Fr. Nicholas Callan was born in 1799 in County Louth. He was the fifth of six children born to a prosperous farming family. Noting that their son was remarkably clever, they sent him to the best private school available, which was run by a Presbyterian Clergyman (in the wake of the recent Penal Laws, there were few Catholic school options) while entrusting his Catholic … [Read more...] about Fr. Nicholas Callan, Forgotten Genius

On August 9, 1971, British Army Saracen armored cars rolled out at 4:00 AM onto the streets of Belfast to begin Operation Demetrius, the forcible internment of Irish Catholics suspected of being involved in paramilitary activity without charge or trial. Ironically, the British Army was now interning members of the community that they claimed upon their arrival to be protecting … [Read more...] about The Ballymurphy Massacre

There was a time when mouse clicks and tweets did not drive reporters; they actually went out, sometimes at great personal peril, to find the news.  One such reporter and a pioneer of investigative journalism was Irish American Nellie Bly. Nellie Bly was born Elizabeth Cochrane on May 5, 1864 in Cochran's Mills, now part of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.   Her father, Michael … [Read more...] about Nellie Bly

The end of a year is a time of reflection and evaluation, and so we should ask why we have a history lesson at every meeting and in every newsletter? One can argue that the history of Ireland and Irish America is often sad; a story of a people who were conquered, oppressed, driven from their homes when a crop failure was turned into an opportunity to clear the land of families … [Read more...] about A Historical Reflection in the Year of Covid