Irish American Heritage Month Profiles

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

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

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

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?

In the history of the Congressional Medal of Honor, the United States Highest award "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty", only 19 men have been awarded the medal twice. Among them is Marine Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, one of only two marines to receive the Medal of Honor Twice for separate acts of heroism and nominated for a third. Daly was born in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, on 11 November 1873. He was slight of stature, only 5’ 6" in height and weighing 132 lbs, yet enjoyed an early reputation as a fighter, a reputation he … [Read more...] about Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, USMC Recipient of two Medals of Honor and Nominated for a Third

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 an 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

DID YOU KNOW that when America was born, the Irish were there? The Irish, both Protestant, and Catholic, were a major part of Washington’s volunteers from foot soldiers to high ranking officers. When increased Crown exploitation drove the colonists to protest, among the loudest were the Irish who had no great love for the Crown, to begin with. And there were many Irish in America’s colonies. Among them were those who fought the English theft of their Irish lands and ended up hunted men; they were followed by those Catholics and Presbyterians who fled persecution by the Church of England. Some … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Irish Contribution to America’s Independence

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

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

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

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

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

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

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”

On July 30th, 1999, 30 years and two days after the first successful moonwalk, Irish American Colonel Eileen Marie Collins became the first woman to command a U.S. spacecraft. Eileen Collins was one of four children born to immigrant parents from County Cork who had settled in Elmira New York. At an early age Eileen expressed an interest in flying, the skies around her home a frequent home to sailplanes and Elmira was home to the National Soaring Museum. Her parents would often take her to the local airport to watch aircraft take off and land. However, there was little money in a struggling … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: Colonel Eileen Collins, A Child of Immigrants Who Attained the Stars