tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68267592263896275592024-02-18T21:03:01.502-06:00IrishAmericanJournal.comIrishAmericanJournal.com is an online journal covering the history and culture of the Irish people who became Americans.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-57073251534538670422020-09-08T15:06:00.007-05:002022-06-20T13:08:11.873-05:00Typhoid Mary: The Sad Case of an Asymptomatic Irish Immigrant<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="506" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRUDSHp8R8rinYTnlRk1l1ii5E4MdSDOZMr0AJY4jAKn8ihvfHoyZq4pHSqzcOnsG7Pj1qmLorxbBtIfGRPC1waQzMknOyhA6QApJPXjtPp_LY3TzuIPEuec9teGqrVbpBGcTHezBURg0/w400-h296/Mary_Mallon_in_hospital+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Typhoid Mary in front row" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Typhoid Mary" Mary Mallon<br />in the front hospital bed (Wikipedia)<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>By Adrian McGrath</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>Dangerous diseases are in the news nowadays. People isolate, take many precautions, and sadly some get sick and even die. Others go into quarantine.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><b>A similar, though much smaller scale, medical scare happened a century ago in New York. It has parallels to today, and it was important also because of the asymptomatic nature of the case. It involved an Irish immigrant.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><b>
She came from Cookstown, County Tyrone, in the north of Ireland. Born in 1869 she came to America when in her early teens in 1884. It is probable she had typhoid from birth as her mother had the infection when pregnant. </b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Her name was Mary Mallon, and she lived at first with her aunt and uncle. Later she worked in the New York City area as a maid until she developed into a cook. Her career advanced as she worked as a house cook for wealthy families.</b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>But there was a problem. At the homes of the well-to-do where she worked, people kept getting sick. Eventually, it is believed that she infected more than 50 people. Three of these unfortunate souls died from the illness. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Mary Mallon went from job to job, and people kept getting sick. The ill people would have a high fever, stomach pain, head pains, and might become nausiated and vomit. A skin rash might develop. These symptoms might last for weeks and become worse. Pneumonia and intestinal bleeding might also occur. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>The disease was called typhoid fever or typhoid (not to be confused with typhus). The disease was spread by bacteria often resulting from unclean or unsanitary conditions. Simple washing of the hands could have reduced the problem, but medical science in those days did not fully realize this. </b></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgcdbjc9IMWuK8s6eyjGUlYiROzJpWorZgvS0L5EjbU46krnkiIABULCd7siZ4NHPoyL9dxZfrR4Ba6rs2u7-vEu8asvy4XZu-5CM8aYvY6RpzWmoOUVJmfQdrZWXrcDF41AnSJowATs/s758/Mallon-Mary_01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="758" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbgcdbjc9IMWuK8s6eyjGUlYiROzJpWorZgvS0L5EjbU46krnkiIABULCd7siZ4NHPoyL9dxZfrR4Ba6rs2u7-vEu8asvy4XZu-5CM8aYvY6RpzWmoOUVJmfQdrZWXrcDF41AnSJowATs/w400-h316/Mallon-Mary_01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A poster originally from the New York American<br />from 1909 depicting Mary cooking and spreading <br />typhoid fever. (Photo from pbs.org and Wikimedia)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>It is probable, at least at first, that Mary did not realize that she was the source of the problem. She had the disease, but she did not understand it. She was asymptomatic, which meant she carried the illness but had no outward signs of it. She was in fact the very first, diagnosed, asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever in the United States. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Mary was ostensibly healthy, yet inside of her was <i>Salmonella typhi.</i></b></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><b>Eventually the authorities caught up with her and concluded she was the source of the problem. She was quarantined and let go after agreeing to be more hygenic and change her occupation. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>She went from cook to laundry worker. She did this agreeably, but she later changed back to cooking after an injury. Cooking also paid much more than laundry work or being a maid. With her injury and limited job skills, cooking was the work Mary relied on to earn a living.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>However, now she began to work in public places rather than in homes of the rich. She worked in restaurants, hotels, and even at a hospital. She used false names and worked as a cook against health officials' orders.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Then as the illness spread, she was discovered and quarantined again by the authorities. So twice quarantined, her life was a nightmare. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Mary was sent again to a place called North Brother Island in The Bronx in New York. She stayed there for over 25 years in total. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>It was said she had no friends or relatives left to console her, and she found peace only in her religious beliefs. </b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>She died almost alone, except for the medical staff, in 1938. </b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Mary Mallon was cremated. Her ashes are buried at St. Raymond's Cemetery on North Brother Island.</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>The press covered the story and gave her the nickname "Typhoid Mary."</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Typhoid fever was eventually treated with the use of antibiotics which can destroy Salmonella. A British scientist also developed a vaccine in 1896 which was successful.<br /></b><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSl0o8rIMcsmUPQzCYz_G8L-Snt0ek7q-Hy2y5AO7SgT1gsEErTcgQMxmm0w3fFkqbReA53jE7Z2Gg_dZOJb73Zv8X4zw_kTV8Nb7oLvgPw1w43IZTKEMBA9EGIIGMX9BiTOtpSxcXvac/s438/Northbrother.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="438" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSl0o8rIMcsmUPQzCYz_G8L-Snt0ek7q-Hy2y5AO7SgT1gsEErTcgQMxmm0w3fFkqbReA53jE7Z2Gg_dZOJb73Zv8X4zw_kTV8Nb7oLvgPw1w43IZTKEMBA9EGIIGMX9BiTOtpSxcXvac/w400-h353/Northbrother.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">North Brother Island, East River<br />The Bronx, New York<br />(Photo by US Coast Guard and Wikimedia)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASzI0ybNFEO03V0bzRFY-0ylTarxKZ3W0uKNerJs7WjzeDuo5HtLqoCLs6_7RDXyzxeXwWw-6mG2-5eE6B5c4cmM7muEi1T7k-7ChEnosbeMFtN6D3AuYoCEHQjfIQ-JJ4dyuS1mu25A/s470/Victims_of_the_General_Slocum_%25281904%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="470" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiASzI0ybNFEO03V0bzRFY-0ylTarxKZ3W0uKNerJs7WjzeDuo5HtLqoCLs6_7RDXyzxeXwWw-6mG2-5eE6B5c4cmM7muEi1T7k-7ChEnosbeMFtN6D3AuYoCEHQjfIQ-JJ4dyuS1mu25A/w400-h265/Victims_of_the_General_Slocum_%25281904%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="470" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMvhsDiNIXv8YcmEmIfMwFNXfBnxvcb6oJPg0MoztAwFfEBswNf0BAETZa1rgDeYe1ePolQtfzOd6PomM4iF8ARkBHrilVVAXXTVQBZQQ6Jy404-Kjwij4PPfC3uwNM08aO6kHdtZo0n4/w400-h265/Victims_of_the_General_Slocum_%25281904%2529.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">North Brother Island,The Bronx,</div><div style="text-align: center;">New York, 1906 (Wikipedia)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><br /></span></div><div>Sources and further reading: See about North Brother Island</div><div><a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/north-brother-island">https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/north-brother-island</a>; </div><div>See about Mary Mallon at Wikipedia <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Mallon">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Mallon</a>; See photo of North Brother Island at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_and_South_Brother_Islands_(New_York_City)">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_and_South_Brother_Islands_(New_York_City)</a>; Photo of Mary in sick bed <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary_Mallon_(Typhoid_Mary).jpg">https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary_Mallon_(Typhoid_Mary).jpg</a>; More from the National Library of Medicine <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3959940/">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3959940/</a>;</div><div>the poster of Mary is from pbs.org and Wikimedia <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mallon-Mary_01.jpg">https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mallon-Mary_01.jpg</a>; Photo of lighthouse North Brother Island <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northbrother.JPG">https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Northbrother.JPG</a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-51077456134964386822020-07-07T17:39:00.001-05:002020-07-08T11:10:55.753-05:00The Healys: The Many Accomplishments of One Irish African American Family<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Zb3iI4vtcB7AJyRN18PULf_catR9zOtKyLJgTyr8uPv0xhsOBMRi9F506zLNwKQhoLSuVPka9fjs94QLB4hNwDb_cZ9elh0p2RnahUXqeMU-7LOUrFd0UGFkVV7J0w0u9Ax2z5UhzS0/s1600/James_Augustine_Healy%252C_Bishop_of_Portland.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="291" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Zb3iI4vtcB7AJyRN18PULf_catR9zOtKyLJgTyr8uPv0xhsOBMRi9F506zLNwKQhoLSuVPka9fjs94QLB4hNwDb_cZ9elh0p2RnahUXqeMU-7LOUrFd0UGFkVV7J0w0u9Ax2z5UhzS0/s320/James_Augustine_Healy%252C_Bishop_of_Portland.gif" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bishop James Augustine<br />
Healy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
Being Irish Catholic in 19th century America had a great societal disadvantage. There was then a great deal of anti-Irish and anti-Catholic prejudice. Being an enslaved African American then in the South was obviously a terribly oppressed situation. There was no freedom at all. One family suffered in both conditions, and yet made incredible accomplishments. This was the Healy Family of Georgia. Surprisingly, their story is not well known. Yet it should serve as an inspiration to us all.<br />
<br />
Michael Morris Healy was an Irish Catholic immigrant from Roscommon, Ireland. He came to America and became wealthy as a cotton planter in a location near Macon, Georgia. Mary Eliza Smith was Michael's common-law wife. She was a person of mixed White and Black backgrounds; and she had been a slave. There is some uncertainty if she had been freed or remained a slave.<br />
<br />
Under the laws of that time, Mary was considered to be Black. She and Michael had several children. They were considered Black under the law; and the children were also considered to be slaves under the law, assuming the mother was enslaved. Georgia law then prohibited education for all Black children, free or enslaved.<br />
<br />
It was feared that education could lead to independent thinking and even result in a slave revolt.<br />
<br />
Michael, despite the unjust law, intended for his children to be well educated. So, he sent the children to school up North. They were all baptized Catholic.<br />
<br />
There were nine children in all, who lived to be adults. Some went to boarding schools run by the Quakers at first, but later went to Catholic schools.<br />
<br />
All of the five male children except for one graduated from college. Three of the children continued their educations, going to graduate school in Paris, France at Seminaire Saint Sulpice. They were James, Patrick, and Sherwood Healy. Patrick and Sherwood studied further and attained doctorate level degrees.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-N4E45VRcjpwQabdzfcqKJGNJLh-IOpGcVfI7jdx5t2LQ6Sgm_ky1nEcOqDjZCdAtSlwIXgFgzUeMZXhONoahwIfJzYUkZA-irplam2o557OVUjCRpctSTO5vNz31-ZOc-T3qz_gh9M/s1600/800px-IssySaintSulpice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-N4E45VRcjpwQabdzfcqKJGNJLh-IOpGcVfI7jdx5t2LQ6Sgm_ky1nEcOqDjZCdAtSlwIXgFgzUeMZXhONoahwIfJzYUkZA-irplam2o557OVUjCRpctSTO5vNz31-ZOc-T3qz_gh9M/s320/800px-IssySaintSulpice.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seminaire Saint Sulpice in modern times,<br />
near Paris, France, the school where several<br />
Healy sons studied<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IssySaintSulpice.jpg" target="_blank">Photo f</a>rom wikimedia.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The three daughters also were well educated in a Catholic convent in Montreal, Canada. One daughter, Martha, however, left the religious order and married an Irish Catholic immigrant and raised a family.<br />
<br />
Three of the sons became Catholic priests. The three daughters became Catholic nuns.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQoHoSY8kvwhOi-v4wWmF_11F9IYJlG82vUktw_SRxXmbKkM5FoxkbC3G96bi5Q1GjhijfvS4vr0z0DjUWSLlCMLJ_sEE4r1TfdeOgGd20dPFDUfRnK3SwTVuDh-wodqR-i-WseOpDoY/s1600/447px-Patrick_Francis_Healy_solitaire.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="447" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQoHoSY8kvwhOi-v4wWmF_11F9IYJlG82vUktw_SRxXmbKkM5FoxkbC3G96bi5Q1GjhijfvS4vr0z0DjUWSLlCMLJ_sEE4r1TfdeOgGd20dPFDUfRnK3SwTVuDh-wodqR-i-WseOpDoY/s320/447px-Patrick_Francis_Healy_solitaire.jpeg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patrick Francis Healy,<br />
a Jesuit priest, later head<br />
of Georgetown College</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The fifth son, Michael Augustine Healy, who liked adventure and who did not graduate college, joined the United States Revenue Cutter Service. This was the forerunner of the US Coast Guard. He rose to the rank of Captain and did a lot of his service in the wilds of Alaska.<br />
<br />
Michael Augustine Healy became the first African American to take command of a United States ship. Today in his honor the US Coast Guard has a ship called the USCGC Healy. It is an icebreaker and the largest ship in the US Coast Guard.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEU2R0UUSf8DWku_mGXb9GhmRJGjPHTPOpOcCCMNS10uoAdAhOyzdppeqGfMFOXbt4Sj9ePXxhHjHS5-jmJVmiy5fouwnkeMfTJH7WWDBrHeGdjg6xflWb1Cm1iKQeSBj5z0Bps_w-KAE/s1600/800px-USCGC_Healy_%2528WAGB-20%2529_north_of_Alaska.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="800" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEU2R0UUSf8DWku_mGXb9GhmRJGjPHTPOpOcCCMNS10uoAdAhOyzdppeqGfMFOXbt4Sj9ePXxhHjHS5-jmJVmiy5fouwnkeMfTJH7WWDBrHeGdjg6xflWb1Cm1iKQeSBj5z0Bps_w-KAE/s400/800px-USCGC_Healy_%2528WAGB-20%2529_north_of_Alaska.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">United States Coast Guard Cutter, <br />
an icebreaker in north Alaska<br />
USCGC Healy aka WAGB-20<br />
This ship was named after the Healy son,<br />
Michael Augustine Healy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
James Augustine Healy became the first American bishop who was of African American descent. Patrick Francis Healy became the president of the Jesuit school, Georgetown College which later became Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He is also said to be the first American of African descent to earn a PhD. He was a Jesuit priest.<br />
<br />
One of the daughters, who was a nun, became a Mother Superior. In Healy style, she became the first Mother Superior of African descent in the USA.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMM4FR9vYCx0_xBKRMXKJRwqyoActkzp97agzluI7enGqkON3haS0eE9TEo7nDhyB-297tJP_Mm2jD6-S2E0B_D760jknc1cIs5WtF8Vx995rsT5Ghg5eTlPFblyzQhubbGLWvhRzac4/s1600/Healy_Hall_at_Georgetown_University.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="800" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMM4FR9vYCx0_xBKRMXKJRwqyoActkzp97agzluI7enGqkON3haS0eE9TEo7nDhyB-297tJP_Mm2jD6-S2E0B_D760jknc1cIs5WtF8Vx995rsT5Ghg5eTlPFblyzQhubbGLWvhRzac4/s320/Healy_Hall_at_Georgetown_University.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Healy Hall at Georgetown University,<br />
named after the Healy son and Jesuit priest,<br />
Patrick Francis Healy<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Healy_Hall_at_Georgetown_University.jpg" target="_blank">Photo</a> from Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
In sum the nine children were as follows:<br />
<br />
1. James Augustine Healy, became bishop of Portland, Maine<br />
<br />
2. Patrick Francis Healy, PhD, became a Jesuit priest and head of Georgetown College, later called Georgetown University<br />
<br />
3. Alexander Sherwood Healy, earned a doctorate degree and became a priest<br />
<br />
4. Michael Augustine Healy, joined the Revenue Cutter Service, today's US Coast Guard, became a Captain and a USCG cutter is named after him<br />
<br />
5. Eliza Healy, became a Catholic nun and the first African American Mother Superior, was stationed in St. Albans, Vermont<br />
<br />
6. Hugh Healy, graduated from Holy Cross but died at age 21<br />
<br />
7. Martha Healy, entered novitiate but left the nunnery to marry an Irish Catholic immigrant and raise a family<br />
<br />
8. Josephine Amanda Healy, became a Catholic nun with the Religious Hospitallers of Saint Joseph<br />
<br />
9. Eugene Healy, unkown what became of him, his parents dying when he was only two years old. Reportedly, he lived a sad life.<br />
<br />
It is often said that the Healy Family was a "family of firsts," in that they accomplished great things before anyone else.<br />
<br />
They left quite an extraordinary legacy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif9UB0f5l9zdbmBuBx8fxAePqPYXicGIRHmpJ0WQ3BqbKwwQ3yhWAf-ddVYRjBPRwK8fA6Yrl4I4Z-fQBPjElaJ4a3daDF5VXnmhRFS4oL30zw955-jZC6u6ekqj5DsvlA1bzvZRppRRw/s1600/Michael_A._Healy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="455" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif9UB0f5l9zdbmBuBx8fxAePqPYXicGIRHmpJ0WQ3BqbKwwQ3yhWAf-ddVYRjBPRwK8fA6Yrl4I4Z-fQBPjElaJ4a3daDF5VXnmhRFS4oL30zw955-jZC6u6ekqj5DsvlA1bzvZRppRRw/s320/Michael_A._Healy.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Augustine Healy, Captain<br />
in the US Revenue Cutter Service<br />
US Coast Guard<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michael_A._Healy.jpg" target="_blank">Photo</a> from USCG and Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Sources and further reading: Wikipedia <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healy_family" target="_blank">article</a> on "Healy Family"; <a href="http://irishamericanfootnotes.blogspot.com/2012/04/healys-extraordinary-family.html" target="_blank">The Healys: An Extraordinary Family</a> at irishamericanfootnotes.blogspot.com; The <a href="https://www.teachingcatholickids.com/the-healy-family/" target="_blank">Healy Family</a> at teachingcatholickids.com; Irish America, Window on the Past, The <a href="https://irishamerica.com/2017/05/window-on-the-past-the-georgia-healys/" target="_blank">Georgia Healys</a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-6686476242668094472020-01-21T18:02:00.000-06:002020-01-22T00:26:43.038-06:00Abraham Lincoln and The Great Hunger<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2EpE5-Wj3hdRyoRRNrvNFIyl32lk4GCmO1XqOUuZ1i6g175H1W1x2YmHqpp1LQQCNrCiWELee4KKhqcURunlTg8446gVVxFkmHvqihmmfmirqi9UMy9Smu8bHP4AxhdWKMiXP5Jry3Q/s1600/473px-Abraham_Lincoln_by_Nicholas_Shepherd%252C_1846-crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="473" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2EpE5-Wj3hdRyoRRNrvNFIyl32lk4GCmO1XqOUuZ1i6g175H1W1x2YmHqpp1LQQCNrCiWELee4KKhqcURunlTg8446gVVxFkmHvqihmmfmirqi9UMy9Smu8bHP4AxhdWKMiXP5Jry3Q/s320/473px-Abraham_Lincoln_by_Nicholas_Shepherd%252C_1846-crop.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abraham Lincoln, 1846<br />
while a member of the US Congress<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Lincoln_by_Nicholas_Shepherd,_1846-crop.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> Library of Congress, <br />
and Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
The Great Hunger (or as it is called in Irish "An Gorta Mor") killed more than 1,000,000 Irish people and drove another 1,000,000 away from Ireland as emigrants. It began in 1845 with a blight on the potato crop -- the main, if not only, source of food for most Irish. When the potatoes rotted away, the people starved to death or died of related diseases. (See more on this at my story on <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/08/coffin-ships.html" target="_blank">Coffins Ships</a>.)<br />
