Irish America
Irish America
GRACE "Now as the dawn is breaking, sure my heart is breaking, too. / As they lead me out to die, my thoughts will be of you." Rosemary Rogers profiles Grace Gifford (1888–1955), an Irish artist, political cartoonist, and republican activist best known for marrying Easter Rising leader Joseph "Joe" Plunkett in a jail cell hours before his execution. It was a drama … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Women | Mrs. Joe Plunkett
Maeve Brennan (1917-1993), the Dublin-born writer has been described as “Irish literature’s best kept secret,” was as striking in appearance as she was in talent – beautiful, chic and effortlessly witty. From 1949 to 1981, Maeve was a staff writer for arguably the greatest literary magazine in the world, The New Yorker. Yet like so many brilliant writers and artists, Maeve was … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Women | Maeve Brennan: Talk of The Town
Even in recent decades, women engineers have at times felt like they're trying to make it in an “old boy's club.” But back in the era of Kate Gleason, a woman with engineering knowledge was remarkably rare. Gleason was born in Rochester, New York, on Nov. 24, 1865. According to findagrave.com, her father, William Gleason, was from Tipperary, and her mother, Ellen Gleason née … [Read more...] about Kate Gleason: A Century Ahead of Her Time
"You never knew what she would say next." Though she stood just under 4’11”, Nell McCafferty was larger than life. She was a fierce Derry Girl, activist, journalist, author, broadcaster, feminist, socialist, storyteller, lesbian, and much more. Nell was a force in the secularization and transformation of Ireland, fighting to make her country take its place in the modern … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Women | Nell McCafferty
On March 6, 1988, in the shadow of the rock of Gibraltar, British Special Air Services (SAS) gathered behind IRA members Sean Savage, Daniel McCann, and Mairéad Farrell as they were ascending the rock. When the three victims, all unarmed, turned around, saw the soldiers, and saw their guns, they put their hands up, the universal signal of surrender and “for the love of God, … [Read more...] about Mairéad Farrell: A Fanatic Heart
