Irish America

Irish America

1994

Presidents & First Ladies of Irish Ancestry

By Carl Sferrazza Anthony

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There's as much of the old sod in the White House as there is on its south lawn. The backgrounds of America's First Families are diverse: Nancy Reagan and Lady Bird Johnson have Spanish forebears; Herbert Hoover was Swiss and Canadian; Mamie Eisenhower was part Swedish while Ike was German; Martin Van Buren and the Roosevelts were Dutch; James Garfield had a royal strain … [Read more...] about Presidents & First Ladies of Irish Ancestry

George M. Cohan: “Born on the Fourth of July”

By M.V. Quinn, Contributor

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The life of George M. Cohan, the greatest song and dance man of all time. Not far off from his song's boast, George Michael Cohan was born on July 3, 1878, according to his birth certificate, however his mother always claimed that he was born on the 4th, and as he proved again and again in his plays and songs, he remained “a real live nephew” of America’s Uncle Sam throughout … [Read more...] about George M. Cohan: “Born on the Fourth of July”

Roots: The Lynch Family

By James G. Ryan, Contributor
February / March 2001

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The Lynch family derives from several independent clans. One of these is the Norman family De Lench who came to Ireland in the 12th century and were the most prominent of the "Tribes of Galway." These were the 14 Norman families who controlled this important medieval trading city and made it one of the few outposts in the West of Ireland that was loyal to the British crown. An … [Read more...] about Roots: The Lynch Family

Less than Rosy

By Oistin MacBride

November/December 1994

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Despite the air of innocence that overlays the Rose of Tralee Festival, a distinct lack of sentimentality, hard business acumen and scandalous trivia are the order of the day, as Oistin MacBride discovered when he attended this year's festival, now in its 36th year. The Rose of Tralee, one of the biggest and oldest of the burgeoning number of festivals now dotting the Irish … [Read more...] about Less than Rosy

The American Role in the Ceasefire

By Emer Mullins

November/December 1994

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Emer Mullins reports on how Irish America flexed its muscle to help the historic peace process in Northern Ireland. It ended, finally, after months of speculation, months of hope, and months of hard work by the strongest Irish American lobby yet seen in Washington. The IRA declared a "complete cessation" of military activity on August 31, 1994, bringing to a close a terrible … [Read more...] about The American Role in the Ceasefire