Irish America

Irish America

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Hand in Hand for Freedom:
U.S. Labor and Irish Rebels

By Terry O'Sullivan, Contributor

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The trade union movement in America played a major role in Ireland’s struggle for freedom. But Irish rebels also played a significant role in building the American trade union movement, writes LiUNA general president, Terry O’Sullivan. ℘℘℘ The centennial of the Easter Rising carries a special meaning for proud Irish Americans, and especially for those, like me, who work in the … [Read more...] about Hand in Hand for Freedom:
U.S. Labor and Irish Rebels

New York:
A Home Away from Home For Irish Fenians

By Dermot McEvoy, Contributor
February / March 2016

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When Irish exiles needed a refuge, they swarmed to New York and established a hotbed of anti-British sentiment and activity that fed the flames of Irish freedom. The Great Famine in the 1840s forced millions of Irish out of Ireland, initially flooding the big cities of the east coast of America, especially New York and Boston. New York became a popular target for settlement … [Read more...] about New York:
A Home Away from Home For Irish Fenians

The German Connection

By Tom Deignan, Contributor
February / March 2016

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As World War I loomed, the U.S. was wracked by political, ethnic, and religious tension. Most Americans hoped to remain neutral, but the Irish in the U.S. were not shy about whom to root for. “The German guns will be the call of Ireland to her scattered sons,” Roger Casement wrote in his tract, “The Crime Against Ireland and How the War May Right It.” “Let Irishmen in America … [Read more...] about The German Connection

Boston and the Irish Rising

By Michael Quinlin, Contributor
February / March 2016

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The battle for the hearts and minds of the Boston Irish took a sharp turn in the aftermath of the 1916 Irish Rising. Prior to the 1916 Rising, Boston’s Irish community had maintained some equilibrium between those who favored constitutional methods of Home Rule, and those for physical force and agitation. And within this spectrum were viewpoints about socialism and worker’s … [Read more...] about Boston and the Irish Rising

The Spy in the Castle

By Megan Smolenyak, Contributor
February / March 2016

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David Neligan, a member of the Dublin Metropolitan Police, acted as a valuable agent for Michael Collins by passing on vital information during the Irish War of Independence (1919–21). He subsequently became Director of Intelligence for the Irish Army after the Irish Civil War (1922–23). I’m sheepish to admit that I only came to learn of David Neligan through self-interest. … [Read more...] about The Spy in the Castle