Between the years 1845 and 1851, Ireland lost at a minimum 25% of its population, with over one million dead and another million emigrating. The literal root cause being a mold Phytophthora infestans which destroyed the foundation of the Irish diet based on the potato. This … [Read more...] about The Almighty Sent the Blight, but the English Created the Famine
History
St. Brendan the Navigator
St. Brendan and his monks Ireland is often referred to as a land of myth and legend. The primary definition of both words describes a widely known story describing historical or natural events. Given that for centuries Irish history, like Irish music, was an … [Read more...] about St. Brendan the Navigator
Charles Byrne, The Tragic Irish Giant
Giants are a recurring theme in classical Irish mythology. Perhaps none is better known than Fionn mac Cumhail ("Finn McCool”) the legendary leader of the Fianna. According to legend, Finn McCool while standing in Ulster engaged in a war of words with another giant … [Read more...] about Charles Byrne, The Tragic Irish Giant
Sergeant Thomas Plunkett, “Don’t let (the Flag) Fall Boys”
Thomas Plunkett was born in County Mayo in 1840. His parents emigrated to the United States in 1844 and settled in West Boylston, Massachusetts. When the American Civil War broke out, young Plunkett was working in a local shoe factory. Immediately answering the … [Read more...] about Sergeant Thomas Plunkett, “Don’t let (the Flag) Fall Boys”
The Irish Marines
When this year’s Rockland County St. Patrick’s Day Parade proceeds down Central Avenue in Pearl River, it will be led by Marine Corps veteran Francis T. Duffy. Frank was awarded the Silver Star for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity” in a battle where Admiral … [Read more...] about The Irish Marines