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

The sun rose on a beautiful autumn day in Dublin on November 21, 1920, belying the fact that the day would be forever remembered as "Bloody Sunday" in Irish history.  It would be a day that would host a series of violent and tragic acts;  each alone would more than justify that. (see endnote on other "Bloody Sundays").   For over a year since the suppression … [Read more...] about On the Centenary of Bloody Sunday 1920

On 27 June 1920, it was hot in Jalandhar, in the Indian state of Punjab. It was not the fact that for days the daily temperatures often exceed 105° Fahrenheit; that was to be expected in June. It was not the fact that the area then, as it is today, bordering on the modern state of Pakistan, was often a flashpoint for conflict. No, the temperatures were rising in the barracks of … [Read more...] about When the “Devil’s Own” Said “No”