The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, or The Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick for the Relief of Emigrants from Ireland, was founded in Philadelphia on March 17, 1771 and continues on as a benevolent society today. Tom Deignan looks at the history and ongoing tradition of one of the best-known Irish-American organizations in the U.S. today. At the end of 2012, St. Rose … [Read more...] about The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick
History Archives
James Kelly: A Sculptor of American History
James E. Kelly, sculptor and illustrator, specialized in depicting people and events surrounding the American Civil War. Historian and author William B. Styple discovered Kelly’s journals, which contained interviews with many of the generals who participated in the war. Here he writes about this amazing artist who contributed so much to recording American history. James … [Read more...] about James Kelly: A Sculptor of American History
Heroes and Rogues: The Irish of Green-Wood Cemetery
Among the most noteworthy Irish expatriates reposing in Green-Wood are Matilda Tone, widow of United Irishmen leader Wolfe Tone, and their son William Theobald Wolfe Tone. William is buried with his wife, Catherine Sampson Tone, and in the plot right next to the Tones lie her parents: the controversial civil rights attorney William Sampson and his wife, Grace. The Green-Wood … [Read more...] about Heroes and Rogues: The Irish of Green-Wood Cemetery
Joe Kennedy – The Hollywood Years
Movie columnist Tom Deignan examines David Nasaw’s book The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy with an eye to Kennedy’s time in Hollywood. The year was 1926, a year before Charles Lindbergh would make his heralded flight across the Atlantic. And so, when a 38-year-old Joseph P. Kennedy made his first trip to Hollywood, a train would have … [Read more...] about Joe Kennedy – The Hollywood Years
Arthur Conan Doyle’s Irish Mystery
May 22nd has been celebrated as International Sherlock Holmes Day since 2013 when fans celebrated the 125th anniversary of the novel in which Arthur Conan Doyle introduced his famous sleuth. The date was chosen as it is the birthday of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was born on May 22, 1859, to an Irish family in Edinburgh, Scotland. Sherlock Holmes — who celebrates his 125th … [Read more...] about Arthur Conan Doyle’s Irish Mystery