Since its earliest history, sport has held a central role in Irish culture. The game of Hurling is one of the oldest in the world and can trace its roots back 4,000 years. Athletic prowess was a hallmark of all of Ireland’s great mythic heroes; the legend of Cú Chulainn begins with him as a boy killing a gigantic hound attacking him by hitting him with the sliotar (hurling … [Read more...] about Michael Cusack, Creator of the Gaelic Athletic Association
History
Patrick O’Rorke, a Forgotten Irish American Hero of Gettysburg
Col. Patrick O'Rorke of the 140 NY Patrick Henry O'Rorke was born in County Cavan, Ireland on March 25, 1837. His family emigrated from Ireland when Patrick was but a year old, eventually settling in the “Little Dublin” neighborhood of Rochester, N.Y. An excellent student, he earned one of two scholarships to the newly formed University of Rochester. However, his father’s … [Read more...] about Patrick O’Rorke, a Forgotten Irish American Hero of Gettysburg
The Irish General Election of 1918: A Peaceful Revolution
One can be forgiven for seeing Ireland’s march to reassert its independence as a sovereign nation as a series of rebellions and battles. However, perhaps Ireland’s greatest revolutionary act took place not on the battlefield but at the ballot box. It was the Irish General Election of 1918 and the subsequent establishment of Dáil Éireann (the “Assembly of … [Read more...] about The Irish General Election of 1918: A Peaceful Revolution
Dr. Aidan MacCarthy, a survivor from Dunkirk to Nagasaki
Dr. Aidan MacCarthyThere are times when you read history you come across a story that literally defies belief. Yet, fate can bring together events beyond the imaginations of any writer and the most unlikely of people show us the strength and nobility of the human character. Such is the story of Dr. Aidan MacCarthy. MacCarthy was born in Castletownbere, Beara Peninsula County … [Read more...] about Dr. Aidan MacCarthy, a survivor from Dunkirk to Nagasaki
On the 100th Anniversary of the Ending of WW I, a Rockland Connection
In the summer of 1896, a newly ordained Priest said one of his first masses at St. Peter’s in Haverstraw, Rockland County. Though the young Cleric was born in Ontario Canada, he was the grandson of Irish immigrants who had fled the horrors of the Great Hunger. During the mass, he was assisted by a young Irish American altar boy who was born and raised in … [Read more...] about On the 100th Anniversary of the Ending of WW I, a Rockland Connection