<br />
There was plenty of other food in British-occupied Ireland then -- fruits, vegetables, grains, seafood, dairy products, and even beef. But this was all controlled by the British who, in most cases, refused to share this food supply with the starving Irish. Indeed, shipments of Irish food were sent under guard by police or British soldiers to England or sold overseas for profit. Meanwhile, the Irish starved to death.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJdxr4kxwJ1UtHrZhEwLP1V8i-nkQNcFxXGrgM_rnH8FqNqEZrnyFID7YVaRBei9fIzFYAMmj7zjdZc2pZEmTqkKIsKLnsM76N2vQ2L_RKS17QMdaiGI3iYdCABA1yf46Qa4KSqlDqdo/s1600/Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony%252C_1847+%25282%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="405" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJdxr4kxwJ1UtHrZhEwLP1V8i-nkQNcFxXGrgM_rnH8FqNqEZrnyFID7YVaRBei9fIzFYAMmj7zjdZc2pZEmTqkKIsKLnsM76N2vQ2L_RKS17QMdaiGI3iYdCABA1yf46Qa4KSqlDqdo/s400/Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony%252C_1847+%25282%2529.jpeg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starving Irish in Skibbereen, Ireland<br />
James Mahoney, Illustrated London News, 1847<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony,_1847.JPG" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
This deliberate starvation was the result of centuries of anti-Irish and anti-Catholic discriminatory laws, ethnic prejudice, and a warped excessive belief in an economic philosophy called laissez faire, which completely overlooked how an economic system should operate in times of crisis. It was tantamount to genocide.<br />
<br />
The British government did intervene at some point, inadequately; and some aid did come from overseas from humanitarians. Notable examples of people who sent money or materiel to help the starving Irish were the Quakers religious organization, the Choctaw Native American Indians, and the Sultan of Turkey.<br />
<br />
The Quakers in Ireland set up giant cauldrons -- called Famine Pots -- and made soup kitchens. Many Quakers even became ill themselves or died from illnesses during their charity work.<br />
<br />
The Sultan of Turkey had an Irish medical doctor on his staff<br />
who encouraged the sultan to help the starving Irish. Consequently, the Sultan sent a message to the Queen of England, Victoria, offering 10,000 Pounds to help in famine relief. The English queen allowed the sultan to donate only 1,000 Pounds, however. Why? Because she donated only 2,000 Pounds herself, and the British queen wanted no one to donate more than she did.<br />
<br />
The Choctaws, a Native American Indian tribe who themselves had been subjected to discrimination, decimation, and abuse donated money gathered from their poverty-stricken people and sent it to aid the Irish. (In the infamous Trail of Tears some years earlier the Choctaws had been forced from their homeland along with other Indian tribes and marched to Oklahoma. Many died along the way.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ipnumhse0unqiwZZKDtJl9r8FzbgNV0XkXBAc30p5O8WLVyYyJ9Ki61jhSTdkUT6_3ZQ_vemVHZvfq92DlPrO1gfybKaons7zZ-NegBWITJNV49Lt2Vu-shR27z7AaF0xLhd87Ak0Fs/s1600/800px-Louisiana_Indians_Walking_Along_a_Bayou.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="800" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ipnumhse0unqiwZZKDtJl9r8FzbgNV0XkXBAc30p5O8WLVyYyJ9Ki61jhSTdkUT6_3ZQ_vemVHZvfq92DlPrO1gfybKaons7zZ-NegBWITJNV49Lt2Vu-shR27z7AaF0xLhd87Ak0Fs/s320/800px-Louisiana_Indians_Walking_Along_a_Bayou.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choctaw Indians in Louisiana, 1847<br />
from Wikimedia Commons based on a painting<br />
in the New Orleans Museum of Art<br />
"Louisiana Indians Walking Along a Bayou"<br />
Public Domain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
But a professor from Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, Cristine Kinealy, made a fairly recent, stunning discovery of another donor to the cause of Irish famine relief. The donor was none-other-than Abraham Lincoln.<br />
<br />
In the late 1840s, Abraham Lincoln was not a well-known figure. He was just a former rail-splitter and farmer turned country-lawyer. Within about 15 years, however, he would become president of the United States and one of the most famous men in American history.<br />
<br />
Professor Kinealy has studied the Irish Great Hunger for many years and has done extensive research. She came across a list of donors in her research and found that a relatively young Abraham Lincoln donated $10, which today would be about $500. Remember, at this time Lincoln was himself an unknown and relatively poor.<br />
<br />
Lincoln donated the money in 1847, known as Black 47 in Ireland because the death toll was highest then. Lincoln had just become a<br />
member of the US House of Representatives.<br />
<br />
The professor was quoted as saying Abraham Lincoln had an affinity towards the Irish and could recite by heart Robert Emmet's speech from the dock. (This was a famous speech by an Irish rebel who was captured and put on trial by the British. Here is a video of Liam Clancy reciting Robert Emmet's famous speech. https://youtu.be/o5Amf1RE0AA )<br />
<br />
<br />
Additionally, Abraham Lincoln had as a favorite poem "The Lament of the Irish Emigrant" by Lady Dufferin, the professor was quoted as saying (See <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Blackwood,_Baroness_Dufferin_and_Claneboye" target="_blank">Helen Salina</a>, aka Lady Dufferin). The words of the poem were turned into a popular song.<br />
<br />
(See the <a href="https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/historian-discovers-abraham-lincoln-donated-to-ireland-during-great-famine-28815183.html" target="_blank">article </a> "Historian Discovers Abraham Lincoln Donated to Ireland during Great Famine" from independent.ie, September 28, 2012. For more on "Lament of the Irish Emigrant" <a href="http://www.evergreentrad.com/the-lament-of-the-irish-emigrant/" target="_blank">see here</a>.)<br />
<br />
Abraham Lincoln is known as perhaps America's greatest president (along with George Washington). Lincoln preserved the Union during the worst time in American history when brother fought brother, and he ended slavery in the United States.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpkGiaFaiMq6W-6le0Ixl5uD4ORNN_UIIgpUBrZ_XJ75gyUmspzjHa0jckCxRq-vIq8uqvSBNyFoWp7PYmA3dI5Cg9aVefIIMJDQFZlh-84PprkGNsnpUO13bJYAWaAsiJ4WRcN7df54/s1600/480px-Abraham_Lincoln_O-77_matte_collodion_print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBpkGiaFaiMq6W-6le0Ixl5uD4ORNN_UIIgpUBrZ_XJ75gyUmspzjHa0jckCxRq-vIq8uqvSBNyFoWp7PYmA3dI5Cg9aVefIIMJDQFZlh-84PprkGNsnpUO13bJYAWaAsiJ4WRcN7df54/s400/480px-Abraham_Lincoln_O-77_matte_collodion_print.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Abraham Lincoln, 1863<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Lincoln_O-77_matte_collodion_print.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Wikimedia Commons<br />
Originally by Alexander Gardner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
But now there is one more reason to admire this great man. He looked beyond his own self and his own land and saw human suffering overseas and tried to stop it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources and further reading: Story about the Turkish Sultan donating, <a href="https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/turkish-sultans-donation-of-food-to-ireland-during-the-famine-the-subject-of-movie-27163200.html" target="_blank">see this</a> ; story about the Choctaws donating, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindred_Spirits_(sculpture)" target="_blank">see this</a> ;<br />
Stories about Lincoln donating see <a href="https://lincolninstitute.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/lincoln-and-the-potato-famine/" target="_blank">this</a>, and<a href="https://www.joe.ie/uncategorized/good-on-ya-abe-american-president-donated-to-great-famine-fund-39956" target="_blank"> this </a>, and <a href="https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/historian-discovers-abraham-lincoln-donated-to-ireland-during-great-famine-28815183.html" target="_blank">this </a>. And see this from The Irish Post https://www.irishpost.com/life-style/abraham-lincoln-donated-money-ireland-great-famine-170674<br />
<br />
Artwork: Skibbereen, here.<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony,_1847.JPG" target="_blank">https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony,_1847.JPG</a>; Lincoln, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Lincoln_by_Nicholas_Shepherd,_1846-crop.jpg" target="_blank">here</a>; Choctaws, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Louisiana_Indians_Walking_Along_a_Bayou.jpg" target="_blank">here</a> ; President Lincoln, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Lincoln_O-77_matte_collodion_print.jpg" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
To see more about "Lament of the Irish Emigrant" see here. <a href="http://www.evergreentrad.com/the-lament-of-the-irish-emigrant/" target="_blank">http://www.evergreentrad.com/the-lament-of-the-irish-emigrant/</a><br />
<br />
See the Robert Emmet speech here https://youtu.be/o5Amf1RE0AA<br />
<br />
For more information about Professor Christine Kinealy, see http://www.drew.edu/history/Faculty/christine-kinealy<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/historian-discovers-abraham-lincoln-donated-to-ireland-during-great-famine-28815183.html" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/historian-discovers-abraham-lincoln-donated-to-ireland-during-great-famine-28815183.html" target="_blank"><br /></a>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-33091023986484080262019-11-18T17:13:00.000-06:002019-11-19T14:37:39.874-06:00Doolough Tragedy: Death by Indifference in 1849<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVcwBl2bQ7rQYMPagNftNUkksMCT7M0WR-zQHG6AIcx3FjOf5YyA44PZNr9dlh48H2-pvxCwZrDtEITaX7k1HU6PeI1r2PndQC1ImhykOeLWS2uzH44QQmjvs5EvFqoAWoYiSAqPo6xk/s1600/Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony%252C_1847+%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="405" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVcwBl2bQ7rQYMPagNftNUkksMCT7M0WR-zQHG6AIcx3FjOf5YyA44PZNr9dlh48H2-pvxCwZrDtEITaX7k1HU6PeI1r2PndQC1ImhykOeLWS2uzH44QQmjvs5EvFqoAWoYiSAqPo6xk/s320/Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony%252C_1847+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish people starving during An Gorta Mor<br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony,_1847.JPG" target="_blank">Wikimedia</a>, originally<br />
from Illustrated London News, 1847<br />
by James Mahony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>By Adrian McGrath</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>There are different ways to kill people. One way is directly, for example, by shooting them with a gun or stabbing them with a sword.</b><br />
<b>But there is another way. The indirect way. Through neglect. Through a lack of human compassion, a lack of caring.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>By refusing to help desperate people who are in deadly circumstances, when it would be very easy to help, is another way of killing. It is debatable whether the indirect way is culpable under law. It is, however, clearly morally reprehensible, by almost any civilized standard.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>This indirect way to death happened in Ireland in 1849 on the rugged road from Louisburgh to the Delphi Hunting Lodge in cold, wet, foul weather.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Certainly there was suffering and dying all over Ireland at this time, during what is called in the Irish language An Gorta Mor, or The Great Hunger -- The Great Irish Famine. This particular case near Doolough Lake is just one small example of this larger horror. But it is a tale that needs to be told and remembered.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>A point needs to be made at first. Although this period from 1845 to about 1850 when 1,000,000 Irish people starved to death or died of related diseases, and another 1,000,000 fled to other countries -- mainly to the United States -- is often called The Great Famine or even the Potato Famine, it was much more than a famine.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcPecDkVE6F6qoVFIBC6c7GZvvDRbgfaPRWXLCUmijguBwlswtghelC_2pzmpCBGh68t6TeS-6QPpQuLwdnMGU_LZMWPztOgUZyg5JSlxy1BbkP4RyKrbXViQt4eQ9rsrQCbp0IoCSvw/s1600/An_Irish_Peasant_Family_Discovering_the_Blight_of_their_Store_by_Daniel_MacDonald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="600" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCcPecDkVE6F6qoVFIBC6c7GZvvDRbgfaPRWXLCUmijguBwlswtghelC_2pzmpCBGh68t6TeS-6QPpQuLwdnMGU_LZMWPztOgUZyg5JSlxy1BbkP4RyKrbXViQt4eQ9rsrQCbp0IoCSvw/s400/An_Irish_Peasant_Family_Discovering_the_Blight_of_their_Store_by_Daniel_MacDonald.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"An Irish Peasant Family Discovering the Blight of Their Store"<br />
The potato blight in Ireland<br />
Original art by Daniel MacDonald, 1847<br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:An_Irish_Peasant_Family_Discovering_the_Blight_of_their_Store_by_Daniel_MacDonald.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>There was plenty of food in Ireland besides potatoes, the main food source for Irish peasants, which began to rot because of a blight in 1845. There were grains, vegetables, fruits, diary products, seafood, and even beef. But this food was controlled by the British overlords who would not share this with the starving Irish. If it was a famine, it was largely a man-made famine.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b> (A case of genocide could be made as well, using the definition of the crime as stated by the </b><br />
<b>United Nations. See t<a href="https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml" target="_blank">his information</a> from the UN website on genocide. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Some of the grounds for genocide --relating to a group, national, ethnical, racial, or religious -- include "killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part ..." </b><br />
<b>See </b><a href="https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml">https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml</a> )<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Indeed, there are cases of large amounts of food stuffs being shipped overseas for sale, under guard by British soldiers or police, while the Irish were deliberately left to starve to death. An opportunistic blight destroyed the potatoes, but the British government allowed the Irish to starve.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>To be fair, there were some efforts at hunger relief by the British government; but these were grossly inadequate. Some have argued this is evidence that the mass starvation, exiles, and deaths were not deliberate, but only the result of government ineptitude. Some aid, likewise, was sent by foreign countries which helped but not enough. (Please see my earlier article on <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/08/coffin-ships.html" target="_blank">Coffin Ships and the Great Hunger.</a>)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It should be obvious, however, that if a nation like Great Britain had the skill and resources to ship its soldiers and military equipment all over the planet to create and maintain an empire, it should have been able to send food to starving people who lived next door in Ireland, and who were actually then subjects of the British Empire.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Doolough Tragedy: A Death March</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>In County Mayo in Connacht (also spelled Connaught) on the west coast of Ireland on March 30, 1849, two government inspectors arrived in the town of Louisburgh on a mission. They came under the auspices of the Poor Law Union to see if the Irish people in that area really needed government assistance.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQBqlTtjgGdJucYGHH12vGo49K5x_i80jDy3BpHLO7ip19K5L98rS5bys3wWXrM5xu5Es0OYPP-kJd9hAGzBfR35hA1vFgqQnExQ6zdxVtd_hS2P0916OBDUecd842JGzH31WLheV8tk/s1600/800px-DooLough_Pass_Road_-_BenCreggan_-_Delphi_Pass.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQBqlTtjgGdJucYGHH12vGo49K5x_i80jDy3BpHLO7ip19K5L98rS5bys3wWXrM5xu5Es0OYPP-kJd9hAGzBfR35hA1vFgqQnExQ6zdxVtd_hS2P0916OBDUecd842JGzH31WLheV8tk/s400/800px-DooLough_Pass_Road_-_BenCreggan_-_Delphi_Pass.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doolough, Mayo, Ireland<br />
Photo from Wikimedia, originally by<br />
Wikimedia Commons Patrice 78500, in public domain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Yes, incredibly, despite the fact that thousands of people were dying of starvation on a regular basis with dead bodies in plain view on the ground all over, the government required verification of true need for bureaucratic reasons.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The inspection did not occur for unclear reasons. So, the two officials went to a place called the Delphi Lodge, a hunting lodge belonging to the Marquess of Sligo. This was about 12 miles away. There they could spend the night and perhaps get a bite to eat.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Meanwhile, the Irish people who went to Louisburgh for the inspection and to get food were told to go to the Delphi Lodge. If they did not appear in person, they could be removed from the list of people eligible for relief.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Under the circumstances they were in -- destitute, cold, starving, many seriously ill -- a forced march of 12 miles over rough terrain or bad roads in cold and wet weather was enough to kill them.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>And that is exactly what it did. The Irish people had to arrive by 7 o'clock in the morning to get assistance. So, through the night hundreds of starving people walked 12 miles in miserable, cold weather to the Delphi Lodge.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>How many died along the way? We are not sure. One report said that seven dead bodies were found along the roadside later on. Some of the bodies were of women and children. Other reports said some people were later unaccounted for -- most likely they perished as well in the night and were lost in the countryside.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Exactly how many died was never determined, but clearly all of them suffered both physically and mentally.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The area of Doolough Lake between Louisburgh and the Delphi Lodge, in short, became a place of agony and death. (By the way, the odd, French-sounding name of Louisburgh was given to the town by the British because of the British victory over the French in the battle of the French town Louisburgh in Canada during the French and Indian War.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Reportedly, when the starving people arrived at the Delphi Lodge, they were told the government officials could not be disturbed as they were having lunch. Finally, they did meet with the officials who told them to just go away, the officials could not help them. More of the desperate people died on their way back from whence they came.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Perhaps this tale has evolved over time. We are not exactly certain of all the events. It has become almost a legend. We do know that, essentially, these starving and desperate Irish people got no help at all, and that many of them died from the experience while all of them gravely suffered.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The event itself has different names and is also known as the Doolough Famine Walk of 1849. (See this story from <a href="https://www.irishcentral.com/news/a-walk-through-history-the-horrific-tale-of-a-mayo-villages-death-during-the-great-famine-149813955-237444911" target="_blank">Irish Central</a>.)</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyy4IL33jXoH3rc4pKFelF2mULTZomNrncujdYVU3H67RgJVkSP3Q-6gyN9WOfKplGrGY4OGV6BuOVoj37TxqrpKUvD45ynjLJvjmDcIlyt9tblQNrhfDWb_I50KWKVqJhk2QZDDK9c4/s1600/Famine_national_monument_at_Murrisk_-_geograph.org.uk_-_965072+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyy4IL33jXoH3rc4pKFelF2mULTZomNrncujdYVU3H67RgJVkSP3Q-6gyN9WOfKplGrGY4OGV6BuOVoj37TxqrpKUvD45ynjLJvjmDcIlyt9tblQNrhfDWb_I50KWKVqJhk2QZDDK9c4/s320/Famine_national_monument_at_Murrisk_-_geograph.org.uk_-_965072+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Famine National Monument in Murrisk, Ireland<br />
