Among the most noteworthy Irish expatriates reposing in Green-Wood are Matilda Tone, widow of United Irishmen leader Wolfe Tone, and their son William Theobald Wolfe Tone. William is buried with his wife, Catherine Sampson Tone, and in the plot right next to the Tones lie her parents: the controversial civil rights attorney William Sampson and his wife, Grace. The Green-Wood … [Read more...] about Heroes and Rogues: The Irish of Green-Wood Cemetery
The Irish in America
The Irish Rebuilding the Rockaways
The devastation of the Rockaways has been well-documented in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. In many stories in local papers and international news, Irish Americans featured large. In spite of the destruction, the message they sent was one of determination to rebuild. And lending a hand in the rebuilding effort are many Irish immigrants. The Locals There’s James Brennan, one of … [Read more...] about The Irish Rebuilding the Rockaways
Ed Burns’ Family Christmas
The Hollywood actor, director, writer and producer returns to his Irish roots with his latest movie. By Tom Deignan. First things first: Actor and filmmaker Ed Burns is well known as a Long Island native, and when we spoke about his latest film, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, it had been only two weeks since Hurricane Sandy upended lives across New York and New Jersey. “My … [Read more...] about Ed Burns’ Family Christmas
The Silver Kings
The Comstock Lode in Nevada, uncovered in 1859 by two Irish laborers, ultimately produced more than $500 million worth of silver, a large share of which went to the Irish-American “Big Four” – James Fair, James C. Flood, John Mackay, and William O’Brien – who had left New York for the bigger opportunities of the Far West. Dr. Roger D. McGrath tells their story. Grinding … [Read more...] about The Silver Kings
The Irish Coppers
The evolution of the Irish-American policeman – in real life and on screen. In the classic 1954 Looney Tunes cartoon entitled “Bugs and Thugs,” everybody’s favorite animated rabbit gets himself caught up with Rocky and Mugsy, a couple of bank robbers who flee the scene of the crime and head off to a rural safe house. Soon enough, Bugs Bunny fakes the sound of a police siren … [Read more...] about The Irish Coppers