Irish America

Irish America

Weekly Comment

How Irish Was the Titanic?

By Julia Brodsky, Editorial Assistant
April 8, 2016

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This week marks the 114th anniversary of the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912. With the ship’s final port in Europe in Cobh, Ireland (then called Queenstown,) one does not have to dive too far into the story of the R.M.S. Titanic to find Irish connections. The ship was designed and built by the Belfast industrial company, Harland and … [Read more...] about How Irish Was the Titanic?

Weekly Comment:
Irish Genealogy Just
Got a Lot Easier

By Megan Smolenyak, Contributor
March 1, 2016

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Last July, the National Library of Ireland went live with a digitized collection of Irish Catholic parish records from the 1670-1900 time frame, a huge boon for those of Irish heritage. Just one catch. No index. Well, there were a variety of partial indexes scattered here and there on other sites, but no comprehensive one. In an article published in the Oct/Nov 2015 issue of … [Read more...] about Weekly Comment:
Irish Genealogy Just
Got a Lot Easier

Weekly Comment: The Poetry of 1916

By R. Bryan Willits, Editorial Assistant
January 28, 2016

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Glucksman Ireland House, the center for Irish and Irish American Studies at New York University, is hosting an event centered on the poetry of the 1916 Easter Rising written by Irish and Irish-American authors. Titled “‘Her Exiled Children’: Poetry in America and the 1916 Easter Rising,” the event will be hosted by National Book Award-winning author Colum McCann, and features … [Read more...] about Weekly Comment: The Poetry of 1916

Weekly Comment:
What Ted Kennedy & John Sweeney Built On

By Harold Meyerson, The Washington Post
September 4, 2015

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As we celebrate Labor Day and the history of the Irish in the Labor Movement we bring you this commentary piece from our archives. Irish American leaders had a strong influence within and over the labor movement in the U.S., the Democratic Party, and other liberal institutions, Harold Meyerson argues.  ℘℘℘ The death of Ted Kennedy precedes by three weeks the end of John … [Read more...] about Weekly Comment:
What Ted Kennedy & John Sweeney Built On

Weekly Comment: August 1st May Have Changed Ireland Forever

By James J. Lamb
July 31, 2015

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By the turn of the 20th Century, new Irish rebellion movements emerged that inspired a collective longing for national independence. A political party named Sinn Fein fostered by Arthur Griffith advocated for Irish nationhood. But while Griffith and others became the public faces of Irish nationalism, another, more radical group called the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) … [Read more...] about Weekly Comment: August 1st May Have Changed Ireland Forever