Photo from <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Cimg%20src=%22https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Famine_national_monument_at_Murrisk_-_geograph.org.uk_-_965072.jpg%22%20alt=%22File:Famine%20national%20monument%20at%20Murrisk%20-%20geograph.org.uk%20-%20965072.jpg%22/%3E" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a> Wikimedia,<br />
Original <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Cimg%20src=%22https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/21/Famine_national_monument_at_Murrisk_-_geograph.org.uk_-_965072.jpg%22%20alt=%22File:Famine%20national%20monument%20at%20Murrisk%20-%20geograph.org.uk%20-%20965072.jpg%22/%3E" target="_blank">work </a>by Graham Horn. Murrisk is a few miles from<br />
Louisburgh, Mayo, Ireland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>The original source of information of the walk came from a letter sent to a newspaper called the "Mayo Constitution" from April 10, 1849. The letter told the tale of these horrible events.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The horrors these poor people endured have not been forgotten, however. In modern day Ireland there is an annual march called the Famine Walk near Doolough Lake in memory of those who suffered and died.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Famine Walk also brings attention to unfortunate people around the globe who suffer from similar injustice or oppression. (See this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VChSQ2h6n4&t=95s" target="_blank">youtube.com video</a> about the Famine Walk.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Famine Walk is supported by a human rights organization from Ireland called AFRI which stands for Action From Ireland. (See their <a href="https://www.afri.ie/" target="_blank">website</a>.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Many notable people have joined in this Famine Walk commemoration over the years including the world-renowned</b><br />
<b>Archbishop Desmond Tuto of South Africa.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFYmjilwfN7dalAQXhyphenhyphenfzXqJUMBXRvKpdxQzS5YninIKoKG5gyBy_Cuc0PUlCVa8SsHLmwYhqsG5qY7ws1uyfGFQ7s31fNIz_LfuRmpXufpyOAkelGLFQZFbCQshv62weUkShiVsJs8Q/s1600/800px-South_African_Anglican_Archbishop_Desmond_Tutu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="800" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqFYmjilwfN7dalAQXhyphenhyphenfzXqJUMBXRvKpdxQzS5YninIKoKG5gyBy_Cuc0PUlCVa8SsHLmwYhqsG5qY7ws1uyfGFQ7s31fNIz_LfuRmpXufpyOAkelGLFQZFbCQshv62weUkShiVsJs8Q/s200/800px-South_African_Anglican_Archbishop_Desmond_Tutu.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Archbishop Desmond Tutu<br />
appeared at the Irish Famine Walk<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:South_African_Anglican_Archbishop_Desmond_Tutu.jpg" target="_blank">Photo </a>from US Government and<br />
Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Sources:</b><br />
<b> Wikipedia.com article on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doolough_Tragedy" target="_blank">Doolough Tragedy</a>; Video at youtube.com on the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VChSQ2h6n4&t=105s" target="_blank">Famine Walk</a>; Irish Central <a href="https://www.irishcentral.com/news/a-walk-through-history-the-horrific-tale-of-a-mayo-villages-death-during-the-great-famine-149813955-237444911" target="_blank">article</a> on the tragedy. See also the United Nations information on genocide </b><a href="https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml">https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/genocide.shtml</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VChSQ2h6n4&t=105s" target="_blank"><br /></a>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-81247738320556666102019-10-15T15:26:00.001-05:002019-10-15T17:31:23.285-05:00Dracula was Irish<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WLlqFUcYQMvE99mQzpI_NJ5pPELawDTbbcLuycs8GPlaUAce8MgfFn7TLinzHJZm0s-wg9YGomrGEGOB9n8CMwKBNWAuAovtvPBryCwXvcWDzu-Wr80SBSXplhi6mh5NNyIqeo7RSso/s1600/460px-Bela_Lugosi_as_Dracula%252C_anonymous_photograph_from_1931%252C_Universal_Studios.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="460" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WLlqFUcYQMvE99mQzpI_NJ5pPELawDTbbcLuycs8GPlaUAce8MgfFn7TLinzHJZm0s-wg9YGomrGEGOB9n8CMwKBNWAuAovtvPBryCwXvcWDzu-Wr80SBSXplhi6mh5NNyIqeo7RSso/s320/460px-Bela_Lugosi_as_Dracula%252C_anonymous_photograph_from_1931%252C_Universal_Studios.jpg" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Count Dracula as portrayed by<br />
Bela Lugosi in the classic 1931 film<br />
"Dracula" Photo Wikimedia Commons<br />
And Universal Studios </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>By Adrian McGrath</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b> The scene is set near the Carpathian Mountains in the Balkans in southeast Europe near present-day Romania. There in a remote region known as Transylvania (which means "across the forest") lived Count Dracula. It is an ancient land of peasants and nobles ... and superstition, folklore, and ... vampires.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvEGBfJu0RvZ0HG0PV3DeFdGn8k1gEWeXu_dDlzdJPb_mGC1TWeLTFgo04WNSdl4FZUH9NLCQP-lfwv4yw5Rz2rJJEoIGEmVuCjQKqCerB9FfXQ9df4WsQwNv942nSVfLUHdwxBnhwU4/s1600/800px-Lanzedelli_-_T%25C3%25A2rg_%25C3%25AEn_Transilvania_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="800" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvEGBfJu0RvZ0HG0PV3DeFdGn8k1gEWeXu_dDlzdJPb_mGC1TWeLTFgo04WNSdl4FZUH9NLCQP-lfwv4yw5Rz2rJJEoIGEmVuCjQKqCerB9FfXQ9df4WsQwNv942nSVfLUHdwxBnhwU4/s320/800px-Lanzedelli_-_T%25C3%25A2rg_%25C3%25AEn_Transilvania_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A market in Transylvania circa 1818<br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lanzedelli_-_T%C3%A2rg_%C3%AEn_Transilvania_3.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>We are familiar with the famous 1931 film starring Bela Lugosi, a Hungarian actor who spoke perfect English, as a refined aristocrat should, but with a slight Hungarian accent. Dracula too is a product of this ancient land. </b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dlziAvwzpNoR9fnJVoR9XXOjpDM1Ty0EGssL4Hj7EsCgDdBeCUq0PsNY4ktsrWo9tXl7vM2zT9cy-bHY-OiiyC1sJ2AxODL_4YhfH4Cwt5JasBlDRtPE_sTJiKr-6iRgC4xvfhSjq90/s1600/Impaled.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="398" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4dlziAvwzpNoR9fnJVoR9XXOjpDM1Ty0EGssL4Hj7EsCgDdBeCUq0PsNY4ktsrWo9tXl7vM2zT9cy-bHY-OiiyC1sJ2AxODL_4YhfH4Cwt5JasBlDRtPE_sTJiKr-6iRgC4xvfhSjq90/s400/Impaled.gif" width="396" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vlad Tepes dines as he has his enemies impaled.<br />
This is from a woodcut from 1499 by Markus<br />
Ayrer, from Nuremberg, Germany.<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Impaled.gif" target="_blank">Photo </a>from Wikimedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Some say Dracula (whose name means "the devil") is a fictional character based on a real-life warrior noble named Vlad Dracul. </b><b>He had other names -- Vlad Tepes, Vlad Dracula, and notoriously, </b><b>Vlad the Impaler. He acquired this title by executing the enemies of his homeland in the Balkans by sticking them on long, sharp poles and raising them up to die, as gravity pulled their bodies down on the deadly stakes. </b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcISoWr-1AtcoDWCDObBM0Mynf8HadX2TO164xthLi1GebYKpYgrTNqzXJK1X4NAaKt1ocJfO_Gl-qKVyZ7QZSq3GZKIfmbHKEpsRqi1SDwIYJcZCPmX8GEs5pblytPK-AmMUh63lAb-0/s1600/Vlad_Tepes_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="495" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcISoWr-1AtcoDWCDObBM0Mynf8HadX2TO164xthLi1GebYKpYgrTNqzXJK1X4NAaKt1ocJfO_Gl-qKVyZ7QZSq3GZKIfmbHKEpsRqi1SDwIYJcZCPmX8GEs5pblytPK-AmMUh63lAb-0/s320/Vlad_Tepes_002.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vlad Tepes, Vlad the Impaler<br />
It is said that Count Dracula is<br />
based on this real life leader.<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vlad_Tepes_002.jpg" target="_blank">Photo </a>from Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>In Christendom in the Balkans, Vlad is seen as a hero who freed his homeland from the invading Ottoman Turks. Vlad may have been a hero to some, but he was ruthless with his enemies. And his legend became somehow mixed with a preexisting superstition of vampirism.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Vampires were mythological creatures who supposedly lived by drinking the blood of the living. They were the undead. To ignorant, non-scientific people, a belief in vampires provided an explanation for many ills in their society. For example, if somebody died mysteriously -- perhaps by a disease which ignorant people did not understand -- the people simply explained the death as due to vampire attack.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Many people in Europe and indeed worldwide believed in vampires in one form or another. In fact, Lilith was a sort of vampire as mentioned in the Holy Bible. She was believed to be the first wife of Adam. Belief in vampirism, in one form or another, dates way back to the days of the ancient Sumerians and Babylonians.</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>So now we all know where Dracula came from. He, of course, came from ... Dublin, Ireland.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What?!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Yes, Count Dracula, the Prince of Darkness, came from Ireland. Or to be more precise, Dracula was created in Ireland.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Bram Stoker</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Dracula came from Ireland because he was invented in 1897 by an Irish writer from Dublin, Ireland. The writer was named Bram Stoker. (Bram is short for Abraham.) Stoker created this monster but set his homeland as Transylvania.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJ6mtzz3DjkE4b7JMfk-o-VQDi3yoJNvEQx3k2FprOrGy7yGH-Gdep1Jr1NoaB1j9X_KFSpcBQjSj9COSeF6wg5_qLvkGApnTZjmuJR5iAfzWC64Vy0XBYpep8sRRXDqOw7sfapz8bMA/s1600/464px-Bram_Stoker_1906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="464" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJ6mtzz3DjkE4b7JMfk-o-VQDi3yoJNvEQx3k2FprOrGy7yGH-Gdep1Jr1NoaB1j9X_KFSpcBQjSj9COSeF6wg5_qLvkGApnTZjmuJR5iAfzWC64Vy0XBYpep8sRRXDqOw7sfapz8bMA/s400/464px-Bram_Stoker_1906.jpg" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bram Stoker, 1906<br />
He was born in Dublin and wrote the<br />
legendary novel <i>Dracula</i><br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bram_Stoker_1906.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Stoker lived from 1847 to 1912. Most people do not realize the significance of 1847, but the Irish --or people who study Irish history -- do. The year was called "Black 47." This was the worst year of the five year horror in Ireland known as The Great Famine or An Gorta Mor, The Great Hunger. (See my article on <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/08/coffin-ships.html" target="_blank">The Great Hunger</a> and Coffin Ships.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Yes, the potato crop rotted; but the Irish people starved not because of a lack of potatoes. There was plenty of other food in Ireland, but the British, who then controlled Ireland with British laws and a British police force and a British army, denied other food stuffs to the starving Irish people. In fact the British exported food stuffs to England and overseas to sell for profit while the Irish people died. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC9JDzmTwzwhBniJNzosWlFtK2nOY1-2cUyx8tmgudKYwU7rOcFy2cS9_0idw9T9hVO3CMhA4j3z5lMFcFFWB3E3TSmogU6_XKEHWRF0tC7s-JUotnkZSWWnwgS6XRQmfZn8JbJ-Cc0w/s1600/Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony%252C_1847.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="405" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC9JDzmTwzwhBniJNzosWlFtK2nOY1-2cUyx8tmgudKYwU7rOcFy2cS9_0idw9T9hVO3CMhA4j3z5lMFcFFWB3E3TSmogU6_XKEHWRF0tC7s-JUotnkZSWWnwgS6XRQmfZn8JbJ-Cc0w/s400/Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony%252C_1847.jpeg" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish people starving to death during<br />
An Gorta Mor, Skibbereen, Ireland, 1847.<br />
This was the year called "Black 47"<br />
when Bram Stoker was born in Dublin,<br />
Ireland. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony,_1847.JPG" target="_blank">Photo f</a>rom Wikimedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Bram would have been too young to remember this first hand, but he certainly would have been aware of it as he grew up and became educated. This atmosphere of mass death would have been a profound part of his life.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Bram was born in Clontarf, a neighborhood near Dublin. (A very famous battle between the Irish and the Vikings happened there in 1014 AD, by the way. More death and violence for Bram to absorb into his consciousness.) </b><b>Bram's father, a civil servant, was from Dublin; and his mother was from County Sligo, Ireland. The family was not Catholic, but Protestant, Church of Ireland.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Bram was very sickly in his youth but recovered. He spent much of his time, while other boys played outside or did sports, by thinking and daydreaming and creating ideas -- a solid basis for eventual writing. He went to Trinity College in Dublin and acquired a BA (bachelor's degree) and an MA (master's degree). He was especially interested in history and philosophy.</b><br />
<b>Stoker developed an interest in the theater while studying at Trinity. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>After college Bram worked in the government in civil service, as his father did. Later, Bram combined his theater interest with his writing skills and became a journalist and theater critic, writing for a newspaper. He also wrote a few books when he could.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Stoker married a lady named Florence Balcombe, who was once romantically involved with non-other-than the famous Oscar Wilde. Bram knew Wilde from their days at college. To his credit Bram still remained friends with Wilde even after Oscar fell from grace, was arrested and jailed. Oscar Wilde was unjustly persecuted just for being gay, which was a crime in those days.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Stoker's real claim-to-fame in his lifetime was his work as assistant and manager for the then famous Shakespearean actor Henry Irving and the Lyceum Theater in London. Irving more or less controlled the Lyceum, and he became so well regarded that he was knighted by the British Crown.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhnWCU5VSK5pGyyI9o4LRZr_j04JxHP21ohQEGe9uhFPArOL3HMVLQvd7ua8xWgdbUrLBsjwkqdt3rv-Mnx9HJzgd7nKBLXKMRiWplPgDhaGHP4atQwArVwddZN-CAlux6KNiNk_VkBA/s1600/220px-Henry_Irving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhhnWCU5VSK5pGyyI9o4LRZr_j04JxHP21ohQEGe9uhFPArOL3HMVLQvd7ua8xWgdbUrLBsjwkqdt3rv-Mnx9HJzgd7nKBLXKMRiWplPgDhaGHP4atQwArVwddZN-CAlux6KNiNk_VkBA/s1600/220px-Henry_Irving.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henry Irving, the famous actor,<br />
for whom Bram Stoker worked<br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Henry_Irving_portrait.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Stoker held Irving in great esteem. In many ways Irving was Stoker's tutor and idol. Stoker admired Irving, but he also feared his power. There are historians who believe that Bram based the character of Count Dracula on the commanding personality of Henry Irving. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It was not because Irving was evil in any way, as was Dracula; but it was because Irving was overwhelmingly persuasive, commanding, and powerful as was Dracula, that a connection between the two is seen.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Dracula wanted more than to rule Transylvania by night. He sought to travel to England, then the most powerful country on Earth, and find more blood to drink. There Dracula could acquire even more power.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Bram Stoker wrote the book <i>Dracula</i> as a sideline. Archibald Constable and Company first published the book in 1897 in London, England. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvwNtvhx2nzs2ZvyO15SN3FYRpXeaZQwADg5XYWrDk41uHT5_CowVbP8XFAB5F3pW6uee-cMQwiQyRogFPvfBQTTTYQoNCaAbrKudxmk-LAKS0w9vHLuT10AFAVzVMO-aI-aK7EFvkpo/s1600/Dracula1st.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkvwNtvhx2nzs2ZvyO15SN3FYRpXeaZQwADg5XYWrDk41uHT5_CowVbP8XFAB5F3pW6uee-cMQwiQyRogFPvfBQTTTYQoNCaAbrKudxmk-LAKS0w9vHLuT10AFAVzVMO-aI-aK7EFvkpo/s320/Dracula1st.jpeg" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A copy of the first edition of the<br />
novel by Bram Stoker called<br />
<i>Dracula</i><br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dracula1st.jpeg" target="_blank">Wikimedia</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Despite the impact the concept of Dracula has had on everything from movies to breakfast cereal (Count Chocula), the book did not make Bram Stoker rich. In fact it did not really sell much at all. He got a few good book reviews in the newspapers, comparing him to Edgar Allen Poe and Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein. But that was about it.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Arthur Conan Doyle, another Irish writer and creator of the Sherlock Holmes stories, praised Stoker for his <i>Dracula</i> and even wrote him a complimentary letter.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>A silent German film was made in 1922 called <i>Nosferatu</i>. There was a lawsuit over the legal rights to the idea of the vampire character. This legal dispute and its publicity created a new interest in the book.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Then there was a stage drama based on the book. It was popular in Britain and later in the USA.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>But it was the 1931 Universal film called <i>Dracula</i> starring Bela Lugosi which made Dracula a household name until this very day.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Dracula has become an essential figure for Halloween, even though Halloween actually, originally had nothing to do with vampires. (See m<a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2018/09/halloween-holiday-of-irish-origins.html" target="_blank">y article</a> on Halloween and the Irish.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Today most people think of Count Dracula as a creature of the night roaming the spiderweb-filled halls of Castle Dracula in remote Transylvania or perhaps attempting to seduce privileged English ladies at their estates near London and drink their blood.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>But really ... Dracula was Irish.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-43286292081815980082019-07-18T10:11:00.000-05:002019-07-18T10:11:20.829-05:00When the Irish Flew Around the Moon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYPhSgJtIifkEyi3mP752DlYjJnvGDHMQRX5TgX1YR467RIHzK2N-ho6DnS7NHuw9R8E0WYaDdyYOWx2wVuaJqpPIPQj0gbSA3elzEOOMj5chBMOmoqFGqW-ZcPKuQXJTsYKn1EeT2uk/s1600/480px-Michael_Collins_%2528S69-31742%252C_restoration%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYPhSgJtIifkEyi3mP752DlYjJnvGDHMQRX5TgX1YR467RIHzK2N-ho6DnS7NHuw9R8E0WYaDdyYOWx2wVuaJqpPIPQj0gbSA3elzEOOMj5chBMOmoqFGqW-ZcPKuQXJTsYKn1EeT2uk/s320/480px-Michael_Collins_%2528S69-31742%252C_restoration%2529.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American astronaut, Michael Collins.<br />
Like another Michael Collins, famous in<br />
Irish history as a military leader, the NASA <br />
astronaut is of Irish descent. Photo from the US<br />
Government in public domain, from NASA.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
Once upon a time, the Irish flew around the Moon. Yes, it sounds incredible; but it is true.<br />
<br />
The Irish always seem to show up in the strangest places. And in the summer of 1969, it happened -- 50 years ago this week.<br />
<br />
The American spacecraft Apollo 11 made its historic and spectacular approach to the Moon. Two men would walk on the lunar surface in this mission -- Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Orbiting the Moon alone in the main spacecraft would be Michael Collins, the Command Module pilot.<br />
<br />
