Irish America

Irish America

By David Smith June/July 2006

James Connolly: The Man, The Movie

By David Smith

June/July 2006

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As the anniversary of the Easter 1916 Rising is celebrated in Ireland, David Smith uncovers plans for a movie on the life of James Connolly. Modern Ireland was born in rebellion on Dublin's O'Connell Street during Easter Week 1916. As a gunboat bombarded the city centre, and British troops attacked the rebels' headquarters in the General Post Office, James Connolly, one of … [Read more...] about James Connolly: The Man, The Movie

Margaret Corbin: A Soldier’s Wife Turned America’s First Artillerywoman

By Ray Cavanaugh

IA Newsletter June 6 2026

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There were a number of women who played an important role in helping the American side during the Revolutionary War. But very few women in that era became involved with the actual fighting. And almost none of them seemed as combat-ready as Margaret Cochran Corbin, who was the first woman in America to obtain a pension due to military service. The daughter of Irish immigrant … [Read more...] about Margaret Corbin: A Soldier’s Wife Turned America’s First Artillerywoman

The Wild American Tenure of Wicklow Native Matthew Lyon

By Ray Cavanaugh

IA Newsletter June 6 2026

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Matthew Lyon was a man on the rise. But not in a slick and ingratiating way. He was bold and brash. These traits apparently surfaced quite young in life. He may well have possessed them from the time he was born in County Wicklow on Jul. 14, 1750 (some sources say 1749).  According to The Journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Lyon's father was executed for treason … [Read more...] about The Wild American Tenure of Wicklow Native Matthew Lyon

Belfast Court Finally Rules on 1972 Springhill/Westrock Belfast Killings

By Brian Dooley

IA Newsletter May 16, 2026

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The last few minutes waiting for the verdict in the Belfast court were excruciating. Relatives of five people shot dead by British soldiers in west Belfast one night in July 1972 sat at the back of the huge courtroom. Some of us invited by the families sat behind the glass screen that separated our benches from the judge, listening to his ruling through speakers. By four … [Read more...] about Belfast Court Finally Rules on 1972 Springhill/Westrock Belfast Killings

Ourselves Alone: An Interview with Gerry Adams

By Patricia Harty, Editor-in-Chief
April 1991

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The Sinn Féin office is located in a what could hardly be called a luxury building in what seems to be a mostly deserted area of West Belfast. In the room where I sit, there is a one-bar electric fire, a couple of mismatched chairs and little else. Somewhere on the outside a band is practicing, the drums that one usually associates with Loyalists are getting a fair belting from … [Read more...] about Ourselves Alone: An Interview with Gerry Adams