Irish America

Irish America

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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

Glucksman Ireland House NYU Honors Four Outstanding Irish and Irish-American Leaders 

Newsletter, March 7, 2026


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In what has become a celebrated annual, pre-St Patrick’s Day tradition, Glucksman Ireland House NYU hosted its Gala on Tuesday, March 3 a the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Critically-acclaimed Irish writer and 1995 Booker Prize winner, Roddy Doyle, received the Seamus Heaney Award for Arts and Letters. CEO Emeritus of Northwell and Irish American leader, Michael J. Dowling, received … [Read more...] about Glucksman Ireland House NYU Honors Four Outstanding Irish and Irish-American Leaders 

St. Patrick’s Day: A Celebration of Immigration

By Michael Dowling
Newsletter, March 7, 2026

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On March 16, 1780, General George Washington declared that the following day, March 17, would be a holiday for his tired, cold and hungry continental army troops as they camped in Morristown, NJ. They had been through a difficult and long campaign, going months without a day off – not even Christmas – and enduring the coldest and snowiest East Coast winter on record, with 28 … [Read more...] about St. Patrick’s Day: A Celebration of Immigration