The following commentaries, from writers, politicians, actors, activists, artists and business people, culled from 25 years in Irish America, offer unique, personal perspectives on the starvation of our forefathers. Peggy Noonan, author and political commentator, interview, July/August 1990 “The first time I ever went back to Ireland, I met a very old man named Paddy … [Read more...] about Reflections on the Great Hunger
2010
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
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
The Spoilers of Our Land
How the British Government Responded to the Great Hunger In January 1847, the Nation published a poem entitled ‘The Stricken Land.’ It was a searing indictment of the policies of the British Government in the wake of the second failure of the potato crop only a few months earlier. It was written by a young woman, Jane Elgee, who was drawn from the Protestant … [Read more...] about The Spoilers of Our Land
Magnificent Munster
Munster is located in the southern part of Ireland and consists of six counties: Cork, Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, and Waterford. Its main centers of population include Cork City, the country’s third-largest city after Dublin and Belfast; Limerick, the nearest city to Shannon Airport; and Waterford, on the southeast coast. It boasts a wide range of scenery, including the … [Read more...] about Magnificent Munster