Eoin McKiernan Champion of Education "We can give no greater evidence of our love for Ireland than to join in the race to further the achievement of Irish children." Eoin McKiernan is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost authorities in the U.S. on Irish affairs, and includes on his resumé such job descriptions as author, lecturer, script writer, TV presenter, … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Educators
John Ford: The Quiet Man
"If there is any single thing that explains either of us," John Ford once said to Eugene O'Neill, "it's that we're Irish." Their worlds intersected in 1940, when Ford directed his film version of O'Neill's sea trilogy, The Long Voyage Home. That dark and moody film about men on a tramp steamer perfectly captured O'Neill's Irish fatalism, and it was the playwright's favorite … [Read more...] about John Ford: The Quiet Man
The First Word: In the Beginning . . .
From the time of St. Brendan, the Irish were drawn to America. Maybe it came from gazing out on the vast Atlantic Ocean and wondering what was on the other side. Brendan made his legendary trip in an ox-hide currach. Later the Irish reached "Inishfail" -- that "island of destiny" envisioned by the poets -- as migratory fishermen making their way to Newfoundland in the holds of … [Read more...] about The First Word: In the Beginning . . .
The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Writers and Media
Nellie Bly Newshound "Energy rightly applied can accomplish anything." Nellie Bly's biographer, Brooke Kroeger, captured the essence of his admirable subject when he wrote: "In the 1880s, she pioneered the development of 'detective' or 'stunt' journalism, the acknowledged forerunner to full-scale investigative reporting." Born Elizabeth Jane Cochran on May 5, 1864 to … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Writers and Media
The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: The Services
Reverend Francis Duffy Fighting Father "If I've helped anyone become a better man and he loves me for it, that's my Distinguished Service Cross." Beloved pastor and battlefield legend, the Reverend Francis Patrick Duffy, also known as "Fighting Father Duffy," was truly a man of the people. From the rarefied world of academia to the trenches of World War I France to … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: The Services





