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Minnesota
Opera House
Thursday, March 17, 1882
St. Patrick’s Day Address
For the full report and text of Wilde’s talk see St. Patrick’s Day.
Newspaper report
Daily Globe, (St.Paul, MN), March 18, 1882, p.1
Wilde had lectured the previous evening at the Opera House on The Decorative Arts, and on St.Patrick's Day he returned to the same venue to attended a patriotic gathering, one of several events held that day in St. Paul, a city with a large Irish population, to observe the occasion. Despite inclement weather, the Opera House was full for a series of addresses interspersed with vocal and instrumental selections.
Wilde spoke towards the end of proceedings and responded to the Irish sentiment abroad, and some favorable mention of his mother's (Speranza) nationalistic poetry. He gave what can now be seen as a rare, and perhaps even uncharacteristic, speech about Irish patriotism, albeit from the perspective of the Arts.
This is considered an official lecture as it is evident that Wilde prepared his remarks, wore his lecturing garb, and gave the talk in a formal setting.
Opera House
Wabasha Street between Third and Fourth Street, St. Paul, MN
Dedicated: February 22, 1867
Reconstructed: 1883
Destroyed (fire): January, 1888
Metropolitan Hotel
Washington and Third Streets, St. Paul, MN
Built: 1869-70
Opened: June 27, 1870
Demolished: 1913
Oscar Wilde In America | © John Cooper, 2025
