Irish America

Ray Cavanaugh

Arthur O’Shaughnessy: Reluctant Herpetologist, Ardent “Music Maker”

By Ray Cavanaugh

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He is best known for one part of one poem he published in 1873. Arthur O’Shaughnessy’s “Ode” (which is also referred to by its opening line, “We are the music makers”) actually consists of nine stanzas, but the first three stanzas are the ones of enduring popularity; the rest of the poem, in fact, is typically omitted when appearing in anthologies. But the three opening … [Read more...] about Arthur O’Shaughnessy: Reluctant Herpetologist, Ardent “Music Maker”

Dion Boucicault: Drama and Melodrama in Both Art and Life

Ray Cavanaugh
IA Newsletter December 18, 2021

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For someone whose New York Times obituary described him as the 19th century's “most conspicuous” English-language dramatist, Dion Boucicault all but vanished in subsequent eras. During his career, though, his plays were sometimes wildly successful, and he also made an impact in the domain of copyright laws for dramatists. At the same time, he was liable to make unwise … [Read more...] about Dion Boucicault: Drama and Melodrama in Both Art and Life

Daniel Shays and the 1786 Protest Against Economic and Civil Rights Injustices

By Ray Cavanaugh

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Though it was far from successful, Shays' Rebellion – which spanned several months during the latter part of 1786 and early 1787 – certainly captured everyone's attention. Some, such as Thomas Jefferson, felt that “a little rebellion now and then is a good thing.” But others, such as George Washington, considered it a serious threat to the stability of a nascent … [Read more...] about Daniel Shays and the 1786 Protest Against Economic and Civil Rights Injustices

John McCarthy: The Father of Artificial Intelligence

By Ray Cavanaugh
Summer 2021

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Artificial intelligence is impacting the future of virtually every industry and every human being, and we owe it all to an Irishman named McCarthy. Few phrases evoke the rapid hi-tech acceleration of our era like “artificial intelligence” (also known by the somewhat less-threatening acronym of “AI”). Until very recently, this world, for better or worse, was ours. But, … [Read more...] about John McCarthy: The Father of Artificial Intelligence

Window on the Past

The Irish Bambino

By Ray Cavanaugh, Contributor
March / April 2020

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In late 1990s baseball, home runs were everywhere. The balls were allegedly juiced. The sluggers were definitely juiced. Players who had been lanky rookies would later display cartoon-sized muscles, thanks to a regimen of syringes in the posterior. Even hitters of mediocre power were expected to belt 15 home runs per season. About one century earlier, however, 15 round-trippers … [Read more...] about Window on the Past

The Irish Bambino