Current exhibitions celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. The Return of the 69th On July 27, 1861, crowds massed along New York Harbor to welcome home New York’s 69th (Irish) Regiment returned from the First Battle of Bull Run. Though the battle was lost on the Union side, the regiment served with valor, despite the capture of Col. Michael Corcoran by the … [Read more...] about The Civil War Experience on Show
History
Blazing the Trail to Ireland: The Kalem Film Company
At the dawn of American cinema, when most film companies were already heading west to Hollywood, one company traveled east – to Ireland. The little-known story of the Kalem Company, or “The O’Kalems,” as they were fondly called, is the subject of a new collection from the Irish Film Archive. A steam engine chugs into a small railway station in Ireland and a handsome, … [Read more...] about Blazing the Trail to Ireland: The Kalem Film Company
Roots: The Ford Family
The Ford family name has several possible origins. Its Anglo-Saxon roots can be traced back to Devonshire, where the name derived from the topographical term “ford,” meaning “a shallow place where water can be crossed.” However, this term originally comes from the Norse “fjord,” meaning a narrow inlet of sea. Therefore, the Ford family name is also thought to be Viking in … [Read more...] about Roots: The Ford Family
Review of Books
Recently published books of Irish and Irish-American interest. Recommended Chango’s Beads and Two-Tone Shoes Thirty-six years after publishing Legs, the first book in his acclaimed Albany Cycle, William Kennedy, 83, has added an eighth book to his dedicated rendering of his home town. Chango’s Beads and Two-Tone Shoes tells the story of Daniel Quinn, another son of Albany, … [Read more...] about Review of Books
Uncovering Irish History in Lowell, MA and Northern Ireland
The Irish-American Heritage Archeological Program discovers Irish artifacts in Lowell, MA and Cosson, Co. Tyrone. Students and archeological experts from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and Queen’s University, Belfast recently completed phase two of a four year archeological dig in the Massachusetts town, and expanded the project to include a site in Co. Tyrone, … [Read more...] about Uncovering Irish History in Lowell, MA and Northern Ireland