In the mid 1800s, American Party (Know Nothings) were violently against Catholic immigrants and rioting took place in many Irish neighborhoods across the country. One of the most violent took place in Louisville, KY on 6 August 1855. It was election day and nativists were against allowing Catholics to vote. Irish and German immigrants, most of them Catholic, made up nearly a quarter of Louisville’s population of 43,000 at the time, but most native-born residents were Protestant and many were members of the American Party. George Prentice, editor of the Louisville Daily Journal newspaper, a … [Read more...] about Louisville’s Bloody Monday
THE BATTLE OF BENBURB
The 17th century dawned in Ireland during the 9 years war of the northern Chieftains against the Crown. By 1602 that conflict was over; Red Hugh O'Donnell had been poisoned, the Irish had capitulated, and Queen Elizabeth was dead. Against the treachery that threatened their heirs and families, the noblest Chieftains of the north The O'Neill, the O'Donnell, and the Maguire left Ireland forever in what became known as the Flight of the Earls. The Irish were leaderless, the Clan system had been broken, the great Gaelic Houses destroyed, and a foreign power had been established … [Read more...] about THE BATTLE OF BENBURB
THE BLACK IRISH
Dubh (Doov) in the Irish language means dark or black and is used to describe someone by the color of their hair as in Roisin Dubh (Dark Rosaleen) or Hugh Dubh O'Neill (Black Hugh O’Neill), an Irish patriot of the 17th century best remembered for his defense of Clonmel in 1650. He was also nephew of Owen Ruadh O’Neill (Owen the Red O’Neill) whose red hair was a distinguishing characteristic. Some believe that survivors of the Spanish Armada who landed in Ireland were the ancestors of Ireland’s black-haired population, but that’s not true; black hair and brown eyes were attributes of the … [Read more...] about THE BLACK IRISH
The Bold Beauties from Bodyke
The O’Halloran sisters, Annie, Honoria and Sarah, lived with their parents and brothers, Patrick and Frank, in Bodyke, Co. Clare as tenants of the notorious Col. John O’Callaghan. Michael Davitt’s Land League forced the Irish Land Act of 1881 to allowed tenants to appeal for Court adjudicated rent reductions and, in some cases, eventual ownership. O’Callaghan charged the O’Hallorans £31 which the court ordered be reduced to £22-10s – a sum the family maintained was still unfair, since before he had raised it the rent had been £13-10s. The O’Hallorans joined in Bodyke rent boycotts and in June … [Read more...] about The Bold Beauties from Bodyke
An Irish American Angel in America’s West
There were many Irish women among the settlers of the American West, and one of the best known in her time was a lady from County Cork named Ellen Cashman. Ellen came to America, like so many others, fleeing the effects of the Great Hunger. She arrived in Boston in 1850 with her mother, Fanny, at the tender age of five where she grew up caring for a younger sister. An ambitious young lady, she worked as a bellhop in a well-known Boston hotel when she decided to follow the call of the American West with the idea of making her fortune. She moved to San Francisco and soon found … [Read more...] about An Irish American Angel in America’s West
James Duane, The Irish American Who Rebuilt New York
Did you know that the island of Manhattan in New York was once totally destroyed and was rebuilt by the son of an immigrant from Co. Galway, Ireland? He was one of the first Irish-Americans to wear that title and his name was James Duane. He was born in New York to Irish immigrant parents in 1733; a time when the Central Park was considered ‘upstate’ and a wilderness. He grew up with an interest in finance, real estate, and the law and was called to the Bar in 1754. He earned a reputation for being a bit of a maverick, taking on law cases that no one else would … [Read more...] about James Duane, The Irish American Who Rebuilt New York
Irish American Heritage Month: The Angel of Andersonville
Did you know that an Irish Catholic Priest Rev. Thomas O’Reilly threatened General Sherman with a mutiny by the Irish Catholics in his army if he torched the church district of Atlanta at the start of his infamous march to the sea and that General Sherman backed down and the entire church district was saved, including the City Hall which stood therein? However, Rev. Peter Whelan was just as courageous in another way. Rev. Whelan distinguished himself as a chaplain for the Montgomery Guards, an Irish company established in Savannah for the First Georgia Volunteer Regiment named for America’s … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Angel of Andersonville
