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
Accussed of Being a Witch, Hung on Evidence of Being an Irish Catholic
November 16, 2018, marks the 330th anniversary of one of the great travesties of American history. On that date in 1688, the citizens of Boston executed Ann “Goody” Glover for being a witch. The tragedy of the event is compounded by the story being little remembered despite its echoes in the events of today and the lessons it could teach. Not much is known … [Read more...] about Accussed of Being a Witch, Hung on Evidence of Being an Irish Catholic
The Almighty Sent the Blight, but the English Created the Famine
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 period is inaccurately referred to as “the Irish Potato Famine”, but this obscures the true source and … [Read more...] about The Almighty Sent the Blight, but the English Created the Famine
St. Brendan the Navigator
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 aural tradition (and during much of English rule a necessity) passed down from one generation to the other the description is … [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 standing in Scotland. At one-point Finn was so enraged that he grabbed a (giant sized) sod of earth … [Read more...] about Charles Byrne, The Tragic Irish Giant