Collins was a graduate of the US Military Academy (West Point). He joined the United States Air Force (USAF), flew a Sabre jet (an advanced USAF jet fighter), and became a distinguished test pilot. He then became one of the most select people on planet Earth -- a NASA astronaut. (NASA is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.)<br />
<br />
The story of astronaut Michael Collins, however, goes far back in time to a land far, far away from America. It goes to Ireland.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WpWhLY3PmaIacEe1wvWFVH_cSneXp6NyuvAyn159jjhl67-IZLTf3XWMVfrzKtEqZscOy2sF7AuhyW3NJSELfVscnLutr9CwGWtPnuIOAonz68rYutN-I2HUeVaMg1pP54W8DsZZzno/s1600/emigrants-leave-ireland-by-henry-doyle-1868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WpWhLY3PmaIacEe1wvWFVH_cSneXp6NyuvAyn159jjhl67-IZLTf3XWMVfrzKtEqZscOy2sF7AuhyW3NJSELfVscnLutr9CwGWtPnuIOAonz68rYutN-I2HUeVaMg1pP54W8DsZZzno/s320/emigrants-leave-ireland-by-henry-doyle-1868.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish immigrants going to America<br />
<a href="https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2017/winter/irish-births" target="_blank">Photo</a> from archives.gov, <br />
1868 picture by Henry Doyle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Michael's grandfather was Jeremiah Bernard Collins from Dunmanway, County Cork, Ireland. Jeremiah left Ireland to be with his immigrant Irish relatives in Cincinnati, Ohio around 1860. This was just a few years after the nightmare of the Great Famine or Great Hunger in Ireland. This placed him in America at the time of the bloody American Civil War. This war tore America apart, and it cost the lives of about 700,000 Americans. So, Jeremiah went from one enormous devastation and trauma to another.<br />
<br />
It is possible, though not certain, that the grandfather had been a drummer boy in the Union Army during the war. After the war he worked various odd jobs including working in a cattle drive to Texas to replace some of the animals which had been lost during the war.<br />
<br />
After his work in Texas ended, Jeremiah traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana. There he settled in and worked in the grocery business, being employed for a man named James Lawton. He married the boss's daughter, Kate Lawton.<br />
<br />
Jeremiah and wife eventually moved across the Mississippi River to Algiers, Louisiana (today a part of New Orleans, which, by the way, is my home town) where the trains from the West Coast ended their run. There was no bridge for trains back then across the Mississippi. This made Algiers a key spot for unloading goods to send across the river to the heart of New Orleans.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi769qvNoQ6uWXCw9cM0zhzdFIExCa0OmFE2PJp7LBBiFATTcPu7IoMEIVsyoRQyRrnGXLboDjIQ6j9Fv9MSjbsy1-9lr6_nvUSATt1F3-LCjAc4aXcurCNkM6IqRbjz3fqu0FKDA9OrrY/s1600/466px-New_orleans_1862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="466" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi769qvNoQ6uWXCw9cM0zhzdFIExCa0OmFE2PJp7LBBiFATTcPu7IoMEIVsyoRQyRrnGXLboDjIQ6j9Fv9MSjbsy1-9lr6_nvUSATt1F3-LCjAc4aXcurCNkM6IqRbjz3fqu0FKDA9OrrY/s320/466px-New_orleans_1862.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Orleans during the Civil War,<br />
1862. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_orleans_1862.jpg" target="_blank">Photo </a>from Wikimedia<br />
and Campfires and Battlefields, 1894</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Irish immigrants worked in the New Orleans railroad marshaling yards and also on the river's waterfront. To capitalize on this opportunity, Jeremiah and Kate opened their own general store selling mainly dry goods. They also had the good sense to open a bar in the backroom too, selling lots of beer.<br />
<br />
Jeremiah and Kate had many mouths to feed from their business because they had a very large Irish Catholic family with many children. As their children grew, they worked at the family business too.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oklFi-MAgWA29dbcU9G6jvg1Y9uiD1-Hp_lk_VTQqPAFMytrt_2-W_hyMSAcoRfQmngSqvNKxPGtfyQSyR-CurL950p6wi2AhfNJPnzkMZMvhYnwatL0ctfOWzKlVB03-1GisffoFq0/s1600/500px-James_L_Collins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oklFi-MAgWA29dbcU9G6jvg1Y9uiD1-Hp_lk_VTQqPAFMytrt_2-W_hyMSAcoRfQmngSqvNKxPGtfyQSyR-CurL950p6wi2AhfNJPnzkMZMvhYnwatL0ctfOWzKlVB03-1GisffoFq0/s320/500px-James_L_Collins.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Lawton Collins, a Major General<br />in the United States Army, father of<br />astronaut Michael Collins, and<br />born in Algiers, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1882<br /><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_L_Collins.jpg" target="_blank">Photo</a> by Library of Congress and Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Their first born was named James Lawton Collins. James later became the father of astronaut Michael Collins. James grew and eventually was accepted at Tulane University in New Orleans. But by chance he was also later accepted by West Point, the United States Military Academy.<br />
<br />
So, James went to West Point and became a professional US Army career officer. This is how his son, Michael, became connected to the US military and eventually to NASA.<br />
<br />
So, from exile from impoverished County Cork, Ireland (which was then still suffering from the past horrors of the Great Hunger, 1845 to 1850, where 1,000,000 Irish people starved to death and another 1,000,000 people fled their homeland to permanent exile), to Cincinnati, Ohio and the slaughter of the American Civil War, to the wilds of Texas, and then to New Orleans, the story led to the improbable result of an Irish descendant flying around the Moon.<br />
<br />
Michael Collins, alive and well today, is an American hero. And the Pride of Old Ireland too.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1a8AoDbF_utevDNwXVy1TM_KTsUrkP26KS_VuvvMYxinmLZc1YdubIw7H11U-Nxk-FgwwSy7x4rGqV8XGahovp-A50Rxrb3BM15BxGAO2a-0CMQCyAVwFID8P-3D58ZWNjZ0aCT6HpKI/s1600/Michael_Collins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="994" data-original-width="736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1a8AoDbF_utevDNwXVy1TM_KTsUrkP26KS_VuvvMYxinmLZc1YdubIw7H11U-Nxk-FgwwSy7x4rGqV8XGahovp-A50Rxrb3BM15BxGAO2a-0CMQCyAVwFID8P-3D58ZWNjZ0aCT6HpKI/s320/Michael_Collins.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Collins from Ireland,<br />nicknamed "The Big Fellow,"<br />Irish military leader in the 1920s.<br /><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michael_Collins.jpg" target="_blank">Photo </a>from Wikimedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white;">
By the way, people in Ireland might recognize the name Michael Collins in another sense. Another Michael Collins, a national hero, was an Irish military leader who fought for Irish independence in the Anglo-Irish War of the early 1920s. He was the leader of the Irish Republican Army. </div>
<br />
After the great success of Apollo 11, many Americans began to take Moon missions for granted and space trips even in the Space Shuttle as routine. But that was a grave error.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9sgI3yjM_BScwgFFXj53dcoMVXzhHdmIatEG6phrqSTW_waHixSGcPeuYJsR92Pe6BREcmgQm7iZ03jntSQSkU0cosZAV2CG9rQWpGF56SZozd-fCT-hbSJ4uuewR2DrTjL0eYUvq00/s1600/785px-69-HC-620_-_SA506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="785" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9sgI3yjM_BScwgFFXj53dcoMVXzhHdmIatEG6phrqSTW_waHixSGcPeuYJsR92Pe6BREcmgQm7iZ03jntSQSkU0cosZAV2CG9rQWpGF56SZozd-fCT-hbSJ4uuewR2DrTjL0eYUvq00/s400/785px-69-HC-620_-_SA506.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Saturn V, the rocket ship for Apollo 11.<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:69-HC-620_-_SA506.jpg" target="_blank">Photo</a> from NASA and Wikimedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Ventures into outer space, beyond the atmosphere of Earth, are extremely dangerous. Any number of things can go wrong, and the result can be death. We saw this with the near fatal mission of Apollo 13 and the tragic explosion of the Challenger space shuttle where the entire crew was lost.<br />
<br />
All of us on planet Earth, from what ever country, owe a large debt to the brave men and women who venture into outer space.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaJyPOB3sWwfvl4RqeYNECczlen5hjne_2SEZkzjyAYJEPxWS_q-ERpf6rT1rFKmnlz-FWm65cTCB44-IyWH__Bnm7cId1I7GDyWrRLmNyvCMDj3rXmCOTcBMvqkHm3-HCsL7I6PMfzM/s1600/596px-Aldrin_Apollo_11_original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="596" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaJyPOB3sWwfvl4RqeYNECczlen5hjne_2SEZkzjyAYJEPxWS_q-ERpf6rT1rFKmnlz-FWm65cTCB44-IyWH__Bnm7cId1I7GDyWrRLmNyvCMDj3rXmCOTcBMvqkHm3-HCsL7I6PMfzM/s320/596px-Aldrin_Apollo_11_original.jpg" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buzz Aldrin on the Moon, Apollo 11.<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aldrin_Apollo_11_original.jpg" target="_blank">Photo </a>from NASA, taken by Neil<br />
Armstrong.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
So, you might rightly ask: Why do we take such risks? We should remember the words of another famous Irish American, John F. Kennedy, who told us in his famous "Moon Speech" at Rice University in Houston, TX on September 12, 1962 why we take these tremendous risks, why we dare to leave the safety of our planet and reach for the stars: "We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon ... not because it is easy, but because it is hard." John F. Kennedy, in his brief time in office, steered America in the direction of a New Frontier.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUbTnxWeB79fSvpH1YLsgvDaya5h0W2ahhttEgU6nIaDc65axoUusnnCWgMfmX0_oL2rXifaEBvd7HioB8dTmZ_3q4HpaL2bUMMl-VEKGhRDuCOw0RmCzMILhVwBiltTjI58yuaBwamo/s1600/321px--President_Kennedy_speech_on_the_space_effort_at_Rice_University%252C_September_12%252C_1962.ogv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="321" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzUbTnxWeB79fSvpH1YLsgvDaya5h0W2ahhttEgU6nIaDc65axoUusnnCWgMfmX0_oL2rXifaEBvd7HioB8dTmZ_3q4HpaL2bUMMl-VEKGhRDuCOw0RmCzMILhVwBiltTjI58yuaBwamo/s400/321px--President_Kennedy_speech_on_the_space_effort_at_Rice_University%252C_September_12%252C_1962.ogv.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President John F. Kennedy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, <br />September 12, 1962. "We choose to go to the Moon ..."<br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:President_Kennedy_speech_on_the_space_effort_at_Rice_University,_September_12,_1962.ogv" target="_blank">Photo </a>from NASA and Wikimedia<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So there was Kennedy, and there was Collins. Both American heroes, and descendants of the Irish.<br />
<br />
One descendant of the Irish had the vision to go to the Moon, and the other did the driving.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKoCJZLLFXcHuBxMYjSMdI61MphASaoPg87ofRhFqppviRPQooAUsNR0iKfEX_BPR9rUMLapp3hSXBRfhC2AOIDgpmKoSXto0ytMYKJ5zoHjmx3RwwGf4FgShmOQjcV5Blq5_018x2AM/s1600/763px-Apollo_11_Crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="763" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKoCJZLLFXcHuBxMYjSMdI61MphASaoPg87ofRhFqppviRPQooAUsNR0iKfEX_BPR9rUMLapp3hSXBRfhC2AOIDgpmKoSXto0ytMYKJ5zoHjmx3RwwGf4FgShmOQjcV5Blq5_018x2AM/s400/763px-Apollo_11_Crew.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crew of Apollo 11.<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apollo_11_Crew.jpg" target="_blank">Photo</a> from NASA and Wikimedia </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources and further reading:<br />
<br />
https://www.irishcentral.com/news/irish-emigrant-astronaut-michael-collins<br />
<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11<br />
<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lawton_Collins#Family_and_early_life<br />
<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Collins_(astronaut)#Childhood_and_education<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-65348548960033695762019-04-29T19:35:00.002-05:002019-04-29T19:43:26.018-05:00Colcannon: Make It Easy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-fxF21Gg8a2BtKnuybnZIGx9gloOJz76CNigqvaoSC1Ifz4o4hc8RQK1Yx864K_Qa0ViGldXxrAc-Wb-IfiAH7VoAL5rWvssy27SSCkfsL2iczcihERgi8IDT_9yH6OVNWEXr0AvKXo/s1600/20190429_175216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1377" data-original-width="1600" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-fxF21Gg8a2BtKnuybnZIGx9gloOJz76CNigqvaoSC1Ifz4o4hc8RQK1Yx864K_Qa0ViGldXxrAc-Wb-IfiAH7VoAL5rWvssy27SSCkfsL2iczcihERgi8IDT_9yH6OVNWEXr0AvKXo/s320/20190429_175216.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colcannon, the easy way. With Cole Slaw, butter,<br />
Green onions, turkey bacon, instant potatoes, and milk.<br />
Photo by A. McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
I have never made Colcannon before. I have made Champ, which is similar and which I like very much. But I never made Colcannon. So, I decided to make some; but I wanted it now and did not want a lot of cooking and effort.<br />
<br />
So, I devised this shortcut version. If you want a traditional Colcannon and have a lot of time on your hands, go somewhere else. But if you want a quick and easy Colcannon which still resembles real Colcannon pretty much and does indeed taste great, you have come to the right place.<br />
<br />
Here is how I made it. You can vary it as you choose, and you will have a nice meal.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qufIxygSVKKgMfcURUFrv0xnrPRmNGNucEYKsbA5apmWQbdUFCPKxkg9R-fJFcz0oGs2aEawjcgVSx1ibI0RSeTP7g2UJJlKq2JPgyBDdva-wtG56v7UYyu_odgQcMeqUDvOL3Wc-Vk/s1600/20190429_172051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qufIxygSVKKgMfcURUFrv0xnrPRmNGNucEYKsbA5apmWQbdUFCPKxkg9R-fJFcz0oGs2aEawjcgVSx1ibI0RSeTP7g2UJJlKq2JPgyBDdva-wtG56v7UYyu_odgQcMeqUDvOL3Wc-Vk/s320/20190429_172051.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My main ingredients for easy Colcannon --<br />
Instant potatoes, Cole Slaw, green onions,<br />
Turkey bacon, canned milk, butter or margerine.<br />
Photo by A. McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
You need 1. Instant potatoes, 2. Canned milk, 3. A premixed Cole Slaw without any dressing or mayonnaise on it (just shredded cabbage and carrots, etc), 4. Green onions or scallions, 5. Bacon (I used turkey bacon, but use whatever type you want), 6. Salt, pepper, and a pinch of brown sugar.<br />
<br />
In a big pot (I used a Chinese Wok) add some olive oil and saute the bacon after chopping it up a bit. When cooked, add the Cole Slaw or shredded cabbage. Saute until soft. Add a pinch of brown sugar and salt and pepper.<br />
<br />
In a separate bowl, mix the instant potatoes to instructions plus add milk. I used canned milk. Add the sliced green onions to the potatoes and mix.<br />
<br />
Now mix the pototoes with the bacon and cabbage mix. If not still hot, put it in a microwave.<br />
<br />
Mix it all up and put it in a big bowl. Make a hollow in the middle of the Colcannon mix and pour in some melted butter.<br />
<br />
And that is it. It is done. <br />
<br />
It is quick, easy, inexpensive, tasty, and filling. It is probably pretty nutritious too.<br />
<br />
Some recipes for Colcannon use leeks instead of cabbage. So, you can try that too.<br />
<br />
Sources and further reading:<br />
Irish Cooking by Ruth Bauder Kershner.<br />
Weathervane Books, 1979.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-22480764901268538202019-03-11T22:20:00.000-05:002019-03-11T22:40:57.952-05:00The Concertina and Irish Music<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0t7MhUzJTvZ6wObdUTEn63viIvBybLUmxjQk8TzPbvIrJMGOfXmQSIPUlNn6y1VyN3UL6Or1Akn5-DnbYECOHuOd7KcehXwwRvGv7p2ROi8Rkb0U-qZm0UxONxqQcm_Vv3AmdNLHpZU/s1600/20190311_200347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1395" data-original-width="1600" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0t7MhUzJTvZ6wObdUTEn63viIvBybLUmxjQk8TzPbvIrJMGOfXmQSIPUlNn6y1VyN3UL6Or1Akn5-DnbYECOHuOd7KcehXwwRvGv7p2ROi8Rkb0U-qZm0UxONxqQcm_Vv3AmdNLHpZU/s200/20190311_200347.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My very own Anglo- German <br />
concertina from a music shop<br />
in Dublin, Ireland, given <br />
to me by a good friend</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
You might have seen a classic film which had old time sailing ships in it, a film like <i>Mutiny on the Bounty</i> or <i>Moby Dick</i>. Among the various items on board these ships -- along with sails and lines, capstans, anchors, bad food, and many salty sailors -- you might have seen a musical instrument.<br />
<br />
It could have been a fiddle, a fife, a tin whistle, an accordion, or one of those strange little squeezebox things that a seafaring musician swings around. That little squeezebox thing is called a concertina.<br />
<br />
The concertina was a great instrument for seaborne musicians because unlike the accordion, they were compact and easy to carry and stow away. And there was very limited space on most sailing ships.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb16y0sr0tFGkCwpuN7TUeQm5_8HUMDaMG4BRPG8WpMDHNZ0PiUPIfiSNr_GCF3vwpP-XRaUOPUYpEvkhYjX2SiqMY4cASMUmCrmzgZ84-MfGXTbuOJm_i4wxYZ_UtqH3im-Adm-1HlOM/s1600/800px-Cook-whaling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="800" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb16y0sr0tFGkCwpuN7TUeQm5_8HUMDaMG4BRPG8WpMDHNZ0PiUPIfiSNr_GCF3vwpP-XRaUOPUYpEvkhYjX2SiqMY4cASMUmCrmzgZ84-MfGXTbuOJm_i4wxYZ_UtqH3im-Adm-1HlOM/s320/800px-Cook-whaling.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailing ships in olden days, hunting the whale.<br />
Concertinas would likely have been on board<br />
after the 1830s. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cook-whaling.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Wikimedia Commons. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Unlike the fiddle, the concertina is self-contained, not needing extra strings and rosin, etc. And it sounds louder than a fiddle. Unlike the fife it has more versatility and more power. All in all, the concertina was a great instrument for the romantic days of sail.<br />
<br />
Music was a boost to a sailor's morale and was helpful even when doing work. Sea shanties, for example, were played or sung when the crew would haul in lines and weigh anchor.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGmX8S5n0dUkOKH2S7cz8nE9p1WVairTVSOWIUzjs_owzUtDIMGsK03REsyMuFj1xOSqwHdCFZZJtl_UxZQiIw9b00En-byjif8bzG-umHoc9Y7V_hCI9vCKwX5PfrtknGqMU-Rq5oxQ/s1600/474px-Capstan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="474" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyGmX8S5n0dUkOKH2S7cz8nE9p1WVairTVSOWIUzjs_owzUtDIMGsK03REsyMuFj1xOSqwHdCFZZJtl_UxZQiIw9b00En-byjif8bzG-umHoc9Y7V_hCI9vCKwX5PfrtknGqMU-Rq5oxQ/s400/474px-Capstan.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailors using a capstan to haul a heavy object.<br />
They often did this work to the music of a sea shanty<br />
sometimes played on a concertina, or a fife, <br />
or just sung aloud. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Capstan.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> Wikimedia Commons.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The concertina, however, was (and is still) used for more than sailing ships. It is a popular instrument for Irish music. It is great for most types of Irish dances -- jigs and reels, hornpipes, waltzes, slip jigs, slides, polkas, and marches. It is great for songs and ballads too either for the melody or as an accompanying instrument.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-z6YhyWSCMeiG2tTb5IYOUb8acXvjoyyK0uu9QDq1cZXr5_aT1LnMN4aAHAeUmQoLVHOHYUTWUkDe_JazkCywfBFW0TarLPwTpRzoLtJfHgMyQr3WrkVMLuG9HAMMw17XMeLovDHpUU/s1600/Polka_%2528NYPL_b12147626-5094855%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="561" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-z6YhyWSCMeiG2tTb5IYOUb8acXvjoyyK0uu9QDq1cZXr5_aT1LnMN4aAHAeUmQoLVHOHYUTWUkDe_JazkCywfBFW0TarLPwTpRzoLtJfHgMyQr3WrkVMLuG9HAMMw17XMeLovDHpUU/s320/Polka_%2528NYPL_b12147626-5094855%2529.jpg" width="299" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An old time dance, possibly a<br />
polka. Concertinas are good for this<br />
type of dance. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polka_(NYPL_b12147626-5094855).jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a><br />
Wikimedia Commons, circa 1840.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There are two main types of concertinas -- the English and the Anglo-German. The main difference is in the way the instruments play notes. On the English, a push-in and a pull-out of the bellows plays the same note. On the Anglo-German the pull-out plays a different note from the push-in, much like the way a different note is played on a harmonica. The Anglo-German makes for a more jaunty, bouncy style than the English, making the Anglo-German better for Irish music.<br />