Timothy Murphy, the Irish American Who Turned the Tide at Saratoga
Did you know that an Irish America soldier was responsible for turning the tide of the most important battle of the American Revolution? His name was Timothy Murphy and he had served with distinction on the frontier, was part of General William Thompson’s Pennsylvania Rifle Battalion which became the First Continental Regiment and he served with famed General Daniel Morgan as a sharpshooter. He was considered the most famous marksman of his day. Timothy Murphy was born in 1751 near the Delaware Water Gap to Thomas and Mary (Lundy) Murphy, recent immigrants from Co. Donegal, Ireland. When … [Read more...] about Timothy Murphy, the Irish American Who Turned the Tide at Saratoga
Irish American Heritage Month: The Sullivan Brothers, “We stick together”
DID YOU KNOW that in the annals of America's heroes, there is scarcely a brighter entry than that of the fighting Sullivan brothers? Born in Waterloo, Iowa to Railroad conductor Tom Sullivan and his wife Alleta, George, Francis, Albert, Joseph, and Madison grew up the best of friends in the closeness of an Irish family and matured into patriotic Americans. It was no surprise therefore, that when Pearl Harbor was attacked, the Sullivan brothers headed straight for the nearest U.S. Navy recruiting office. Navy policy discouraged family members from serving together, but the Sullivans … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Sullivan Brothers, “We stick together”
Who is St. Patrick?
Each year around March 17, the name of St. Patrick appears in every major publication in the civilized world - sometimes with honor and sometimes with scorn - often due to the conduct of those who celebrate his memory at affairs which bear his name. Of the many things written about this holy man, some are true, some misleading, and some false. St. Patrick was Italian; St. Patrick drove the snakes from Ireland; St. Patrick was the first to bring Christianity to Ireland - all of these statements are false! Let’s take them one at a time. Some claim St. Patrick to be Italian … [Read more...] about Who is St. Patrick?
Irish American Heritage Month: The Irish Whales
Did you know that the first Gold Medal winner in modern Olympic history was the son of Irish immigrant parents and that Irish athletes dominated Olympic track and field events for the U.S. for the first two decades of the 20th century? The first to win was James Connolly and he was born on October 28, 1868 in the impoverished section of south Boston. He grew up with a love of sports and when an International Olympic Committee resurrected the ancient Olympic Games to be held in Athens in April, 1896, Connolly requested a leave of absence from Harvard to participate and left for Greece. After … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Irish Whales
Irish American Heritage Month: John Philip Holland, Inventor of the Modern Submarine
Did you know that an Irishman invented the first modern submarine? His name was John Philip Holland and he was born in Liscannor, Co. Clare, Ireland, on February 24, 1841. He experienced the Irish potato failure suffering poor eyesight as a result. His father was a member of the Coast Guards and young John inherited a love of the sea. Although his poor eyesight prevented him from following in his father’s footsteps, he developed an interest in ship design. John attended the Christian Brothers School where he came under the influence of Brother Dominic Burke, a science teacher, who encouraged … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: John Philip Holland, Inventor of the Modern Submarine
Irish American Heritage Month: The Most Dangerous Woman in America
Did You Know that a 72-year-old Irish woman, beloved by millions, was once called the most dangerous woman in America? Her name was Mary Harris Jones and this feisty little Irish lady was also called the Mother of All Agitators. Born in Cork City, Ireland on 1 May 1837, her family fled the Great Hunger to Canada where she trained as a teacher and dressmaker. In 1861, she married George Jones, an iron molder and union organizer in Memphis, Tennessee. They had four children, but she lost all four and her husband in the 1867 yellow fever epidemic. Determined to survive, Mrs. Jones moved to … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Most Dangerous Woman in America
Irish American Heritage Month: Commodore John Barry
