To the Mexicans they were heroes. To the Americans they were traitors. They were recent Irish immigrants fleeing poverty and famine in Ireland who, motivated by discrimination in their own ranks, a shared religion, and sympathy for the cause, fought on the side of Mexico in the U.S.-Mexican war of 1846-1848. The war between the United States and Mexico had two causes: … [Read more...] about The Legacy of the San Patricios
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Among Other Things: An Interview with Aoibheann Sweeney
Aoibheann Sweeney’s debut novel, Among Other Things, I’ve Taken Up Smoking, is quite simply the story of a girl’s journey from one island to another. Miranda Donnal is a young woman caught between her father’s world as he doggedly translates Ovid in the mythic fog of Crab Island, Maine, where she has grown up motherless, well-educated and utterly lonely, and the draw of New … [Read more...] about Among Other Things: An Interview with Aoibheann Sweeney
Still Fiddlin’ Away
From his days with The Bothy Band, some thirty years ago now, to the present, Kevin Burke, who was born in London to Irish parents, has been one of the most widely admired fiddlers on the Irish traditional and contemporary music scene. As an individual performer and as a member of acclaimed bands such as Patrick Street and Celtic Fiddle Festival, Burke, who now makes his home … [Read more...] about Still Fiddlin’ Away
The Global Irishman: Brendan McDonagh
HSBC’s Brendan McDonagh is a new breed of international Irishman. Just six months after assuming his job as head of HSBC Finance in North America, Brendan McDonagh volunteered to appear before Congress, in March 2007, to address the growing subprime mortgage-lending crisis. It was a typical move by the 49-year-old Irishman who has become known throughout his career for a … [Read more...] about The Global Irishman: Brendan McDonagh
The Tragedy of the Hannah
In April 1849, a ship carrying Irish immigrants hit an iceberg in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. John Kernaghan writes on the incident, and of plans for a documentary as Quebec celebrates its 400th anniversary. The crew of the Nicaragua could scarcely credit their eyes when they closed on the iceberg in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Some 120 Irish immigrants clung to a bit of frozen … [Read more...] about The Tragedy of the Hannah