Over 250,000 children were transported from New York to the Midwest over a 75-year period (1854-1929) in the largest mass migration of children in American history. As many as one in four were Irish. Life in the 19th century in New York City could be brutal for a child. A magnet to immigrants in search of work, it was also a haven for alcoholics, drug addicts, thieves and … [Read more...] about The Orphan Trains
History
The Fifth Province
By Dr. Miriam Nyham, Contributor
February / March 2014
February / March 2014
There is a well-known Irish saying: ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine that can be loosely translated as “it is in the shelter of each other that the people live.” Particularly during acts of migration, this adage becomes a critical component of immigrant success. In New York and other parts of the United States, as Irish immigrants attempted to recreate a sense of home in … [Read more...] about The Fifth Province
Roots: The O’Dowd Clan
By Adam Farley, Assistant Editor
February / March 2014
February / March 2014
In 982 the King of Connaught, Aedh Ua Dubhda (or Hugh O’Dowd), “died an untroubled death.” This note in Lebor Laignech, the medieval Irish manuscript better known as the Book of Leinster, is the first record of the O’Dowd surname, making it one of the oldest continually-used family names in Europe. It is also one of the few names that has almost universally kept the “O,” O’Dowd … [Read more...] about Roots: The O’Dowd Clan
William Mulholland Brought Water to a Thirsty Land
On January 24, 1848 a handful of shiny metal found in the water channel below John Sutter’s lumber mill in Northern California launched the first world-class Gold Rush. Within seven years, the population of San Francisco swelled from 200 to more than 50,000. More secure work than prospecting could be found on the vast cattle ranches of the original Spanish land grants, and many … [Read more...] about William Mulholland Brought Water to a Thirsty Land
Reflecting on the Lock-Out
By IA Staff
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A hundred years ago, The Lock-Out caused great turmoil in Dublin. It marked the beginnings of an organized labor movement in Ireland, and had a huge influence on the emerging Irish state. It’s a time for reflection in Ireland. A time to look at events that formed the foundation of our republic 100 years ago, and how the impact of those events continues to reverberate today. I … [Read more...] about Reflecting on the Lock-Out