Traditionally St. Patrick’s Day does not have a huge celebration in Mexico, and certainly not during Covid. However, the contributions of Mexicans of Irish descent are considerable. I will focus on one, architect and muralist Juan O’Gorman (1905–1982). His father emigrated from Ireland to Mexico and his mother was Mexican. Four of Juan O’Gorman’s most famous works are:

• 1931–1932 The Rivera-Kahlo houses with the bridge between them.
• 1932–1934 Series of 25 Elementary Schools in Mexico City with simple, functional architecture, 12 are still standing with a few adaptations.
• In 1950–1951, Juan O’Gorman and two other architects designed the mosaic covered library at the National University of Mexico (UNAM).
• Lila Cockrell Theatre mosaic “Confluence of Civilizations” in San Antonio, Texas (from the 1968 World’s Fair) you can see on a Riverwalk boat tour.

Thank you to Irene for the inspiration when she mentioned Juan O’Gorman and the UNAM Library in her Mexican Saint Patrick’s Day post today.

Gracias for reading and commenting on Fake Flamenco! ¡Olé! –Rebecca