<br />
Most Irish folk tunes are played in the key of D and sometimes G.<br />
The typical 30 button Anglo-German concertina comes in the keys of C and G with scatted, extra notes in the top of three rows. With the scattered notes, we can play in the key of D.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42sLDiWW1Th5kU-thGggVdzXvh7j9bVYfJVD3AkvMMxTbrkFcIEMteXBES3Ktv_4V4kgHfTye7hteDdGJoZgdO-ccBlvm33qhd1APJ0OfoyVA0nGklnEV7jjuIHqtpLYYDdlIGz6eUw8/s1600/543px-Wheatstone_Charles_drawing_1868+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="543" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42sLDiWW1Th5kU-thGggVdzXvh7j9bVYfJVD3AkvMMxTbrkFcIEMteXBES3Ktv_4V4kgHfTye7hteDdGJoZgdO-ccBlvm33qhd1APJ0OfoyVA0nGklnEV7jjuIHqtpLYYDdlIGz6eUw8/s320/543px-Wheatstone_Charles_drawing_1868+%25281%2529.jpg" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sir Charles Wheatstone, inventor of the<br />
English version of the concertina<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wheatstone_Charles_drawing_1868.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> Wikimedia Commons, circa 1868.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The concertina was invented almost simultaneously -- and without mutual knowledge -- by two men, one English and the other German. Sir Charles Wheatstone developed the English concertina in 1829, and in 1834 Carl Friedrich Uhlig invented the German concertina which evolved into the more popular Anglo-German version. The Anglo-German added a few elements from the English to the German, including the famous hexagonal shape and smaller size.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHEAI3JhxtC7SDezyAEuE2t7T1ZSFdg2Y5J1soxse7-GuB1NFWGkbjqEKNL7A39P2Q3mbLssosL8NVu49pmMvv6f13JdiCqkOAvcygJ_dmMmlEpr1hCl3mh5Yccm0VqpbAK6jVXihgsc/s1600/Carl_Friedrich_Uhlig+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="341" data-original-width="248" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHEAI3JhxtC7SDezyAEuE2t7T1ZSFdg2Y5J1soxse7-GuB1NFWGkbjqEKNL7A39P2Q3mbLssosL8NVu49pmMvv6f13JdiCqkOAvcygJ_dmMmlEpr1hCl3mh5Yccm0VqpbAK6jVXihgsc/s320/Carl_Friedrich_Uhlig+%25281%2529.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carl Friedrich Uhlig,<br />
inventor of the German version<br />
of the concertina. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carl_Friedrich_Uhlig.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a><br />
Wikimedia Commons.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Overtime the concertina, especially the Anglo-German, became popular with Irish music.<br />
<br />
You can learn much more about the concertina at the website for the<br />
Irish Traditional Music Archive in Dublin, Ireland. The website is <a href="https://www.itma.ie/" target="_blank">here</a> or see https://www.itma.ie/ This is a research organization for Irish music and culture.<br />
<br />
The concertina is known as a free-reed instrument and is related to the accordion and the harmonica. It is larger and more powerful than a harmonica, but it is not as big and bulky as an accordion. So, the concertina is really just the right combination of power and size.<br />
<br />
More portable than an accordion, louder than a fiddle, flute, or tin whistle, an old-time musical instrument with a pleasing and unique sound, as suitable for the Irish Dance as for sailing on the high seas -- that is what the concertina is.<br />
<br />
The Anglo-German concertina is, by the way, my favorite instrument for traditional Irish music.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources and further reading: <a href="https://www.itma.ie/" target="_blank">Website</a> for Irish Traditional Music Archive; a book about learning the concertina <i>The Anglo Concertina Demystified</i> by Bertram Levy, 1985; <a href="https://mcneelamusic.com/" target="_blank">McNeela Instruments </a>in Dublin, Ireland; and Wikipedia.com's article on concertina <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concertina" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<a href="https://www.itma.ie/search?q=concertina" target="_blank"><br /></a>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-54849460016421129192019-03-05T23:22:00.000-06:002019-03-06T10:49:06.387-06:00Cabbage and Ham: An Irish Dish or a New Orleans Dish?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtS01GAODXHYqh-riZD_iKzIBx2As52OcnzbcA0zM4SqbXjBPe1hqi_umlK5c8RixOzxpMLgAQyK0vuK98DLytbrYXK7zUVN7uaUBZIood0cNBKG49eR3Qso106B__JGNvHcgI9m0WdMY/s1600/20190305_203912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1199" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtS01GAODXHYqh-riZD_iKzIBx2As52OcnzbcA0zM4SqbXjBPe1hqi_umlK5c8RixOzxpMLgAQyK0vuK98DLytbrYXK7zUVN7uaUBZIood0cNBKG49eR3Qso106B__JGNvHcgI9m0WdMY/s320/20190305_203912.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px; text-align: center;">Cabbage and Ham with Rice (and Potatoes)<br />
An Irish or a New Orleans Dish?<br />
All Photos by Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
Here it is Mardi Gras night, and I need to eat something fast before<br />
Ash Wednesday comes and Lent begins. Naturally, being in New Orleans I need a real New Orleans dish. But, St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner (on March 17), so I should really begin my countdown by eating a real Irish dish too.<br />
<br />
What to do? Quite a dilemma I'm in now.<br />
<br />
No problem. The answer is Cabbage and Ham. Oddly enough this one dish is great for both occasions.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42NbP9XMuxMfNaX4nEyZstlD8rhB0nBW-LTmagrRYbf746GD6BMT5oD2rE_NlWqGfa_70XP3hd7i1st16SKgKUHejCUbg-H_tO1l6YXGx9m4FUCNzBIwDkPFyz9EMuDCc5rXOUctHw4c/s1600/20190305_192818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1600" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42NbP9XMuxMfNaX4nEyZstlD8rhB0nBW-LTmagrRYbf746GD6BMT5oD2rE_NlWqGfa_70XP3hd7i1st16SKgKUHejCUbg-H_tO1l6YXGx9m4FUCNzBIwDkPFyz9EMuDCc5rXOUctHw4c/s320/20190305_192818.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main ingredients for Cabbage and Ham<br />
Photo by A. McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
New Orleans food comes historically from Creole Cuisine which is basically a mixture of French and Spanish food plus local south Louisiana ingredients. World famous dishes like Jambalaya, Gumbo, Crawfish Etouffee, and dishes from people of other cultures who immigrated to New Orleans like the Sicilians with dishes like Muffulettas, Crawfish Pasta, Stuffed Artichokes, and fried Eggplant Parmesan. Other New Orleans dishes were influenced by Native American Choctaws, African Americans, Germans, and many others over the years.<br />
<br />
Yet there is also a very popular dish in New Orleans called, depending on who you talk to, Smothered Cabbage or Cabbage and Ham. No one really knows the origin of this dish. But could it be Irish?<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjFWTfz9SYtjIpFcyYDIC_5RIDnRxyZ92mEZXspbGy58tPM9Xqq1knOYQbou6rXT9Y-MPPkga5EQF3GrArfnTQyhST6bbkcBvn00HVjxKnsJknVKwrjbs9pwT-s33bhVW6whzo5f7VZE/s1600/20190305_193420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1325" data-original-width="1600" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjFWTfz9SYtjIpFcyYDIC_5RIDnRxyZ92mEZXspbGy58tPM9Xqq1knOYQbou6rXT9Y-MPPkga5EQF3GrArfnTQyhST6bbkcBvn00HVjxKnsJknVKwrjbs9pwT-s33bhVW6whzo5f7VZE/s200/20190305_193420.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Potatoes for our dish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Unlike most of the South in the USA, New Orleans historically had a very large Irish immigrant population starting in the mid 1800s. It was, again unlike the rest of the South, mainly Catholic as well. It is quite possible the Irish brought with them one of their favorite dishes which was Cabbage and Irish Bacon (which is not readily available in the USA, but resembles Canadian Bacon). But an easy substitute for Irish Bacon is ham. And, of course, ham could be found in Ireland too. (In the 1850s about 20% of the population of New Orleans was Irish.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUlaaCdP_A3eASCCv0m2fG5CxjXi5E-GsK7u_p6vAjE0W4JhFyXFDtfubBPlJc1AFsmTR7QXTZclXe6NkcnggpxSAowFcqi9W__0V-j1lWsNIJGi95RqvgY2peopIS3ApkgFXsWMHDBo/s1600/20190305_202736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="1600" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUlaaCdP_A3eASCCv0m2fG5CxjXi5E-GsK7u_p6vAjE0W4JhFyXFDtfubBPlJc1AFsmTR7QXTZclXe6NkcnggpxSAowFcqi9W__0V-j1lWsNIJGi95RqvgY2peopIS3ApkgFXsWMHDBo/s200/20190305_202736.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Rice for the dish<br />
with parsley and green<br />
onions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Irish journalist Lafcadio Hearn lived in New Orleans in the late 1800s and actually wrote the very first English language (as opposed to the French) New Orleans Creole cookbook in 1885. He gave a recipe for Stewed Cabbage in his work called <i>La Cuisine Creole</i>. (See more about <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/10/lafcadio-hearn-how-irishman-managed-to.html" target="_blank">Lafcadio Hearn</a>.) He made it with butter and a cream sauce. He did not add ham, but it would have been easy enough to simply add chopped ham to the cabbage.<br />
<br />
Irish cookbooks and Bord Bia, the Irish food board, give various recipes for cabbage dishes with some type of pork product, usually Irish bacon. So, we could imagine how the Irish love of cabbage worked its way into New Orleans cuisine.<br />
<br />
Not many other New Orleans dishes have cabbage as a main ingredient, except for Cabbage Rolls which has stewed cabbage leaves as a wrap for ground meat and rice in a "red sauce" (tomato sauce). We could easily speculate that New Orleans Cabbage and Ham has Irish origins.<br />
<br />
Whatever the case, here is how I made my version of this popular Irish/New Orleans dish. Perhaps you can make it at home and decide for yourself if it seems like an Irish dish, a New Orleans dish, or both.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNsSBIO2l0gRF7Z8I-97SAFZTg06X1-_bCdFAp-4BcSB9QPovzVUzPR6zaDS2viWmXJczk4Er4qhl4s3G9gt6j3fwihUBvLID53ZzvomFYkjyl-WR0qsKl61Qh2aGgSWAcbKuOXQ0ghk/s1600/20190305_195052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1304" data-original-width="1600" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNsSBIO2l0gRF7Z8I-97SAFZTg06X1-_bCdFAp-4BcSB9QPovzVUzPR6zaDS2viWmXJczk4Er4qhl4s3G9gt6j3fwihUBvLID53ZzvomFYkjyl-WR0qsKl61Qh2aGgSWAcbKuOXQ0ghk/s320/20190305_195052.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooking in a copper pot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I used both white rice -- the New Orleans way -- and a cooked potato -- the Irish way; and you can take your pick of which way you like it.<br />
<br />
Being in Louisiana, I finished the dish off with a garnish of freshly sliced and uncooked green onions and parsley.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimF_CBcW4gm7Yah3blVDaWAx5BpOSBC0MILH10YsHM7sJK2Z3nUBe_nEiAkMuLI8iyE_yEIohOBlHAimvKRfIadLLIYLf90mpGSCNHT-n_w8nVuR23xXgo4ccRrtTdNStDocVqLbJX3Ho/s1600/20190305_204037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1308" data-original-width="1600" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimF_CBcW4gm7Yah3blVDaWAx5BpOSBC0MILH10YsHM7sJK2Z3nUBe_nEiAkMuLI8iyE_yEIohOBlHAimvKRfIadLLIYLf90mpGSCNHT-n_w8nVuR23xXgo4ccRrtTdNStDocVqLbJX3Ho/s400/20190305_204037.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabbage and Ham, a fine meal<br />
from New Orleans and Ireland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
You will need a green cabbage, a ham steak, parsley, green onions, Creole spices, butter, and rice and potatoes. And a pinch of brown sugar to balance the salty ham.<br />
<br />
Cut and core the cabbage and place it in a pot with a little water. Cook it down on low for about 30 minutes. Drain and add butter and sliced pre-cooked ham and seasoning and cook on low. Cook the rice and the potato separately.<br />
<br />
Cook until done and serve with warm New Orleans French Bread<br />
or Irish Soda Bread and butter. Be sure to garnish the dish with fresh, uncooked, sliced green onions and parsley; this is an old Cajun touch.<br />
<br />
Cabbage and Ham makes a very nice and filling dish for Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's Day, or any day -- no matter what your background is or where you live.<br />
<br />
Bon Appetit!<br />
<br />
Sources and Further Reading:<br />
<i>La Cuisine Creole </i>by Lafcadio Hearn; <i>Irish Cooking </i>by Ruth Bauder Kershner,Weathervane Books, 1979; A youtube video <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WahbUHRWyiU&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">How to Cook Cabbage Southern Style</a>; Bord Bia's discussion of <a href="https://www.bordbia.ie/consumer/aboutfood/veg/pages/cabbage.aspx" target="_blank">cabbage, here</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-57772696199107885462019-02-25T19:34:00.000-06:002019-02-25T19:46:26.598-06:00Full Irish Breakfast a la New Orleans Creole<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDN9gb6BNPWONJVzNP-JsaZXWeKjQiys-7BYW-H9BPDGh9ddEk9bfwEc05XK8QomUZhLA5nAIrPR0hX1Pz1mIRBtUtWO_GAQ_WsijbD_E9SI9uo3KBRMjYOfbFtIf0Nw_zrCp_p2kRlo/s1600/20190225_154051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1315" data-original-width="1600" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDN9gb6BNPWONJVzNP-JsaZXWeKjQiys-7BYW-H9BPDGh9ddEk9bfwEc05XK8QomUZhLA5nAIrPR0hX1Pz1mIRBtUtWO_GAQ_WsijbD_E9SI9uo3KBRMjYOfbFtIf0Nw_zrCp_p2kRlo/s320/20190225_154051.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Full Irish Breakfast a la New Orleans Creole"<br />
Photo by Adrian McGrath<br />
My own concoction -- clockwise from top left,<br />
Boudin, New Orleans French bread, fried tomatoes,<br />
Andouille, turkey bacon, ham steak, strawberry<br />
preserves, fried eggs, fried mushrooms, and baked beans<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>By Adrian McGrath</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>A traditional Irish breakfast, often called a Full Irish Breakfast, was, and still is, a very large meal indeed. In the past it was eaten on working days; but today it is more of a special occasion meal, morning or night. You may wonder how this huge and very filling dish came about? And why I decided to make my own unusual version of it?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>My father, whose background was half Irish and half German, grew up in a small town in Wisconsin on a little dairy farm. He told me that when he was young the family would get up very early every day; and before going to work on the farm, they would have a huge meal. It could consist of eggs, breakfast meats like bacon or ham, pancakes, biscuits, jam, butter, maybe toast, coffee, and maybe oatmeal -- but certainly not grits. He only later in life discovered grits (a ground cornmeal gruel) when he came to Louisiana and specifically to New Orleans just before World War 2. He was serving in the US Army then during the Louisiana Maneuvers, a very large military exercise to train US soldiers to fight Nazi Germany.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>My father's large, farmer's breakfast may have had some fruits and vegetables too, but I am not sure. Being on a dairy farm, his family most likely had lots of dairy products -- milk, eggs, butter, etc. Even during the Great Depression when he was young, they could have traded or bartered dairy products for other food items.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IN-IZJgwfYHkyuJ_VluWkdrG6yA2iGTiAgFHe3tpfzCga3Wt7ex210l4dFr_EGDApiUXU1javLC-N_kWLqco_PNLIF_OByAcn-N2Ri1awfsqyPQuh-c-lk0MT6FzA1C4KuIk226GyOw/s1600/Daddy+at+Lagarde+Hospital%252C+WW2%252C+NOLA+2+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="189" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IN-IZJgwfYHkyuJ_VluWkdrG6yA2iGTiAgFHe3tpfzCga3Wt7ex210l4dFr_EGDApiUXU1javLC-N_kWLqco_PNLIF_OByAcn-N2Ri1awfsqyPQuh-c-lk0MT6FzA1C4KuIk226GyOw/s320/Daddy+at+Lagarde+Hospital%252C+WW2%252C+NOLA+2+cropped.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My father from<br />
Highland,<br />
Wisconsin, Master<br />
Sergeant John N.<br />
McGrath, US Army, circa<br />
1943 (Family photo)<br />
Yes, he ate a large<br />
breakfast as a young farmer in<br />
Wisconsin, just like the<br />
farmers in old Ireland.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>So why did they eat so much food for breakfast in rural Wisconsin ? For the same reason the Irish farmers and workers would eat a huge breakfast. A person working in an agricultural or agrarian culture burned a tremendous amount of calories each day. There was intense physical work to do all day long. The farmers needed enough fuel to keep going without stopping. Hence, they needed a large, varied, and nutritious breakfast. Lunch and dinner were less important than breakfast.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>On top of this, sometimes mornings could be chilly or cold in Ireland as in Wisconsin. Although winters in Wisconsin could be much colder than in Ireland with frequent freezing weather and even sub zero weather. A large, hot breakfast could help fight off the cold and chill.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ireland was for a long time an agrarian or agricultural society. So, Irish farmers and workers needed hot, nutritious fuel to eat in Ireland like my father did in rural Wisconsin.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>But the Irish people, of course, are essentially an exiled people. Much like the ancient Israelites, they have traveled and found new homelands across the globe. Most people with Irish blood in them live today mainly in one country -- and it is not Ireland. It is the </b><b>United States. They live mostly in the North East, but they also live in every state in the union. They have adapted Irish ways to their new surroundings.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>In that sense I have taken as an experiment this occasion to make my own version of the Full or Traditional Irish Breakfast adding foods from my part of the country -- New Orleans. The original cuisine of New Orleans was called Creole, which is a mixture of the French and Spanish cultures. Nearby New Orleans to the south and west is Acadiana which is usually called Cajun Country. This is a French Canadian culture which developed in the swamps and prairies of south Louisiana when the French Canadians were driven from Nova Scotia by the British during the French and Indian War. (In fact, Cajun history resembles Irish history in many ways.) </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>So, I took the basic ingredients of an Irish breakfast and added a few Creole and Cajun items and removed a few traditional items too.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuflHTLVZJD4OM_mh4-tK5P9oZpuksY7symfGDLUJT0WkoK8y3Dv98pmM0nnG3JYOp53H2PdMhunJcFkCBw359xFFBQ8FZ1GXkCEqQ21HnwNXyszmL3Qj7eV4wQt4eyG1RFkD0RTRsGYI/s1600/800px-Full_irish_breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuflHTLVZJD4OM_mh4-tK5P9oZpuksY7symfGDLUJT0WkoK8y3Dv98pmM0nnG3JYOp53H2PdMhunJcFkCBw359xFFBQ8FZ1GXkCEqQ21HnwNXyszmL3Qj7eV4wQt4eyG1RFkD0RTRsGYI/s200/800px-Full_irish_breakfast.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full Irish version Breakfast<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Full_irish_breakfast.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Wikimedia Commons<br />
From Gus-DLC and <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Full_irish_breakfast.jpg" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>The basic Irish version is made of the following although it varies, of course, from place to place and cook to cook: fried eggs, rashers (Irish style bacon, something like what is called Canadian bacon in the USA), sausages, fried tomatoes, fried mushrooms, baked beans, and perhaps some type of potato, and maybe Irish soda bread.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The typical drink is hot tea and perhaps orange juice. Additionally, the Irish use something most other cultures do not have called "black and white pudding." This is not pudding like in the USA, but it is more like a type of sausage patty. Black pudding is made partly from animal blood, usually from pig, plus meat and spices. White pudding is a soft sausage sometimes containing oatmeal or some other grain.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iahE9zLhExVA6TMrBM96ViZVtnA_5B06FxFneSrDuOudvqWJxsKOiMIeDI3NQqX5uk9IbE3iKt2-sneFWKibxniWo_F7vWWPEvndyeKArrCVm-orwSrhKmADTwedAQcpth0zwfLu_-Y/s1600/20190225_143652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1110" data-original-width="1600" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iahE9zLhExVA6TMrBM96ViZVtnA_5B06FxFneSrDuOudvqWJxsKOiMIeDI3NQqX5uk9IbE3iKt2-sneFWKibxniWo_F7vWWPEvndyeKArrCVm-orwSrhKmADTwedAQcpth0zwfLu_-Y/s200/20190225_143652.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast meats for my version of the<br />
