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Mark Axelrod

Portrait of an Irish Artist: Louis le Brocquy

By Mark Axelrod, Contributor
June / July 2011

July 1, 2011 by 1 Comment

A 20th century master. Louis le Brocquy, one of the most important and influential Irish artists of the last century, died at age 95 in his family home on April 25th, 2012. The following is a feature from the June/July 2011 issue of Irish America on his incredible life and legacy. After seven decades of painting, Louis le Brocquy has clearly established himself as one of the … [Read more...] about Portrait of an Irish Artist: Louis le Brocquy

Salsa Verde: The Irish in Chile

By Mark Axelrod, Contributor
April / May 2010

April 1, 2010 by 1 Comment

I have been visiting Chile since 1991 and had learned quite a bit about Bernardo O’Higgins, who had a most significant impact on the politics and culture of Latin America and on Chile in particular. Bernado O’Higgins’ father, Ambrose O’Higgins, born in Ballynary, County Sligo, served the Spanish Imperial Service as an engineer. He  went on to serve as Governor of Chile and … [Read more...] about Salsa Verde: The Irish in Chile

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May 10, 1869

The Transcontinental Railroad was completed. The first spikes were driven in 1863 during the Civil War, and over the following 6 year period, over 2,000 miles of track was laid entirely by hand over rugged terrain including the Sierra Nevada mountains. The Central Pacific Company built East from Sacramento, while the Union Pacific built West from Omaha, Nebraska. Both teams tried to beat the other’s record for track laying. The Central Pacific concocted a plan to lay 10 miles in a day. Eight Irish tracklayers put down 3,520 rails, while other workers laid 25,800 ties and drove 28,160 spikes in a single day. On May 10, 1869, at Promontory Summit, Utah, a golden spike was hammered into the final tie.

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