Did you know that the first flag officer and founder of the United States Navy was an Irishman? His name was John Barry and Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, said in his eulogy at Barry's graveside, "He was born in Ireland, but America was the object of his devotion and the theater of his usefulness." Barry was born in Co. Wexford, Ireland in 1745 and grew up with a great love for the sea. As a young man, he emigrated to the Crown colonies in America and by 1760, he was employed in a shipbuilding firm in Philadelphia. In 1766, at the age of … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: Commodore John Barry
THE UNSEEN ENEMY
Today’s media decries the loss of several people to an Influenza virus and, while it is lamentable, there was a time when a flu virus was incredibly more deadly. The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide (about a third of the planet's population) killing an estimated 20 to 50 million – 675,000 of whom were Americans, including 43,000 military. It also broke many AOH divisions nationwide since, at the time, they paid sick and death benefits to members. World War 1 had claimed an estimated 16 million lives, but the flu killed more than three times as … [Read more...] about THE UNSEEN ENEMY
WHEN MORALITY WAS DEADLY
Seventy-five years ago, 35 orphans perished in a blaze in St. Joseph’s Orphanage in County Cavan. The orphanage was founded by the Poor Clares, a cloistered order of nuns, on Main Street in 1868. At the time, young delinquents could be educated and learn a trade in a reformatory, but orphaned and abandoned children were not accorded the same opportunity. The good sisters sought to address this by establishing an industrial school for girls. In the early morning of February 24, 1943, a small fire started in the laundry of the old building. Within 45 minutes it gutted the entire school, … [Read more...] about WHEN MORALITY WAS DEADLY
THE STRUGGLE BEGINS ANEW
The traditional role of women in Celtic culture was one of equality in the Brehon Law. The coming of British law changed that and the subordination of women to the nursery and the kitchen began. But, there were always strong Irish women beneath it all. Those who knew the true value of Irish women never doubted their ability and the Ban naTigh (woman of the house) was a valued influence even though shuttered out of official society. The group of Irish scholars who emerged in the mid-1800s from the Gaelic Revival, translated literature from ancient Irish history and inspired a revival of … [Read more...] about THE STRUGGLE BEGINS ANEW
BORN ON CHRISTMAS – REMEMBERED ON NEW YEARS
During the 1904 St. Louis World Fair, John Philip Sousa and his band dominated the entertainment, which included a young John McCormack singing at the Irish Pavilion. It was an era when America’s musical superstars were not individuals with a hit recording, but band leaders – people with the ability to not just play, but compose, arrange, and direct a musical organization. In early America, the superstars were those who led marching Brass Bands, and though Sousa was certainly one of them, he was not the first. That honor goes to a man whom Sousa himself called his mentor and whom he … [Read more...] about BORN ON CHRISTMAS – REMEMBERED ON NEW YEARS
A SPY REVEALED
Thanks to brother Liam Murphy for sharing additional information on a man we had mentioned as one of Washington’s Irish back in July of 2009 on the New York State Website NYAOH.COM and allowing us to share it with you. The 25th of November, 1783, was the last day of America’s War of Independence. After more than seven years of occupation, the British finally evacuated New York City and General Washington, leading members of the Continental Army, entered the city in triumph. To celebrate the event, Brigadier-General George Clinton, New York’s first and longest-serving Governor and a man of … [Read more...] about A SPY REVEALED
THE BATTLE OF MOYRY PASS
On October 2, 1600 a major confrontation took place in Ireland that revealed to the English that the Irish were no longer to be taken for granted as military opponents. Though Anglo Normans controlled the south of Ireland, the major clans of the north remained unconquered and Elizabeth was determined to resolve that issue. The English captured Enniskillen, Hugh Maguire's fort at the Gap of the North - one of two main entries to Ulster. Hugh O'Donnell, Chieftain of Tyrconnell, answered his call for aid, and the two Hughs swept across Ulster driving the English before them; they broke through … [Read more...] about THE BATTLE OF MOYRY PASS