Duffy's Cut, place in the United States
Duffy's Cut is a grave site beside a railroad track in Pennsylvania where 57 Irish workers are buried. The location is marked by a monument with 57 flags and sits near mile 59 of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad line.
In the summer of 1832, 57 Irish workers died at this location after arriving to work on the railroad just as cholera struck the region. Investigations show that some did not die from illness alone, with evidence of violence suggesting local fear and prejudice.
The site bears the name of Philip Duffy, an Irish worker involved in railroad development. Visitors today see 57 Irish flags, each representing one worker, showing how these men became part of the local memory and continue to be honored.
The site is accessible near the town of Malvern and can be reached from the nearby railroad line. The memorial with the flags can be explored on foot while woods and old track remnants remain visible in the area.
Archaeologists discovered in 2009 skeletal remains bearing signs of head injuries and gunshot wounds, proving not all workers died from cholera alone. One skeleton was later identified through dental records as 18-year-old John Ruddy and returned to Ireland.
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