Moving a national monument of this scale is a historic undertaking in its own right. In early 2024, The Irish Memorial was temporarily relocated from its long-standing home at Front and Chestnut Streets to 109 Spruce Street (Foglietta Plaza).
This monumental move was required to make way for the city’s $225 million I-95 CAP project—a massive infrastructure initiative replacing the highway cover to create a new, 11-acre waterfront park. The Memorial’s Board worked closely with PennDOT, the City of Philadelphia, and the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation to ensure the safety and accessibility of the 30-foot bronze sculpture during this transitional period.
The monument will remain at its temporary Spruce Street location while construction is underway, after which it is slated to return to its original footprint to serve as a centerpiece in the newly constructed Park at Penn’s Landing.
