John Ireland (September 11, 1838 - September 25, 1918) was first archbishop of St. Paul, Minnesota (1888–1918). He was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, and emigrated to St. Paul, Minnesota as a child. Later, he was educated at French seminaries and was ordained in 1861. He began his career as a chaplain in the Civil War.

He was cathedral pastor at St. Paul. from 1867 to 1875. In 1875 he was made coadjutor bishop of St. Paul and in 1884 he was made a bishop. In 1888 he became archbishop, the title he retained until his death.

He founded the University of St. Thomas in 1885 that included a preparatory school now known as St. Thomas Academy.

John Ireland set up an organization which helped Catholic immigrants from Germany and nearby European countries by providing them loans and selling them land in southwest Minnesota. He favored settlement in the American West by immigrants as preferable to their being trapped in the urban poverty of the eastern American cities. Ireland's organization was responsible for bringing many thousands of immigrants to this region; its efforts are reflected in the demographics of southwest Minnesota.

Ireland advocated that all Catholic children be sent to public schools, or that existing Catholic schools be rented to the state, and that state should then run these schools, a stance that made him many enemies. He also opposed the use of foreign languages in American Catholic churches and parochial schools. Using foreign language was not uncommon at the time because of the recent large influx of immigrants to the U.S. from European countries. Ireland influenced American society by actively promoting the use of the English language by large numbers of German immigrants. He was very politically outspoken and was a close friend to two presidents.

Ireland's refusal to accept the credentials of Byzantine Catholic priest Alexis Toth caused a minor schism that eventually lead thousands of Uniates to leave the Catholic Church to join the Russian Orthodox Church.

In 1904 Ireland commissioned the building of the current Cathedral of Saint Paul.

A street in St. Paul, which runs near the capital, is named in his honor.