Irish America

Irish America

Niall O'Dowd

The President’s Beloved Irish housekeeper
and Washington’s Kindness

By Niall O'Dowd

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Elizabeth Thompson is one of the most intriguing Irish characters who traveled alongside George Washington during and after the Revolutionary War. She was the elderly head of his household and oversaw about two dozen staff for five years during the war, constantly moving with the commander-in-chief as he frequently changed residences to keep the British off his trail. Little is … [Read more...] about The President’s Beloved Irish housekeeper
and Washington’s Kindness

Rebel With A Cause

October 2, 2021 Newsletter

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In a rare television interview from 1983, Michael Flannery speaks with Niall O'Dowd for a PBS show based in San Francisco called Irish Magazine. Michael Flannery fought in the Irish War of Independence. He joined the volunteers when he was 14 years of age. “I was as tall then as I am now, and no one asked,” Flannery says in this interview with Niall O’Dowd taped in … [Read more...] about Rebel With A Cause

35 Years: 1985-2020

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Looking back at Irish America’s premier issue we see that it set the tone for what was to come: a thorough investigation into what it means to be Irish American. Thirty-five years later, we are still answering that question and still pondering the answers. Enjoy these quotes compiled over 35 years. -The Irish America Team 1986 Tip O'Neill “Growing up as a youngster in … [Read more...] about 35 Years: 1985-2020

The First Word: 35 Years of Irish America

By Niall O'Dowd
December/ January 2021

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As we celebrate our 35th year we are  indeed thankful to still be publishing despite the catastrophic impact of COVID-19 on the media business and indeed, almost every other business as well. We have you, the patient reader, and you the supportive Irish American business world, to thank for keeping our publication marching forward, looking ahead and miraculously … [Read more...] about The First Word: 35 Years of Irish America

The Man Who Will be President

By Niall O'Dowd
December/ January 2021

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Niall O’Dowd writes of the authentic nature of the soon to be president. The first time I met Joe Biden was in 1987 when he was a young senator considering his first presidential run, and Irish America was a new publication. He was a subscriber to the magazine, and he readily agreed to an in-person interview. We sat down in his office in Washington, D.C., and what … [Read more...] about The Man Who Will be President