US town remembers more than 1,100 West Cork miners buried in unmarked graves

The memorial by Irish sculptor Terry Brennan marks the strong links between the Colorado mining town and the village of Allihies

The Irish Miners’ Memorial features a life-sized bronze sculpture of a miner bent on one knee, holding a pick and facing Ireland to represent the immigrants, labourers, and children buried in what’s known as ‘the pauper’ section of Leadville’s Evergreen Cemetery. Picture: Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

An American town where around 1,100 West Cork miners and their families are buried in unmarked ‘pauper’ graves has unveiled a poignant monument in their memory.

The Irish Miners’ Memorial which has been unveiled in Leadville was created by Irish sculptor Terry Brennan and marks the strong links between the Colorado mining town and the West Cork village of Allihies.