Irish breakfast -- L to R, Boudin, ham steak,<br />
turkey bacon, Andouille<br />
Photo by Adrian McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>I decided to change my breakfast and call it an Irish Creole Breakfast (or Full Irish Breakfast a la New Orleans Creole); but it also has aspects of Cajun food. My ingredients include the following: fried eggs, ham steak, American bacon (except I use turkey bacon instead of pork bellies), canned baked beans, fried Roma tomatoes, and fried mushrooms. I removed both the black and white puddings since they are hard to find here. In place of them I included two sausages very popular in the Cajun country -- Andouille (which is a French sausage) and Boudin.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgce9u6Xf13qerTVOS2MKbOsZhT8aRBw-6YqsYHx3kLiuQkPu9AOqYWLmqoFY6fn9PgrbYr_w47ZoS5DzCuvCaHNSeZP3IJUR7-hYMj6PacDDMbfz-S40Z_4DTLCUvbp5miVrPTJIqQkWo/s1600/thumbnail_20190225_144705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgce9u6Xf13qerTVOS2MKbOsZhT8aRBw-6YqsYHx3kLiuQkPu9AOqYWLmqoFY6fn9PgrbYr_w47ZoS5DzCuvCaHNSeZP3IJUR7-hYMj6PacDDMbfz-S40Z_4DTLCUvbp5miVrPTJIqQkWo/s200/thumbnail_20190225_144705.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More ingredients for my version:<br />
baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes<br />
Photo by A. McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Boudin is actually related to the Irish white pudding; both are soft sausages that contain grains. Boudin has cooked rice inside its casing along with meat and Cajun seasonings. Irish white pudding usually has oats. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Instead of soda bread, I used New Orleans French bread. Instead of tea, I used a French roast New Orleans coffee. I also added some strawberry preserves -- strawberries being very plentiful and popular in south Louisiana. This produces a nice sweet and savory taste.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I kept in the tomatoes and the mushrooms, and I believe that is a very good Irish idea to include vegetables. I should have included some type of potato too, but I already had way too much on my plate. If I do it again, I will likely add some mashed, creamed potatoes with butter. Or perhaps add <a href="https://www.irishamericanjournal.com/search?q=champ" target="_blank">Champ </a>or <a href="https://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2018/02/irish-potato-cakes.html" target="_blank">Irish Potato Cakes.</a></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>And that is it. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Why not give it a try or use whatever local ingredients you have wherever you live to create your own version of an Irish breakfast. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It is not traditional as in Ireland; but just as the Irish people adapted as they went to new lands, so too Irish foods can adapt and become something exciting and new as well.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Sources and further reading:</b><br />
<b>An article on the <a href="https://www.discoveringireland.com/the-full-irish-breakfast/" target="_blank">Traditional Irish Breakfast</a> at discoveringireland.com; Full Breakfast article at wikipedia.com.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-57281771378136606112019-02-19T21:53:00.001-06:002019-05-22T09:51:52.024-05:00When the American Army "Invaded" Ireland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRufU4-MbQS7zdGn3Rg7e1f0kQdGae1t3Y0nxJsGvCwqY3bSiN_tKnpFIG550PF-ceeHL4Lxz8q54T_M4IIjf7xj6M6-mB-6f5S3GGQjKMVIh6yCeWluQormVaD7bagc2LtDUV6s2nNbE/s1600/730px-American_troops_marching_to_quarters_in_Ireland_1942-02+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="730" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRufU4-MbQS7zdGn3Rg7e1f0kQdGae1t3Y0nxJsGvCwqY3bSiN_tKnpFIG550PF-ceeHL4Lxz8q54T_M4IIjf7xj6M6-mB-6f5S3GGQjKMVIh6yCeWluQormVaD7bagc2LtDUV6s2nNbE/s320/730px-American_troops_marching_to_quarters_in_Ireland_1942-02+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US soldiers in North Ireland, February, 1942<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_troops_marching_to_quarters_in_Ireland_1942-02.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> US Army Signal Corps<br />
and Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>By Adrian McGrath</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The American Army "invaded" Ireland in 1942. Well, it was a friendly invasion; and it was Northern Ireland. But technically speaking, at least a part of the island of Ireland was under the control of a foreign power -- the United States of America.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>But unlike the other armed and dangerous men who sailed to Ireland over the many centuries -- the Vikings, the Normans, and the forces of the British Empire -- the Americans were greatly welcomed by the Irish ... and, of course, by the British too. That combination in itself was remarkable.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The American invasion was welcomed because the United States Army had come to prevent Adolf Hitler from invading Ireland with Nazi troops and to prepare for the eventual Allied liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The American invasion of Ireland was so popular that some Irish actually fell in love with the American soldiers. Yes, they got married too. About 1,800 marriages occurred between Irish women and American soldiers stationed in Northern Ireland. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Many couples sailed off to the USA after the war to take up new lives. Some had other fates. We do not know exactly how many of these young American husbands died fighting the Germans. The average age of a US soldier in Northern Ireland was about 24 years old. (About 400,000 American soldiers died in all of World War 2.)</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggt8ej-tKzWF6FGWu0RROCKaxcDFpdUm8h5NxxRnRhsZavgGNX-JQQItekJFR1yo2qY65wRpZA6d0RMK0ndZ8CC867o0BYYHEGk4CsRQkbIwC2NO7xlGqasK3oOVGN2v4W6qIn47-AD-A/s1600/734px-St._Patrick%2527s_Day_Dance_%2526_Celebration_in_Ireland_1942-03-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="734" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggt8ej-tKzWF6FGWu0RROCKaxcDFpdUm8h5NxxRnRhsZavgGNX-JQQItekJFR1yo2qY65wRpZA6d0RMK0ndZ8CC867o0BYYHEGk4CsRQkbIwC2NO7xlGqasK3oOVGN2v4W6qIn47-AD-A/s400/734px-St._Patrick%2527s_Day_Dance_%2526_Celebration_in_Ireland_1942-03-17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A dance and party on St. Patrick's Day, <br />
March 17, 1942 in North Ireland<br />
Irish women in uniform and American GIs<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Patrick%27s_Day_Dance_%26_Celebration_in_Ireland_1942-03-17.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> US Army Signal Corps<br />
and Wikimedia Commons<br />
Note the warning poster on the bulletin board<br />
with instructions in case of a poison gas attack.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>The Americans built military camps in N. Ireland for training and for preparations for battles and campaigns against the Germans, and they eventually saw combat in North Africa, Italy, the D-Day Invasion, and the Liberation of Europe.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Additionally, the US had a major Army Air Force base at Langford Lodge, east of Lough Neagh near the city of Belfast. Literally thousands of US aircraft gathered or passed through Langford for the air war against Nazi Germany. (See more here at the <a href="http://ulsteraviationsociety.org/usaaf-in-n-ireland-1942-1945" target="_blank">Ulster Aviation Society</a>. And see <a href="http://www.americanairmuseum.com/place/207" target="_blank">American Air Museum Britain.)</a> </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4K5_HRrxKVZvOCojUHomcYufn_NP4quWDZYzH0zt0zr7D8UMGgW4gcoFHQrdXemlDQuiHFBq2kdbfT_AqplyN3zr7vLHdT0ExxM984D3reNFNiYGdUXv16VGbBLM6OmM_qV-xunE6Es0/s1600/780px-Lockheed_P-38H_Lightning_-_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="780" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4K5_HRrxKVZvOCojUHomcYufn_NP4quWDZYzH0zt0zr7D8UMGgW4gcoFHQrdXemlDQuiHFBq2kdbfT_AqplyN3zr7vLHdT0ExxM984D3reNFNiYGdUXv16VGbBLM6OmM_qV-xunE6Es0/s320/780px-Lockheed_P-38H_Lightning_-_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A type of American aircraft used at Langford Lodge,<br />
a P38 Lightning, fighter bomber. The Lockheed<br />
Company, which made the P38, helped run the base.<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lockheed_P-38H_Lightning_-_1.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>The Americans eventually came to N. Ireland in tremendous numbers; and although they could occasionally cause trouble and be a nuisance, there is no doubt that they were welcomed. One reason was the Germans actually had a plan to invade Ireland early in the war. It was called Operation Green (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Green_(Ireland)" target="_blank">Fall Gruen)</a>. It was to occur in conjunction with the German plan to amphibiously invade Britain called Operation Sealion (Unternehmen Seeloewe). </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Operation Green never occurred because Sealion was prevented mainly because the Royal Air Force (British RAF) stopped the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) in the Battle of Britain in 1940, two years before the Americans arrived. But no one really knew for sure if the Germans would or could invade Britain or Ireland. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Northern Ireland was controlled by Great Britain then and militarily active during the war, while the south of Ireland -- today called the Republic of Ireland -- was neutral. (How the island of Ireland got divided in two is another long, long story. Read about that at my article on the <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2018/03/easter-rising-1916-terrible-beauty-is.html" target="_blank">Easter Rising</a>.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Hitler's main attention was on an eventual war against the Soviet Union, a desire for Lebensraum or living space. The Germans, however, certainly remained a threat to Britain and N. Ireland with air power and later in the war with special "wonder weapons" like long range rockets -- the V1 buzzbomb and the very futuristic V2. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Indeed in April and May of 1941 there was something called the Belfast Blitz where Nazi airplanes bombed the city and other parts of N. Ireland. About 1000 people were killed; and over 1,500 people were wounded -- primarily civilians. It should be added that, although a neutral state, Ireland (the South) was also hit be a few German bombs, and there were casualties and property damage and a some deaths, under 100. The typical explanation was navigational error, but it could also have been a Nazi warning to the Irish in the south not to aid the people in the north. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6pMEvjMHbaoxbyEvO_sV4up60lSnYZbzz3gaQZnBSDt-e1D_GMZUdS6sfioFhw3-Yv9ThX15OYNxRAJVn6MgvIHZsfYA6jlEKVrDgxRuG9TKN60yx80fqmNAjUcDcAIa9T14nD5GPpg/s1600/AIR_RAID_DAMAGE_IN_THE_UNITED_KINGDOM_1939-1945_-_H_9476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="800" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6pMEvjMHbaoxbyEvO_sV4up60lSnYZbzz3gaQZnBSDt-e1D_GMZUdS6sfioFhw3-Yv9ThX15OYNxRAJVn6MgvIHZsfYA6jlEKVrDgxRuG9TKN60yx80fqmNAjUcDcAIa9T14nD5GPpg/s400/AIR_RAID_DAMAGE_IN_THE_UNITED_KINGDOM_1939-1945_-_H_9476.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The terrible results of a German air raid in Belfast,<br />
N. Ireland in 1941. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AIR_RAID_DAMAGE_IN_THE_UNITED_KINGDOM_1939-1945_-_H_9476.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> Wikimedia Commons.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>The name of the American invasion of N. Ireland was called Operation Magnet. Magnet was first devised by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill when Churchill visited Washington DC in late December of 1941. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>US troops on special secret missions had been coming to N. Ireland even before the official American entry into World War 2, before the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. Specialists came to plan and to assist in the Lend-Lease mission. (Lend Lease was a plan of President Franklin Roosevelt's to help supply Britain with needed war equipment.) The placement of US troops into N. Ireland was actually the first overseas deployment of American troops in force in World War 2.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgln7ukk3OfYojjn614D5KkkdMD4nrf-31kAx1P7zoo5soHuSsJcVR8V0nb55iVZiEL3DnhjV2Xd6DN_IPQynN1n8JCT-no-fjJJuhjlg2K4wkECGxsBNFTtMzS2_CVXqIrU-2ytSu0ibQ/s1600/SC145230-t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="300" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgln7ukk3OfYojjn614D5KkkdMD4nrf-31kAx1P7zoo5soHuSsJcVR8V0nb55iVZiEL3DnhjV2Xd6DN_IPQynN1n8JCT-no-fjJJuhjlg2K4wkECGxsBNFTtMzS2_CVXqIrU-2ytSu0ibQ/s400/SC145230-t.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">American soldiers being transported<br />
to Ireland in January, 1942<br />
<a href="https://history.army.mil/topics/ethnic/irish/IRISH.HTM" target="_blank">Photo from</a> US Army Signal Corps, photo #145230<br />
<a href="https://history.army.mil/art/A&I/ir-phto.htm" target="_blank">Also see </a>history.army.mil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>N. Ireland was seen as critical for the Battle of the Atlantic. This was a sea campaign to keep to supply lines open from the United States to Britain. Ships would land in N. Ireland. German U-Boats (submarines) and some German surface ships, like the infamous <i>Bismarck</i>, threatened these sea lanes.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It is believed that eventually about 300,000 American soldiers came to N. Ireland during the war. This represented about 10 percent of the population of N. Ireland. So, Northern Ireland was becoming Americanized to some extent. The American soldiers guarded the country, so that that the British troops could leave and be deployed to various places around the globe. Britain would eventually fight the Japanese in the Far East as well as the Germans and Benito Mussolini's Fascist army.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>One of the interesting and positive facts of the US deployment of soldiers in N. Ireland concerns African American servicemen. Although there was still much discrimination and indeed legalized segregation in the USA, the African American soldiers stationed in N. Ireland were welcomed by the Irish and treated properly without discrimination. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>An example of this is the friendly treatment of sailors from the USS Mason, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Mason_(DE-529)" target="_blank">a Navy destroyer</a>. Its crew was mainly African American -- only one of two US Navy ships with mainly African American crews. It was originally from Boston, Massachusetts but based in Belfast. The USS Mason saw action in the North Atlantic protecting supply convoys. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Reportedly, some of the USS Mason African American sailors once had liberty (a day off) in the city of Derry. They went into town apprehensive about how they would be treated. They discovered that they were respected and treated politely and well by the Irish people, with far better treatment than they often received at home in the segregated USA.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Discrimination existed in the segregated US military, and African Americans were typically assigned to menial work. The </b><b>skilled positions on the USS Mason (and the USS PC-1264, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_PC-1264" target="_blank">submarine chaser</a>) were exceptions to the rule and even experimental.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7Ut_LD3-ykbAg0xgI-ia_kfKCiIes5VJXn8G56RYmkXg5oRhcWBZST2c1dJoCe510kGDYvLkC-82MUyQl_GQcV4K7XRjkm2EVhyhzv4tJaZ-DzIiAjsXqy3FGq-ci81tNvcv7TYtth4/s1600/USS_Mason_DE-529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="399" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG7Ut_LD3-ykbAg0xgI-ia_kfKCiIes5VJXn8G56RYmkXg5oRhcWBZST2c1dJoCe510kGDYvLkC-82MUyQl_GQcV4K7XRjkm2EVhyhzv4tJaZ-DzIiAjsXqy3FGq-ci81tNvcv7TYtth4/s400/USS_Mason_DE-529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">USS Mason (DE 529), a US Navy destroyer escort which protected<br />
Allied supply ships in the North Atlantic from Boston<br />
to Belfast among other duties. It and one other ship<br />
were the only US Navy ships which had largely<br />
African American crews.<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Mason_DE-529.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from </a>the US Navy and Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Famous American generals came to N. Ireland as well. Among the important leaders who came were George S. Patton, "old blood and guts," and, of course, the man who would lead all of the Allied troops at the D-Day Normandy Invasion, General Dwight D. Eisenhower ("Ike"), who later became a US president.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmVvUbIhE-BnA0dWov6OkLCskQSV5dN0wrDc69gXSfEoQnkjtjpAE0locQ2NKed-XKViJQ8n3fY6NrjNbOqWExtoPfNNQo0XT2u0A8QpCagZY1Do3rw3GAOC8KxB_aTxSH7KA4Fu5PE8/s1600/751px-American_World_War_II_senior_military_officials%252C_1945.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="751" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmVvUbIhE-BnA0dWov6OkLCskQSV5dN0wrDc69gXSfEoQnkjtjpAE0locQ2NKed-XKViJQ8n3fY6NrjNbOqWExtoPfNNQo0XT2u0A8QpCagZY1Do3rw3GAOC8KxB_aTxSH7KA4Fu5PE8/s400/751px-American_World_War_II_senior_military_officials%252C_1945.JPEG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American leaders in the European Theater<br />
of Operations in World War 2, 1945, many of whom, including<br />
Eisenhower and Patton were in Ireland in 1942.<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_World_War_II_senior_military_officials,_1945.JPEG" target="_blank">Photo from</a> US Army, National Archives, and Wikimedia<br />
Commons. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower is seated in the middle<br />
of the first row. Gen. George S. Patton, wearing a helmet, is on the<br />
first row, second from the left. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Ike went to Enniskillen in Fermanagh in May of 1944. The General visited US soldiers who were about to invade the German Atlantic Wall on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Many of the US troops were stationed at a place called Celtic Park in Enniskillen and at Portora Royal School. (A playing field there, where US soldiers once marched and drilled, was later named after General Eisenhower. See <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-27460789" target="_blank">more here.</a>)</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The first US Army unit to arrive in force was the 34th Division, called "Red Bull Division." It came in January, 1942 from the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York to Belfast. Reportedly a German U-Boat attempted to attack the American transport ship, but it was defeated by a US Navy ship. The Americans were met by cheering Irish people and a musical band as the GIs disembarked from the transport vessel called the <i>Chateau Tierry</i> and a sister ship called the <i>Stratford.</i></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNza49VT_KtI699ysHS5ZBtjjMTdepXDaKJRNwOpwTCQ0g7Wd3t4elbFoMjmrs_DAiK_upmemC2L_QFRz6ItoELPiiODCEvdQf4GCHzR-_rSF6-3NVQSbUS1aSxfXZHRuCFZp8YRrXs0/s1600/SC138660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1600" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNza49VT_KtI699ysHS5ZBtjjMTdepXDaKJRNwOpwTCQ0g7Wd3t4elbFoMjmrs_DAiK_upmemC2L_QFRz6ItoELPiiODCEvdQf4GCHzR-_rSF6-3NVQSbUS1aSxfXZHRuCFZp8YRrXs0/s320/SC138660.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American soldiers building a steel hut<br />
in Ireland in 1942 for US soldiers<br />
<a href="https://history.army.mil/topics/ethnic/irish/IRISH.HTM" target="_blank">Photo 138660 </a>from US Army Signal Corps,<br />
