Historical Happenings

In the late 1800s, banks were charging as much as 50% interest on mortgages and Railroad rates were uncontrollably high. As a result, mid-west farmers were experiencing a downward economic spiral. In Kansas, among the frustrated farmers, one voice was heard that would unite them in search of a solution. It came from Mary Elizabeth Lease who raised her voice in defense of her Kansas farming neighbors. Mary Ellen, as she was known, was the sixth child of Irish immigrants, Mary (Cullen) and Joseph Clyens, who had fled Ireland’s Great Hunger. Born in Pennsylvania on 11 September 1850, she … [Read more...] about PROTEST ON THE PRAIRIE

  On 22 September 1864, an Irish-American Civil War officer became a national hero after losing a battle! His name was James A. Mulligan. James was born in Utica, New York, in 1829, to Irish immigrant parents. After his father’s passing, he and his mother moved to Chicago where, at age 27, James was a popular Irish-American lawyer and Democratic politician. At a time when the Irish population of Illinois was more than 87,000, he commanded the respect and allegiance of Chicago’s large Irish community. He joined a local National Guard unit called the Chicago Shield Guards and was … [Read more...] about TO WIN BY LOSING

August 15 is a special day for Catholics around the world because it is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. It is also special for our AOH cousins in Ireland who march that day to show pride in their heritage on ‘Lady’s Day’ as it’s called. However, on that day in 1995 an historic event also took place in Derry as the American AOH and LAOH joined with the AOH Board of Erin (BOE) to march in that parade. Our National Presidents, Ed Wallace and Kathy Linton led the line of march behind the American and Irish flags alongside Hibernian leaders from Ireland, England, Scotland and … [Read more...] about A DAY TO REMEMBER

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 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