society's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade and other events successful for more than 30 years. Father Patrick Carley of St. Joseph the Worker Parrish in West Jordan helped organize the society and parade after he noticed that there was no umbrella organization to coordinate a major community event.

"The first thing on our agenda was a parade. It was developed as a point of access for Irish culture, for those of Irish background," he said.

Father Carley, who is president of the Hibernian Society, said he has no idea why something like it wasn't started earlier, but from its inception, community response has been incredible in supporting Irish music, dance, language and poetry.

"For a very small number, we've achieved a great deal," he said.

Today, Irish heritage is alive and strong in Utah. Irish dancing has also become a popular hobby, supporting almost a dozen companies, including four that have been licensed by the official board in Dublin. Clare Duignan, 22, is an Open Championship dancer, the equivalent of a black belt in Irish dance. She said Irish dance performances can be found two or three times a month in the area — more during March. Her company, The Crawford School of Irish Dance, has been open since the 1980s, and its dancers are in high demand for meetings and festivals.