Irish America

Irish America

Wild Irish Women

Wild Irish Women | Maeve Brennan: Talk of The Town

By Rosemary Rogers

Winter 2025

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Maeve Brennan (1917-1993), the Dublin-born writer has been described as “Irish literature’s best kept secret,” was as striking in appearance as she was in talent – beautiful, chic and effortlessly witty. From 1949 to 1981, Maeve was a staff writer for arguably the greatest literary magazine in the world, The New Yorker.  Yet like so many brilliant writers and artists, Maeve was … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Women | Maeve Brennan: Talk of The Town

Kate Gleason: A Century Ahead of Her Time 

By Ray Cavanaugh


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Even in recent decades, women engineers have at times felt like they're trying to make it in an “old boy's club.” But back in the era of Kate Gleason, a woman with engineering knowledge was remarkably rare. Gleason was born in Rochester, New York, on Nov. 24, 1865. According to findagrave.com, her father, William Gleason, was from Tipperary, and her mother, Ellen Gleason née … [Read more...] about Kate Gleason: A Century Ahead of Her Time 

Wild Irish Women | Nell McCafferty

By Rosemary Rogers

Fall 2025

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"You never knew what she would say next." Though she stood just under 4’11”, Nell McCafferty was larger than life. She was a fierce Derry Girl, activist, journalist, author, broadcaster, feminist, socialist, storyteller, lesbian, and much more. Nell was a force in the secularization and transformation of Ireland, fighting to make her country take its place in the modern … [Read more...] about Wild Irish Women | Nell McCafferty

Mairéad Farrell: A Fanatic Heart

By Rosemary Rogers

Winter 2024

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On March 6, 1988, in the shadow of the rock of Gibraltar, British Special Air Services (SAS) gathered behind IRA members Sean Savage, Daniel McCann, and Mairéad Farrell as they were ascending the rock. When the three victims, all unarmed, turned around, saw the soldiers, and saw their guns, they put their hands up, the universal signal of surrender and “for the love of God, … [Read more...] about Mairéad Farrell: A Fanatic Heart

The Life And Adventures of Kit Cavanagh

By Rosemary Rogers

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How the search for her missing husband turned this Irish wife and mother into a daring and dauntless soldier. She was born Christian Cavanagh in 1667, although throughout her life, she changed names and identities with particular zest. Known mostly as Kit Cavanagh or Christopher Welsh, she dabbled in surnames that included Welch, Welsh, Jones, Davies, and oddly, Mother … [Read more...] about The Life And Adventures of Kit Cavanagh