It is somehow fitting that the Good Friday peace agreement of 1998 has become inseparable from Irish poetry. If, for a moment in Northern Ireland, “hope and history rhymed” or those involved in resolving the conflict “walked on air against their better judgment,” phrases that politicians and other speechifiers ubiquitously quoted, they had poet Seamus Heaney to thank for their … [Read more...] about Walking Into The Marvelous With Declan Kiberd
History Archives
The Empire Builders
The Irish who built the Empire State Building and the photographer who captured the work. In 1908, acclaimed photographer Lewis W. Hine snapped a simple portrait entitled “Irish Steel Worker.” The aged laborer has a weathered face and sad eyes. A pipe sprouts from his mouth. He sports suspenders, a thick handkerchief in his front pocket, and a woolen cap atop his … [Read more...] about The Empire Builders
2023 Marks the 225th Anniversary of the 1798 Rebellion
IA Newsletter, May 27, 2023
This historic, cultural, and civic celebration of Ireland’s history and heritage will be brought to life at a series of events across Wexford this summer An exciting series of events including historic talks, guided walks, a battle reenactment at Enniscorthy Bridge and an immersive experience for visitors with a ‘Rebellion Day’ battle encampment is all on offer in Wexford … [Read more...] about 2023 Marks the 225th Anniversary of the 1798 Rebellion
From the Emerald Isle to the Copper Mines
A historical look at the Irish of Butte, Montana Marcus Daly, who became one of the richest men in the West, was born in 1841, in Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan, the youngest of eleven children of a farm family. At 15 he arrived in New York City with very little money and limited education. It took him five years to save enough money to buy passage to San Francisco where he had … [Read more...] about From the Emerald Isle to the Copper Mines
Help from Afar
The Irish Famine was the first national disaster to attract international fundraising activities. These activities cut across traditional divides of religion, nationality, class and gender. Such a response was unprecedented. The earliest fund-raising activities took place at the end of 1845. The first place to send money to Ireland was Calcutta in India. The fundraising was … [Read more...] about Help from Afar