Irish America

Irish America

2026

Window on the Past | David F. Barry: The Irish ‘Shadow Catcher’

By Ray Cavanaugh

Fall 2026

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He was called the “Little Shadow Catcher” by the Indians, due to his 5’ 5” height and his miraculous ability to capture images on paper. Some whites called Barry the “Sioux Charmer,” due to his friendly relations with many Natives, especially those of historical and topical importance. In the remote 19th-century settings where photographer David F. Barry operated, photographs … [Read more...] about Window on the Past | David F. Barry: The Irish ‘Shadow Catcher’

Ireland: The Home of Halloween

By Irish America Staff

IA Newsletter, October 24 2026

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Did you know that Ireland is the true Home of Halloween?  Halloween traces its roots back more than 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. Fires were lit, feasts were shared, turnips were carved, and communities gathered to celebrate the changing season. As Irish people emigrated around the … [Read more...] about Ireland: The Home of Halloween

Roots | The O’Reilly / Reilly Clan

By James G. Ryan

Fall 2026

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The O’Reilly family name comes from the Gaelic O’Raghailligh, meaning descendants of Raghaillach. The O’Reillys were the most powerful sept of the old Gaelic Kingdom of Breffny, and the family remains numerous in the area that made up this kingdom: Cavan and the surrounding counties. The name is frequently shortened to Reilly or Riley. Members of the O’Reilly clan are … [Read more...] about Roots | The O’Reilly / Reilly Clan

Roots | Letter to Ireland Answered – 28 Years Later

By Megan Smolenyak and James G. Ryan

Fall 2026

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Genealogy is all about researching your family’s history, but every once in a while, it can turn up a piece of your own past. I was fortunate enough to experience this when I received a response to a letter I had written to a stranger in Ireland 28 years earlier – in 1984. More peculiar still, the gentleman I contacted had passed away in 1990. Perhaps I should explain. I’ve … [Read more...] about Roots | Letter to Ireland Answered – 28 Years Later

Podcasts | From Books and TV to Family and Faith, Guests Open Up About All Things Irish with host Tom Deignan

By Tom Deignan

Fall 2026

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Mary Beth Keane   What is your new novel Whale Harbor (out in November) about? This book came most immediately from my own family. My dad was the second of 11 siblings, like the main character, Macdara, in Whale Harbor. He lost his mother when he was 19. He had a five-year-old brother, Gerry, and all these other siblings. They lived in a rural part of Connemara and spoke Irish. … [Read more...] about Podcasts | From Books and TV to Family and Faith, Guests Open Up About All Things Irish with host Tom Deignan