Sergeant Major Daniel Joseph Daly, USMC, recipient of the Medal of Honor twice for engagements in two separate conflicts In the history of the Medal of Honor, the United States highest award for "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 … [Read more...] about Daniel Daly: The Marine Who Earned Two Medals of Honor—and Deserved a Third
Past Irish American Heritage Month Profiles
King Kelly: The Irish American Who Transformed Baseball
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
Detective Steven McDonald and the Irish American Tradition of Service
Few modern New York police officers better embodied the Irish American tradition of faith, service, and moral courage than NYPD Detective Steven McDonald. Shot in the line of duty in Central Park in 1986 and left paralyzed for life, McDonald became known not simply for surviving the attack but for the extraordinary act that followed—his public forgiveness of the teenager who shot him. Steven McDonald and his son Connor at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City, Fifth Avenue, New York, NY March 17, 2015. Credit: Kristin Callahan For the next three decades, McDonald carried that … [Read more...] about Detective Steven McDonald and the Irish American Tradition of Service
Irish American Heritage Month: Kathleen McNulty, an Irish American “Hidden Figure”
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”
Commodore John Barry: The Irish Father of the American Navy
When Americans think of the naval heroes of the American Revolution, the name usually comes to mind is John Paul Jones. Yet there was another officer—an Irish immigrant from County Wexford—whose service was longer, whose seniority was higher, and whose influence extended beyond the war itself to the very creation of the United States Navy. His name was Commodore John Barry. As we mark Irish American Heritage Month and approach the 250th anniversary of American independence, Barry deserves to be better remembered. He was not a colorful footnote in the founding of the Republic. He was one … [Read more...] about Commodore John Barry: The Irish Father of the American Navy