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”

On 13 September 1845, the British Newspaper "The Gardeners' Chronicle announced:  "We stop the press with very great regret to announce that the potato murrain has unequivocally declared itself in Ireland. The crops about Dublin are suddenly perishing....where will Ireland be in the event of a universal potato rot?" That simple paragraph ushered in five years[2] of … [Read more...] about After 175 Years, It Is Time for the Real Story of the “Irish Famine.”*

From a rise of land known as Chin Ridge, the men of the 75th Ohio saw a sight that must have made their blood run cold.  They were part of Union General John Pope’s Army of Virginia (not to be confused with the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia), which had in the Summer of 1862 been proceeding south in an attempt to capture Richmond and end the war.  However, … [Read more...] about “If They Get the Flag, They’ll Get Old Mike”