Our Lady of Knock

At the young age of 32, Thomas Foley was already an 11-year decorated veteran firefighter of the FDNY and a legend. He was a larger-than-life individual who embraced life to the fullest and seemed to excel at everything he tried, from powerlifting to skydiving. Having learned to ride horses on visits to his grandfather's farm, he even excelled as a competitor on the rodeo circuit. With boyish good looks, Thomas Foley was featured twice by People Magazine and appeared in the FDNY's "2003 Calendar of Heroes."  At one awards ceremony where Thomas Foley was being honored, he responded to a … [Read more...] about Courage, Sacrifice, and Loyalty: The Foley Family

As an Army chaplain, Fr. Francis L. Sampson saw combat in two wars and earned the nickname of "the Parachuting Padre." His actions during the D-Day campaign would be adapted as part of two major motion pictures, though in both his actions would be attributed to others. Fr. Sampson was born in Cherokee, Iowa, the descendant of Immigrants from County Cork.  Fr. Sampson graduated from Notre Dame before entering St. Paul's Seminary in Minnesota.  He served briefly as a parish priest.  When the U.S. entered the war, Fr. Sampson sought and was granted permission to join the … [Read more...] about The Parachuting Padre

In Margaret Place, a small park in New Orleans' Lower Garden District where Clio and Prytania Streets meet, a Carrara marble statue of a woman sits in a chair with her arm around a child. She is plain, a bit plump, her face square-chinned, but in her eyes a look of love and compassion. Sculpted by Alexander Doyle and unveiled in 1884, it is the first public monument in the United States erected to honor a female philanthropist. The pedestal bears one word: Margaret, because to the people of New Orleans, nothing more needed to be said. Margaret Gaffney was born in 1813 near Carrigallen, … [Read more...] about Margaret Haughery, A Mother to Orphans, Bread Woman of New Orleans

In the early days of baseball, Irish Americans dominated the sport and helped shape it into America’s national pastime. Many young men, hardened by the strenuous labor of the few jobs available to them, found solace in the new game. Their physical strength and competitive drive made them natural stars, and they soon became key innovators. Among them, none left a greater mark on the game’s formative years than Michael “King” Kelly. Michael Joseph Kelly was born in Troy, New York, on December 31, 1857, to Irish immigrants. When the Civil War broke out, his father enlisted in the Union Army. … [Read more...] about King Kelly: The Irish American Who Transformed Baseball

Kathleen Rita McNulty was born in the village of Creeslough on February 12, 1921, the third of six children of Anne Nelis and James McNulty.  Her father was Commandant of the Doe Battalion of the Irish Volunteers. On the night of her birth, he was arrested and imprisoned in Derry Gaol for two years for his republican activities. On his release, the family emigrated to the United States and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where James worked as a stonemason. James went on to establish a successful construction business, frequently working with Irish American John B Kelly, the father of … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: Kathleen McNulty, an Irish American “Hidden Figure”