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Pennsylvania’s Irish and the
Founding of the State

By Tom Deignan

December/ January 2021

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Joe Biden's nail-biting Pennsylvania win was just the latest episode in Pennsylvania's rich Irish American history. You can take the boy out of Scranton.  But Scranton still helped put its most famous Irish Catholic boy – Joe Biden – into the White House. The 2020 presidential election famously came down to a handful of states – including Pennsylvania. That’s where … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania’s Irish and the
Founding of the State

Roots: The Curran Clan

By Sarah Curran, Contributor
October / November 2000

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The surname Curran is common in all four provinces in Ireland, but especially in County Donegal and throughout Ulster. The name is also prevalent in the south of Ireland, appearing many times in the County Tipperary Hearth Money Rolls of 1665-7. Currans showed up frequently as Waterford residents in the census of 1659. The 1901 census in Kerry counted 142 Curran or Currane … [Read more...] about Roots: The Curran Clan

The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Song and Dance

By Irish America Staff

November 1999

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The Dorsey Brothers Sultans of Swing To fans of jazz and swing, the Dorsey brothers need no introduction. As musicians, composers and dance band leaders, they are inextricably linked with the swing craze during the big-band era of the 1930s and 1940s. Their numerous hits include "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You," "I'll Never Smile Again," and "Boogie-Woogie." In all, they … [Read more...] about The Greatest Irish Americans of the Century: Song and Dance