Historical Happenings

Before the Civil War, the 69th NY State Militia regiment was commanded by Sligo-born Michael Corcoran.  On November 15 1860, he was arrested for refusing to parade the 69th before the visiting Prince of Wales.  Less than two months later, on January 9, 1861 Fort Sumter was fired on and everything changed. The commander of the artillery battery that opened fire on Fort Sumter was Capt. John Mitchel, who had escaped from Van Dieman’s Land with his father, Irish patriot John Mitchel.  After the surrender of the fort, Mitchel allowed defending Major Anderson a cannon-salute to their flag in … [Read more...] about The Bloody Shamrock

June 14th is a special day for us in America. It is a day set aside to honor our national emblem - the stars and stripes. It is flag day, a day when we should all be flying our flag, but just why is it flag day, what does it mean, and what is our flag anyway that it should have a day of its own. What is our flag? Well, when you describe it in terms of material, it is only a piece of cloth, dyed with a little blue and red that makes a design which is the symbol of the United States. And that may be all that it is to some; to those who show it no respect, to those who make clothing from it, to … [Read more...] about Flag Day

With the recent St. Patrick’s festivities behind us, I can’t count the number of times I was told Corned Beef and Cabbage is not an Irish dish as if we who enjoyed it were being duped by store managers with an abundance of the stuff.  I enjoyed telling them the truth only to see their eyes open wide and to know that the nex time they have it, they’ll think of us. In the Nineteenth century, the Irish tenant farmer had been forced to rely on potatoes as a main food since it produced the greatest yield per acre and most of the land belonged to English landlords.  On special occasions one might … [Read more...] about Corned Beef and Cabbage

Would you ever get up to sing a song if you didn’t know the words?  Some people do when they’re drunk!  Would you ever repeat a rumor if you didn’t know it was true?  Some political spin doctors do to improve their candidate’s position!  Would you ever report something as fact if you didn’t know what you were talking about?  Some fools do to create a reaction or enhance their name!  The saddest part is that if they repeat a falsehood loud enough, often enough and from a legitimate platform, like a credible newspaper, there are those who will believe it and carry it further; these are the ones … [Read more...] about St. Patrick IS a Saint!

Roger Casement was born in Antrim on September 1, 1864 to a Protestant father and a Catholic mother. At 17, he went to work for the Elder Dempster Shipping Company in Liverpool.  Three years later he was sent to west Africa where he joined the British Colonial Service and was gradually advanced to a position in the British Consulate there. Always a fair and honorable man, he was horrified at the inhuman treatment of native workers in the Congo, and wrote a report exposing those conditions. The story was published, and when Casement returned to England in 1904 he was applauded for his … [Read more...] about Sir Roger Casement Comes Home