Irish America

Irish America

Newsletter

Margaret Corbin: A Soldier’s Wife Turned America’s First Artillerywoman

By Ray Cavanaugh

IA Newsletter June 6 2026

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There were a number of women who played an important role in helping the American side during the Revolutionary War. But very few women in that era became involved with the actual fighting. And almost none of them seemed as combat-ready as Margaret Cochran Corbin, who was the first woman in America to obtain a pension due to military service. The daughter of Irish immigrant … [Read more...] about Margaret Corbin: A Soldier’s Wife Turned America’s First Artillerywoman

The Wild American Tenure of Wicklow Native Matthew Lyon

By Ray Cavanaugh

IA Newsletter June 6 2026

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Matthew Lyon was a man on the rise. But not in a slick and ingratiating way. He was bold and brash. These traits apparently surfaced quite young in life. He may well have possessed them from the time he was born in County Wicklow on Jul. 14, 1750 (some sources say 1749).  According to The Journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Lyon's father was executed for treason … [Read more...] about The Wild American Tenure of Wicklow Native Matthew Lyon

Belfast Court Finally Rules on 1972 Springhill/Westrock Belfast Killings

By Brian Dooley

IA Newsletter May 16, 2026

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The last few minutes waiting for the verdict in the Belfast court were excruciating. Relatives of five people shot dead by British soldiers in west Belfast one night in July 1972 sat at the back of the huge courtroom. Some of us invited by the families sat behind the glass screen that separated our benches from the judge, listening to his ruling through speakers. By four … [Read more...] about Belfast Court Finally Rules on 1972 Springhill/Westrock Belfast Killings

The Grand Egyptian Museum’s Irish Architect

By Geoffrey Cobb

February 21, 2026

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The recently opened Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, outside Cairo, is breathtaking. The sixth largest museum on earth, its immense size, vast collection, and innovative design are simply awesome. So also is the story of the gifted architect who designed it; Irish-born Róisín Heneghan, a woman whose journey from isolated Belmullet, Co. Mayo, to the heights of the architectural … [Read more...] about The Grand Egyptian Museum’s Irish Architect

London’s Irish Mozart: Sir Arthur Sullivan

By Ray Cavanaugh

Fall 2025

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If asked to name a writer of Irish background, many of us could rattle off a half-dozen names like we were reciting our date of birth. But if asked to name an Irish composer, then most of us would begin to hesitate. Our eyes would blink, our lips would curl, our heads would tilt while the brain struggles to process the mustier files in our index of knowledge. Surely there must … [Read more...] about London’s Irish Mozart: Sir Arthur Sullivan