from army.mil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<b>The first American officially to enter N. Ireland was a soldier from Minnesota named Milburn H. Henke. The first official American unit was Company B, 133rd Infantry Regiment from the 34 Division of the Minnesota National Guard.</b><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<b>It is interesting to note that the US government issued US soldiers booklets about how to behave in N. Ireland. These were called US War Office Pocket Guides. The booklets told the Americans not to brag and boast, how to behave and not to behave towards the locals -- and towards Irish women too -- and what to talk about and what not to talk about. The guides also mentioned the special relationship America had (and still has with Ireland) since many Americans have an Irish ancestry -- from North and South Irish, and Catholic and Protestant Irish.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The guide booklets ended with two pieces of simple and very sage advice, emphasizing this applied especially to Ireland: 1. do not argue religion, 2. do not argue politics. Yes, some very good advice from the US War Office from back in 1942.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomkteTSdrZ7AIagG8SKHInwp5f-w6KDAxzvjoEreMp3dNE_prNjyi7fiOkIVPlUz2x6i2fkyYv-gyltVt-mNUpnhiCrp0Rdcj1bHGeKPpwlW3ToLSb7iqTSe0DQjI1NcEMY_Yts9p0Kg/s1600/SC132954-tn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="127" data-original-width="160" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomkteTSdrZ7AIagG8SKHInwp5f-w6KDAxzvjoEreMp3dNE_prNjyi7fiOkIVPlUz2x6i2fkyYv-gyltVt-mNUpnhiCrp0Rdcj1bHGeKPpwlW3ToLSb7iqTSe0DQjI1NcEMY_Yts9p0Kg/s400/SC132954-tn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US Army Signal Corps <a href="https://history.army.mil/art/A&I/ir-phto.htm" target="_blank">Photo 132954</a><br />
US soldiers in Northern Ireland on<br />
maneuvers, preparing for war, 1942<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>An interesting footnote for military history buffs is this. The American soldiers could have been given the newer style steel helmet used throughout most of World War 2 by the American</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br />military, but they were deliberately issued the old World War 1 style American "tin hats" which, in fact, resemble British helmets. The reason was that it was feared that the local civilians and the home guard in N. Ireland would not recognize the newer American helmets and think the American soldiers were invading German soldiers, since the newer helmets looked more like German helmets than the British helmets or the World War 1 "tin hats." </b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkuLzq9YxHEQ22dxDTvGysJDEH1p_TOP-TMQ_Fkv4kVs34QOZrZlt_2KNgv3A_n9VJgpcMao-D6Yn3_xMQXrquq9TTO8nvml1MRFc3SzYPhc4bXfKxdv3zk9zm6_utumimznt4Osqzv0/s1600/745px-Into_the_Jaws_of_Death_23-0455M_edit+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="745" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibkuLzq9YxHEQ22dxDTvGysJDEH1p_TOP-TMQ_Fkv4kVs34QOZrZlt_2KNgv3A_n9VJgpcMao-D6Yn3_xMQXrquq9TTO8nvml1MRFc3SzYPhc4bXfKxdv3zk9zm6_utumimznt4Osqzv0/s640/745px-Into_the_Jaws_of_Death_23-0455M_edit+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ultimately, this is what the American soldiers<br />
in N. Ireland were preparing for, and things like this --<br />
D-Day, June 6, 1944 at Normandy, France.<br />
Photo "Into the Jaws of Death" <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Into_the_Jaws_of_Death_23-0455M_edit.jpg" target="_blank">taken by </a>US Coast Guard<br />
Chief Photographer's Mate Robert F. Sargent in a LCVP<br />
landing craft (Higgin's Boat) -- Company E, 16th Infantry,<br />
1st Infantry Division, Big Red One, US Army -- Fox Green, Omaha Beach.<br />
Omaha Beach was the most heavily defended invasion beach on D-Day.<br />
The well experienced German 352 Division was dug in. The Americans<br />
suffered over 2,000 casualties on Omaha Beach on D-Day, but they prevailed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources and Further Reading: US government documents on the Irish mission, <a href="https://history.army.mil/reference/ireland/readme.htm" target="_blank">see this;</a> <a href="http://www.irelandseye.com/aarticles/history/events/worldwar/yank.shtm" target="_blank">"The Yanks are Coming" </a>from irelandseye.com; "American Troops Arrive in Northern Ireland" -- <a href="https://wartimeni.com/article/american-troops-arrive-in-northern-ireland/" target="_blank">article at</a> wartimeni.com; US Army <a href="https://history.army.mil/topics/ethnic/irish/IRISH.HTM" target="_blank">website </a>about the Irish in the US army. About the USAAF in N. Ireland at the <a href="http://ulsteraviationsociety.org/usaaf-in-n-ireland-1942-1945" target="_blank">Ulster Aviation Society </a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-57306814113594192662019-02-11T18:43:00.000-06:002019-02-11T18:43:41.645-06:00Duffy's Cut: Death by Prejudice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRDjNkM0APgf6WDlqTcEhRpgdmpRkaVjaS6k4PtIhlJL5ci0MVPnZzhj52phIbhurAbn9VWXQwya0eUSGpnYXH4e66NofPwJZ9R9yyF6M-7eD8ay2PCaTDePDs9hu6Q4SQ4tC5r0_-s4/s1600/Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot%252C_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="800" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaRDjNkM0APgf6WDlqTcEhRpgdmpRkaVjaS6k4PtIhlJL5ci0MVPnZzhj52phIbhurAbn9VWXQwya0eUSGpnYXH4e66NofPwJZ9R9yyF6M-7eD8ay2PCaTDePDs9hu6Q4SQ4tC5r0_-s4/s320/Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot%252C_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad,<br />depot in Philadelphia, 1854<br />From <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot,_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commmons</a><br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot,_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot,_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot,_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot,_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot,_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot,_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot,_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot,_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot,_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Philadelphia_and_Columbia_Railroad_Depot,_Philadelphia_1854.jpeg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
In the early 19th century, many Irish fled their British-occupied native land because of extreme poverty and political oppression. Irish Catholics and non-Church of England Protestants had been persecuted under the British <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2018/08/what-were-penal-laws.html?m=1" target="_blank">Penal Laws </a>for many years; the Irish were denied fundamental human rights by law. It seemed better to risk a difficult life overseas than certain despair in Ireland.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaZf7502b2C6zlKnOMNAPYs8p3k1moWY1lljZEaDRhMAfkzOap6aGQNY1L6u_BTXr5yxJF0FY7RbwE2x6XZ_3YU67pEe8Gf4pWKZg1vLyn5QRI9JiH6TnPR3r0XE4kuZJkf-GGGoUb2g/s1600/IMAG0443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEaZf7502b2C6zlKnOMNAPYs8p3k1moWY1lljZEaDRhMAfkzOap6aGQNY1L6u_BTXr5yxJF0FY7RbwE2x6XZ_3YU67pEe8Gf4pWKZg1vLyn5QRI9JiH6TnPR3r0XE4kuZJkf-GGGoUb2g/s200/IMAG0443.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish Celtic Cross Memorial, <br />New Orleans, honoring the <br />Irish who died digging the New <br />Basin Canal, 1832 to 1838 <br />Photo by A. McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In 1832 some Irish went to New Orleans to dig the <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/07/new-basin-canal-of-new-orleans.html" target="_blank">New Basin Canal</a>. This was a dangerous and difficult job digging a large trench in a disease-infested swamp without the use of modern machinery. Thousands of Irish died in the process from 1832 to 1838. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
This tragedy was an example of what awaited Irish immigrants when they first arrived in America.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2018/12/no-irish-need-apply.html" target="_blank">Signs read</a> "No Irish Need Apply," in many large American port cities indicating the Irish were not wanted -- they were not wanted as neighbors or as workers. In fact, in the early 19th century the impoverished Irish immigrants were not welcomed at all in most places in America initially.<br />
<br />
Prejudice was the reason for the anti-Irish hostility -- fear of immigrants, fear of poverty-stricken people, fear of desperate people, and above all a fear of and animosity towards Catholics. It was fear, but it was also hate. That was the nature of prejudice -- fear plus hate.<br />
<br />
The Irish immigrants were, therefore, reduced to taking the dirty and dangerous jobs that nobody else wanted.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyL8E9zL7G0RhMv18GpW0vcgyKNxoJmSDxSrkAARnyjwfCyn-BgNCOhwYRFEEntM0kEaZF5BrqaleuCta7tv8rcjtPgLZHjxy0qPk5GbivycGGv03tK8J4ITprxaOmFK3K3I3RxNsMhkE/s1600/800px-1857_ConstitutionWharf_Boston_byWinslowHomer_Ballous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyL8E9zL7G0RhMv18GpW0vcgyKNxoJmSDxSrkAARnyjwfCyn-BgNCOhwYRFEEntM0kEaZF5BrqaleuCta7tv8rcjtPgLZHjxy0qPk5GbivycGGv03tK8J4ITprxaOmFK3K3I3RxNsMhkE/s400/800px-1857_ConstitutionWharf_Boston_byWinslowHomer_Ballous.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish immigrants arriving in the 19th century in America <br />(Boston, 1857) From <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1857_ConstitutionWharf_Boston_byWinslowHomer_Ballous.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a> and<br />the Smithsonian<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
So it came as no surprise that when the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad wanted to expand westward from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania over treacherous, rough terrain -- ravines, broken ground, hills, and streams, a place called Mile 59 -- it sought out cheap, expendable, unskilled laborers who were desperate for any type of work just to survive. The railroad company wanted laborers who, if they got severely injured or killed on the job, nobody would notice much or care about. In short, the railroad company wanted the Irish.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUqSk2DBzypDIL5vCxx6tUqEAxi_gK1sZf9jc3eOqNEntKZS_Rra2UiSgCWkNEHJERi9M-KjYdmFN5EIwnsW9X1HFNNGHu_utH1aIzOM_OwzY2T3CAFo1qvvu1QMjDQKfPoHe_Id_oc0/s1600/No_Irish_Need_Apply_%2528lyric_sheet_-_female_version%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnUqSk2DBzypDIL5vCxx6tUqEAxi_gK1sZf9jc3eOqNEntKZS_Rra2UiSgCWkNEHJERi9M-KjYdmFN5EIwnsW9X1HFNNGHu_utH1aIzOM_OwzY2T3CAFo1qvvu1QMjDQKfPoHe_Id_oc0/s400/No_Irish_Need_Apply_%2528lyric_sheet_-_female_version%2529.jpg" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A song about anti-Irish<br />prejudice called<br />"No Irish Need Apply"<br />Photo from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:No_Irish_Need_Apply_(lyric_sheet_-_female_version).jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The railroad turned to a man named Philip Duffy, an Irish contractor, who could gather up immigrants desperate enough to do the job. Duffy got 57 men from Ulster (the North of Ireland) -- from Derry, Donegal, and Tyrone counties. Some were young and apparently strong, and they could do the job.<br />
<br />
But within a few weeks after they started the hard, physical work, all 57 Irish immigrants were dead. The railroad company claimed they died of a disease rampant in the area -- cholera.<br />
<br />
Cholera is an bacterial infection of the small intestines resulting in severe diarrhea, vomiting, horrible cramps, and eventually, if untreated, death. It also indicates that the patient probably has lived in poor and unsanitary living conditions.<br />
<br />
The unfortunate men were buried in graves -- some in groups, some as individuals -- near the work site in the rough Pennsylvania countryside -- in East Whiteland Township. They were buried and forgotten.<br />
<br />
But ... then came the mystery.<br />
<br />
Two brothers, in the 1990s, made a discovery based on documents from a relative who once worked for the railroad. The brothers were Reverend Dr. Frank Watson, a Lutheran pastor, and Dr. William Watson, a professor of history at Immaculata University in Pennsylvania.<br />
<br />
Over time a research team grew from many disciplines -- mixing scientists and engineers with historians, among others. The team went to the site where the Irish immigrants worked and lived in shanties or primitive huts or cabins. ("Shanty," by the way, comes from two Irish Gaelic words -- "sean" which means old and "teach" which means house.)<br />
<br />
The researchers found evidence that, while many or even most of the men did die from cholera, some most probably were the victims of blunt force trauma (meaning their skulls were smashed in by a club or hard object) and some were probably shot with 19th century projectiles (firearms, guns). This leads us to believe that the deaths, in some cases, were not just the unfortunate result of a dreadful disease and/or even possibly abusive living and working conditions, but were the result of deliberate murder.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgry_ro3AjP2TPFdfK2GTGYJTck9YaClV5Zoi7ZyiXWFcaxPRKXqzGjhc4QN4CeCkpfire72ro-soQT5jMdCyj9BVqrbwqvhmwRSYQtTUOfVS_ZcmdWTDeKQfpL_-hmulJr-dxBkCom5Rw/s1600/Breton_Railroad_Depot_at_Philadelphia_1832.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="787" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgry_ro3AjP2TPFdfK2GTGYJTck9YaClV5Zoi7ZyiXWFcaxPRKXqzGjhc4QN4CeCkpfire72ro-soQT5jMdCyj9BVqrbwqvhmwRSYQtTUOfVS_ZcmdWTDeKQfpL_-hmulJr-dxBkCom5Rw/s400/Breton_Railroad_Depot_at_Philadelphia_1832.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breton Railroad Depot in Philadelphia, 1832<br /><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Breton_Railroad_Depot_at_Philadelphia_1832.png" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Wikimedia Commons,<br />Townsend Ward</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
On top of this the evidence would indicate that the railroad company and perhaps the political powers-that-be knew of the crime and intentionally covered up the murders. The mentality then was this: who cares if some poor Irish immigrants were killed?<br />
<br />
Why were the Irish immigrants probably murdered? No one really knows, assuming they were in fact murdered, as the evidence strongly suggests. But part of the reason could be prejudice, a hostility towards the Irish and Catholics. Part could also be the result of irrational fear about epidemics and cholera in general. Kill the Irish and kill the disease, some foolish and hateful people may have thought.<br />
<br />
It is also likely that a fight or small battle occurred between anti-Irish vigilantes and the Irish workers, since the Irish usually do not take such matters like oppression lying down and typically rebel against them. But this is, of course, speculation.<br />
<br />
The railroad company would not want news of such a fight taking place -- bad for business and bad for acquiring more Irish labor in the future.<br />
<br />
The mystery at Duffy's Cut has attained some notoriety. The state of Pennsylvania placed a marker at the work and grave site in June 2004 saying that 57 Irish immigrant workers died there in August of 1832 from cholera, that Duffy was the contractor, and that prejudice against Irish Catholics contributed to their deaths due to a lack of medical care and poor living conditions. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6439Wawgy7y2zfuRenw8w1uQvcNmRycYlbFFUy4SP6oyvG0GLNwpav7eFIWatxdcvhiyEREL9cPomJ0Ht0cQ5KYDFujTD-S2sYtefz_h6P6EfUuMprKvOuOCU7pVok1EujtDFDub23l0/s1600/800px-Duffys_Cut_enclosure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6439Wawgy7y2zfuRenw8w1uQvcNmRycYlbFFUy4SP6oyvG0GLNwpav7eFIWatxdcvhiyEREL9cPomJ0Ht0cQ5KYDFujTD-S2sYtefz_h6P6EfUuMprKvOuOCU7pVok1EujtDFDub23l0/s400/800px-Duffys_Cut_enclosure.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Enclosure" at Duffy's Cut near Malvern,<br />Pennsylvania, where the remains of many workers lie,<br />a mass grave memorial built probably in 1909, with stones<br />likely from the 1832 events <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duffys_Cut_enclosure.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> Wikimedia Commons,<br />by "smallbones" license to Creative Commons<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In 2012 the remains of a few of the workers (sometimes called "Navvies" for navigational engineers) were properly re-buried at West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, PA -- thanks to researchers from Immaculata University who discovered the bodies' remains.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhNfwvF9RBRz09lM2ONb6uvbt1PfAwneGbDxlMdmZMUxG5EmFbFYBwxOwjrdOQQ06rFbZldIgjvCMeCUavfbR1b7_LMO9f18dQxANdvBGLXnk2C5MRSHVDX6S3fOIgz-VNyzSN3dVYyE/s1600/800px-Immaculata_U_Chesco_PA.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhNfwvF9RBRz09lM2ONb6uvbt1PfAwneGbDxlMdmZMUxG5EmFbFYBwxOwjrdOQQ06rFbZldIgjvCMeCUavfbR1b7_LMO9f18dQxANdvBGLXnk2C5MRSHVDX6S3fOIgz-VNyzSN3dVYyE/s200/800px-Immaculata_U_Chesco_PA.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Immaculata University,<br />near Malvern, Pennsylvania<br />Photo in public domain<br />from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Immaculata_U_Chesco_PA.JPG" target="_blank">Wikimedia </a>Commons<br />and "smallbones"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The remains of one body was identified as likely being a young man named John Ruddy, who was only about 18 years old in 1832. Ruddy was from Donegal, and his remains were delivered back to Ireland in a proper ceremony for re-burial in Ireland in 2013. So John Ruddy returned to Ireland after 181 years.<br />
<br />
The bones of a woman who was likely Catherine Burns were also returned to Ireland and buried in 2015.<br />
<br />
Although the callous mentality of the day in 1832 could not have cared less about the tragic deaths, or the horrendous and probable murders of some destitute Irish immigrants, at least some people in modern times did care. Thanks to the dedicated researchers and the experts from Immaculata University, Duffy's Cut will be remembered.<br />
<br />
Of special note Duffy's Cut was remembered by a special program by PBS (the Public Broadcasting System in the USA) called "Secrets of the Dead: Death on the Railroad." See <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/" target="_blank">Secrets of the Dead</a>.<br />
<br />
Also, the famous Irish musician Christy Moore made a song about Duffy's Cut. See <a href="https://www.christymoore.com/lyrics/duffys-cut/" target="_blank">Duffy's Cut.</a><br />
<br />
Furthermore, see this excellent site from Immaculata University with much detailed information on the story of the Irish and Duffy's Cut. See <a href="http://duffyscut.immaculata.edu/" target="_blank">Duffy's Cut.</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources and Further Reading:<br />
Wall Street Journal article called <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704461304576216572229794408" target="_blank">The Mystery of Duffy's Cut</a>.<br />
Wikipedia article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duffy%27s_Cut" target="_blank">Duffy's Cut;</a> Christy Moore's<a href="https://www.christymoore.com/lyrics/duffys-cut/" target="_blank"> song.</a> Immaculata University's <a href="http://duffyscut.immaculata.edu/" target="_blank">site on Duffy's Cut.</a><br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-75231702493830360542019-02-04T11:34:00.001-06:002019-02-05T11:25:51.663-06:00Irish Women Activists Trilogy: Dorothy Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDpB4Md1fvUGxz4sIAXEkK5ShFWVVp_ua6PfEUlcrZxGz5ucuYmWgpcOR9ZiALCh6E2PDFTtJ_0J-FQ9faO7VAG4ovlhpIUkq7NKzBgfIBrqGhZc-djU9LMQpa2J06WG58IyKEbq5rlw/s1600/Dorothy_Day_1934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDpB4Md1fvUGxz4sIAXEkK5ShFWVVp_ua6PfEUlcrZxGz5ucuYmWgpcOR9ZiALCh6E2PDFTtJ_0J-FQ9faO7VAG4ovlhpIUkq7NKzBgfIBrqGhZc-djU9LMQpa2J06WG58IyKEbq5rlw/s320/Dorothy_Day_1934.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorothy Day in 1934<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dorothy_Day_1934.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
(Editor's Note: This is the third and final part of our trilogy on Irish Women Activists. You can read about the others at this <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2019/01/irish-women-activists-trilogy-elizabeth.html" target="_blank">link</a>. This goes to the story on Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, which in turn links to the first story on Mother Jones.)<br />
