In April, it is customary to see articles on what is arguably history's most famous shipwreck, the sinking of RMS Titanic after colliding with an iceberg, and the tragedy of the loss of 1500 souls, many of them Irish immigrants.  However, some sixty years prior, also in April, there was another tragic shipwreck resulting from a collision with an iceberg that also … [Read more...] about The Wreck of the Hannah

Philip Fitzpatrick was born in Aughavas, Co. Leitrim in 1892.  Like so many of his generation, he emigrated to the United States and settled in New York City. He joined the NYPD in 1926 and was assigned to Mounted Squad 1 in Manhattan.  He would serve with distinction for over 21 years as one of ‘New York’s Finest’ and would prove more than worthy of the … [Read more...] about Patrolman, Poet, and Hero; the Remarkable Life of Phillip Fitzpatrick, NYPD

On April 24, 1832, 57 Irish immigrants from the counties of Derry, Donegal and Tyrone boarded the barque John Stamp at the port of Derry to begin their voyage to Philadelphia. They had all taken different roads to arrive at this literal and emotional departure. John Ruddy was just 18 when he hugged his parents goodbye, knowing it was unlikely that he would see them again in … [Read more...] about The Buried Massacre of Duffy’s Cut.

In a troubled world, thank God for the gift of hope called Christmas. For all of us, it is a time where we can take an opportunity to at least momentarily free ourselves of the chains of what seems the depressing realities of the world and once again engage in the saintly innocence of children where our eyes are opened to the magic of the universe and the potential of the human … [Read more...] about Yes, Virginia (O’Hanlon) There is a Santa Claus