Past Irish American Heritage Month Profiles

During the American Revolution,  New York was totally destroyed and was rebuilt by the son of an immigrant from Co. Galway, Ireland. He was the first post-colonial person to wear the title ‘Mayor of New York’ and his name was James Duane. He was born in New York, then called the Province of New York, to Irish immigrant parents on February 6, 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 … [Read more...] about James Duane: The Irish American Who Rebuilt New York

A number of Irishmen were key to Washington’s success in crossing the Delaware River to take Trenton.  Among them were two immigrants: Paddy Colvin and Sam McConkey, who ran two river ferries. In 1885, Rev A. Lambing wrote: when reading one of the Trenton papers, I saw the simple statement that the American forces under General Washington crossed the Delaware at Patrick Colvin's ferry into Pennsylvania. Struck by his name, which at once denoted his nationality, I resolved to know more about him.  He did, and he found that Patrick Colvin of Co. Cavan, Ireland bought a ferry and land … [Read more...] about The Irish Ferries That Turned The Tide At Trenton

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 Irish American Heritage Month: An Irish American Angel in America’s West

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." However, being a firefighter was Thomas Foley's first passion; it was all he wanted … [Read more...] about Irish American Heritage Month: The Foley Brothers “No greater love than to lay down your life for another”