<br />
When he visited the United States in September of 2015, Pope Francis addressed the US Congress and spoke about some of the American citizens he felt were the most significant for the great works they did in their lives. He mentioned Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the monk philosopher Thomas Merton.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw3D12eJuPJG49FYWnB7AzmyIk3d2Be8zr4WQNOHpHzy4BbEpd4-ehe4D1iM-TOSOhF7IXxzfbYfLzeEiN7IazZgAnMwPI67XnwpGCz2rOXCHVP5RPkUThap9Oz6Emw1dOozDAZRot9w/s1600/Pope_Francis_Visits_the_United_States_Capitol_%252822153720701%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw3D12eJuPJG49FYWnB7AzmyIk3d2Be8zr4WQNOHpHzy4BbEpd4-ehe4D1iM-TOSOhF7IXxzfbYfLzeEiN7IazZgAnMwPI67XnwpGCz2rOXCHVP5RPkUThap9Oz6Emw1dOozDAZRot9w/s400/Pope_Francis_Visits_the_United_States_Capitol_%252822153720701%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pope Francis visits the USA and<br />
praises Americans who worked<br />
for human rights, listing Dorothy Day<br />
along with Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr,<br />
and Thomas Merton, the monk philosopher, 2015<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pope_Francis_Visits_the_United_States_Capitol_(22153720701).jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> Wikimedia Commons and US government</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Pope Francis named one other person, who might not be as well known publicly. Her life's works, however, were outstanding and represent the best that the Christian faith, and specifically Roman Catholicism, have to offer. This person Pope Francis praised was a woman named Dorothy Day. The Pope specifically recognized what he called her "passion for justice."<br />
<br />
Dorothy Day was born in 1897 in Brooklyn Heights in New York City. Her father was of Irish descent, while her mother was of English descent. (The name "Day" is an English version of the old Irish Gaelic name "O Deaghaidh.") Dorothy was born into an Episcopal home.<br />
<br />
Dorothy got an early taste of how social activism can help people in need after her family moved to San Francisco where her father worked as a sports writer and journalist. Her family lived through the terrible 1906 earthquake in the Bay Area which destroyed much of San Francisco and left many people in dire conditions and seriously affected the Day family. She saw how lives could be affected and yet improved when neighbors, during times of trouble, helped other neighbors in need. The Day family, like many others in San Francisco, suffered from the earthquake's aftermath; her father lost his job.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOJ0VCoON7ks7uhx9VOGAR2phvPsWQYYyzhB3NZIhC10QTXO2uihHLNWXtfEIulcQColexFnbcAtHMVbiHXEK9v6_E6MKeeRImyQJmZOvH5LZ429qITtKqIU_TJszMDFHLUzB7L-MAM0/s1600/1200px-Sfearthquake3b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1200" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOJ0VCoON7ks7uhx9VOGAR2phvPsWQYYyzhB3NZIhC10QTXO2uihHLNWXtfEIulcQColexFnbcAtHMVbiHXEK9v6_E6MKeeRImyQJmZOvH5LZ429qITtKqIU_TJszMDFHLUzB7L-MAM0/s400/1200px-Sfearthquake3b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake, 1906<br />
Dorothy Day's family survived the earthquake,<br />
but her father lost his job and the family became poor.<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sfearthquake3b.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from </a>US Archives and Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After the family relocated to Chicago, where they now lived in a working class area, Dorothy began to educate herself by reading. She read about people in need and people who were being oppressed. She read books like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jungle" target="_blank">Upton Sinclair's</a> <i>The Jungle, </i>which dealt with the oppression of workers in the meat packing industry and which discussed socialism and anarchy as a response.<br />
<br />
She studied the works of Peter <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Kropotkin" target="_blank">Kropotkin</a>, a Russian intellectual who advocated social reforms; and she began to focus on Russian literature, which had both a social and religious message. Especially she read the works of Leo Tolstoy and Fyodr Dostoevsky. Her reading made her more and more interested in social activism as a solution to poverty and oppression.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrJtBEOO1XWtKE_l3KRF5z0zZuWjJj-tPLxiYerIujEZj2B_XclFdaQ261D0kwWEE6n_bTxxiuMJDeFHtFk5dKLneA448p_vAFPpQ3d93qdUdp7rGF3B82LJhw6QePUmMDOSmkaBkjsY/s1600/680px-Leo_Tolstoi_v_kabinetie.05.1908.ws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="680" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQrJtBEOO1XWtKE_l3KRF5z0zZuWjJj-tPLxiYerIujEZj2B_XclFdaQ261D0kwWEE6n_bTxxiuMJDeFHtFk5dKLneA448p_vAFPpQ3d93qdUdp7rGF3B82LJhw6QePUmMDOSmkaBkjsY/s200/680px-Leo_Tolstoi_v_kabinetie.05.1908.ws.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leo Tolstoy at his desk, 1908<br />
His writings on pacifism<br />
influenced Dorothy Day<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leo_Tolstoi_v_kabinetie.05.1908.ws.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> Library of Congress<br />
and Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Dorothy received a formal education at the University of Illinois at Urbana Campaign, focusing on literature; but she left school after two years and moved to New York. Her main interest was in social work with a religious overtone.<br />
<br />
In New York City she lived in the Lower East Side near the Bowery; this area was at that time a home for immigrants and the working class. She took jobs as a writer for several socialist and activist newspapers. Her political philosophy was a mixture of socialism, anarchism (partly based on the writings of Tolstoy), and Syndicalism -- a type of socialism mixed with a support of labor unions such as the Industrial Workers of the World, the IWW. (Note that both Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Mother Jones, the other two members of our trilogy on women activists, were also associated with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Workers_of_the_World" target="_blank">IWW</a>.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKy_ryjdp3OF88bVTFZRDvPZxZSmNqtQaBSYwf95OEXSO-xXNhkm5InBha5fshOtYJvmAhQS3n3Z-AR5BRprlECvvu_3hEg0sHVt26wmMBThivShzjx1nuRc038BK877_busFYyCY9R_Y/s1600/398px-Dorothy_Day_1916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="398" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKy_ryjdp3OF88bVTFZRDvPZxZSmNqtQaBSYwf95OEXSO-xXNhkm5InBha5fshOtYJvmAhQS3n3Z-AR5BRprlECvvu_3hEg0sHVt26wmMBThivShzjx1nuRc038BK877_busFYyCY9R_Y/s400/398px-Dorothy_Day_1916.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorothy Day in 1916<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dorothy_Day_1916.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
She became an activist herself for women's suffrage and was in fact arrested in a protest march for women's rights. She stayed in jail for 16 days and went on a hunger strike.<br />
<br />
She lived for a while in Greenwich Village and adopted a somewhat Bohemian lifestyle. She met and had a close relationship with the Irish American writer Eugene O'Neill. It is likely that O'Neill influenced her. O'Neill helped her to see the importance of spirituality and religion in social activism.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-UP1w0mYK1Rcyii3wupDkiIVqCvRHBuDsW1watFi_aY2NMsY2JhLFjDCBHysjl3jvSnWI04_-3uR_PGoVhECCAHivtgR6EzxJFoIlBvnbhrTztUOA2g5uCehCOFsewmHHAih03BSd8Q/s1600/ONeill-Eugene-LOC+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-UP1w0mYK1Rcyii3wupDkiIVqCvRHBuDsW1watFi_aY2NMsY2JhLFjDCBHysjl3jvSnWI04_-3uR_PGoVhECCAHivtgR6EzxJFoIlBvnbhrTztUOA2g5uCehCOFsewmHHAih03BSd8Q/s200/ONeill-Eugene-LOC+%25282%2529.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eugene O'Neill, the Nobel<br />
Prize recipient and playwright, with<br />
whom Dorothy Day had a relationship<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ONeill-Eugene-LOC.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In New York she became friends with <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2019/01/irish-women-activists-trilogy-elizabeth.html" target="_blank">Elizabeth Gurley Flynn</a>. Flynn and Dorothy became life-long friends, and there was mutual admiration. They agreed on a common goal -- helping the poor and the oppressed. But they differed on the means to the end. Flynn advocated revolutionary communism; Day advocated Christianity, social reforms, and pacifism.<br />
<br />
Dorothy freely associated with radicals and communists, but she was not a communist herself. Dorothy was opposed to atheism and any form of violence or violent revolution. She also rejected the hostility inherent in communism based on socio-economic class struggle or class warfare. Her beliefs were completely peaceful and Christian and especially Catholic in nature.<br />
<br />
Dorothy Day had personal relationships with men, and she once had an abortion. She later regretted the abortion, however. She later had a common-law marriage with a political activist and scientist, Forster Batterham, and had a child -- although the common-law marriage eventually failed.<br />
<br />
Dorothy first became seriously interested in Catholicism upon meeting a Catholic nun named Sister Aloysia. Dorothy had her own child baptized Catholic, and in December of 1927 Dorothy herself was baptized into the Catholic religion.<br />
<br />
Dorothy Day continued her work as a journalist writing articles on topics as diverse as gardening and aspects of Catholicism. Stories on gardening paid the bills, while stories on religion were her passion and calling.<br />
<br />
In 1932 she met a Frenchman named Peter Maurin, who was a leader of a movement advocating Christian social activism. His main interest was in helping the poor. Needless to say, with the Great Depression now fully engaged, the poor were everywhere. People who may have been middle class or even well-off were now jobless, and in many cases, homeless and hungry.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOUNKjq_x6TtFXfm_26K_C_300l5hLgfEZWxvnMxdUyajNXNADn-BR0mmNQ2euCRK8WOADWTUmEi5LAOzTpnLlgrIjlAoTPIvv_hmjeW-gL72zHf5hOitkrXNbh4PmG2tdOJ8C6d-8fs/s1600/Peter_Maurin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOUNKjq_x6TtFXfm_26K_C_300l5hLgfEZWxvnMxdUyajNXNADn-BR0mmNQ2euCRK8WOADWTUmEi5LAOzTpnLlgrIjlAoTPIvv_hmjeW-gL72zHf5hOitkrXNbh4PmG2tdOJ8C6d-8fs/s400/Peter_Maurin.jpg" width="316" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter Maurin in 1934, a French social activist and<br />
De la Salle brother who helped<br />
create the Catholic Worker<br />
newspaper with Dorothy Day<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Maurin.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> Marquette University archive<br />
and Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
In May of 1933, Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin published the first issue of a newspaper called<i> Catholic Worker</i>. This was the start of Dorothy Day's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Worker" target="_blank">Catholic Worker</a> movement. This would become the centerpiece of her life's work. She also ran a social services center called Catholic Worker House in New York City.<br />
<br />
Today there is still a Catholic Worker publication and house in New York City and in many other cities, both in the USA and overseas. See <a href="https://www.catholicworker.org/" target="_blank">this link</a>. There is a Catholic Worker program in New Orleans, Louisiana, for example. See <a href="http://neworleanscatholicworker.weebly.com/" target="_blank">this link</a>. (You can read more about the Catholic Worker House in New Orleans, also called the St. Thomas House of Hospitality, at this link to a story in the <a href="https://clarionherald.org/2014/04/01/nola-catholic-worker-house-is-a-sharing-place/" target="_blank">Clarion Herald</a>, the local Catholic journal.)<br />
<br />
The Catholic Worker Houses or centers provide food, housing, and emotional and spiritual care to all people in need.<br />
<br />
The Catholic Worker newspaper had a strong influence, and some of the writers for it included the philosopher monk Thomas Merton and the Jesuit priest activist Daniel Berrigan, SJ.<br />
<br />
<br />
Dorothy Day had a profound influence on social activism based on the Catholic faith with the aims of helping the poor and advocating pacifism. (Dorothy discussed much of her philosophy in her autobiographical book called "The Long Loneliness.")<br />
<br />
Some of Day's positions in the Catholic Worker were controversial. She opposed the fascist Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War of 1936 -1939, although Franco won the support of the Catholic Church. Notably, she advocated pacifism during World War 2 even after the Japanese bombed the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor and Adolf Hitler overran much of Europe. She felt injustice and aggression should be opposed through non-violent means.<br />
<br />
Such extreme positions lost her much support, but she held to her beliefs. Years later she made favorable reference's to Fidel Castro's communist regime in Cuba, seeing him as an advocate for social reforms. And she opposed the US involvement in the war in Vietnam.<br />
<br />
Dorothy Day was consistent, however, in supporting social justice. She defended Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, who was denounced by the Soviets as a traitor, for his writings against the abuses of Joseph Stalin and communism in the USSR.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpt0UJxqkkMxB_PQrV6kE0hW0xF98mKOoV1tSwN579_Fxx7W0TDIXJstiAah9fsymIhdqyF8R7-ySYwI5A9gHLYROn1I7cv_5oif35V4tGOxYjie01zcCuIVKoOYL_GIagXkHF06wJ9Hc/s1600/Aleksandr_Solzhenitsyn_1974crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="478" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpt0UJxqkkMxB_PQrV6kE0hW0xF98mKOoV1tSwN579_Fxx7W0TDIXJstiAah9fsymIhdqyF8R7-ySYwI5A9gHLYROn1I7cv_5oif35V4tGOxYjie01zcCuIVKoOYL_GIagXkHF06wJ9Hc/s200/Aleksandr_Solzhenitsyn_1974crop.jpg" width="159" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn in 1974, the<br />
anti-communist writer and Nobel Prize recipient, <br />
whom Dorothy Day defended against Soviet critics<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aleksandr_Solzhenitsyn_1974crop.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
She also met with social justice leaders around the world such as Mother Teresa of India and Cesar Chavez, the labor rights activist in the USA.<br />
<br />
As an example of how influential Dorothy became, in 1972 the Jesuit magazine named <i>America </i>labeled her the "best in the aspiration and action in the American Catholic Community" since the 1930s.<br />
<br />
Today there is an effort to have Dorothy Day canonized as a saint.<br />
See <a href="https://www.catholicworker.org/announcements.html" target="_blank">this link</a>.<br />
<br />
Like other Irish American activists such as Mother Jones and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Dorothy Day, though controversial and often taking positions contrary to the prevailing public mood or the powers-that-be, took a stand for justice, for peace, and for the rights of the poor.<br />
<br />
Dorothy Day died of a heart attack in November, 1980. She was buried in the Cemetery of the Resurrection on Staten Island, New York. Cardinal Terence Cooke attended her funeral procession at the Church of the Nativity in the East Village, NY. Cardinal Cooke later held a mass for Dorothy Day at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.<br />
<br />
For the sake of historical research, the papers of Dorothy Day are stored at Marquette University, a Jesuit educational institution.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources and Further Reading: Short <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIknaD0qtOU" target="_blank">video on Dorothy Day</a> by Fr. James Martin, SJ; Wikipedia's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Day#Early_years" target="_blank">article on </a>Dorothy Day; <a href="https://www.catholicworker.org/dorothyday/dd-biography.html" target="_blank">Catholic Worker online; </a><a href="http://neworleanscatholicworker.weebly.com/" target="_blank">New Orleans Catholic Worker</a>; essay by Jim Forest on the <a href="https://www.catholicworker.org/forest-history.html" target="_blank">Catholic Worker Movement </a>. See more about Catholic Worker communities<a href="https://www.catholicworker.org/communities/" target="_blank"> here.</a> Read about the Catholic Worker House in New Orleans <a href="https://clarionherald.org/2014/04/01/nola-catholic-worker-house-is-a-sharing-place/" target="_blank">here</a>. Please note that The Catholic Worker House in New Orleans, aka St. Thomas House of Hospitality, has a relationship with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hopehouseneworleans/" target="_blank">Hope House of New Orleans </a>which was co-founded by Sr. Lory Schaff, CSJ. Sr. Lory was the director of the St. Vincent de Paul-Adult Learning Center in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Read more about St. Vincent de Paul -- Adult Learning Center<a href="http://svdpalc.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> here.</a><br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-74922858818528712902019-01-15T19:19:00.001-06:002019-01-15T20:16:31.567-06:00Irish Women Activists Trilogy: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiNd0O1IsyYZpmpM49toM8ScR2iMGSn573XYu6CTvX5jaSxztCciKzVeiEIOxsNGuqyWGGKRHwLArolqIyWrC50IRQrkqMUY10pgwZ83NxpN_VOslUi-r3ZePBIl6upSq5XYvFJ5wZSY/s1600/Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson%252C_New_Jersey%252C_June_1913..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyiNd0O1IsyYZpmpM49toM8ScR2iMGSn573XYu6CTvX5jaSxztCciKzVeiEIOxsNGuqyWGGKRHwLArolqIyWrC50IRQrkqMUY10pgwZ83NxpN_VOslUi-r3ZePBIl6upSq5XYvFJ5wZSY/s320/Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson%252C_New_Jersey%252C_June_1913..jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth Gurley Flynn<br />
speaking at a silk workers'<br />
strike in Patterson, New Jersey,<br />
1913 <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_addresses_striking_silk_workers_in_Paterson,_New_Jersey,_June_1913..jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAefamPl5xu2XUyd8CAm2g9mBXV-ynrDMFmBU83w9y7OFKDGvwLOeR4i74qLnXbRCq6Xk32MAKHmRYxrVh-LaG0Jo2xEWznabYzA1XOeE56GDNw-11uOWRw6q1glydynWp3f7n6PIN2n0/s1600/Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn%252C_Portland%252C_Oregon%252C_Not_dated..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="377" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAefamPl5xu2XUyd8CAm2g9mBXV-ynrDMFmBU83w9y7OFKDGvwLOeR4i74qLnXbRCq6Xk32MAKHmRYxrVh-LaG0Jo2xEWznabYzA1XOeE56GDNw-11uOWRw6q1glydynWp3f7n6PIN2n0/s320/Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn%252C_Portland%252C_Oregon%252C_Not_dated..jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth Gurley Flynn<br />
Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
Editor's Note: This is the second of a trilogy on Irish women activists. Find the first article on Mary Harris "Mother" Jones <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2019/01/irish-women-activists-trilogy-mary.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn: The Rebel Girl (1890 to 1964)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpt4ZvApFktU9jIWzKzUc2q8u2NGQ6CqjZWyd_siI7TNF6GC2R1hveottKm9jwsRTY_b6Kvm0ksZ85gj3i6yGxJrjHoa_UrySC3Kz5ezWqxflQ2ADESVg_fpN0v09Hce8sJXumLHmOg2c/s1600/Nannie_Coleson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="569" data-original-width="800" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpt4ZvApFktU9jIWzKzUc2q8u2NGQ6CqjZWyd_siI7TNF6GC2R1hveottKm9jwsRTY_b6Kvm0ksZ85gj3i6yGxJrjHoa_UrySC3Kz5ezWqxflQ2ADESVg_fpN0v09Hce8sJXumLHmOg2c/s400/Nannie_Coleson.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of child labor in 1914 in North Carolina.<br />
Nannie Colson, 11 years old, earned $3 per week<br />
as a "looper" in the clothing factory<br />
Library of Congress, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nannie_Coleson.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, working conditions in industrialized Europe and America were often brutal and dangerous. The laws offered little protections for workers then; and capitalism -- although successful in many ways -- was typically unbridled, exploitative, and hostile towards workers. It was a difficult time for the working man, and women and children had few rights and protections. When economic times got rough, workers became desperate.<br />
<br />
Because of these dreadful conditions, some political activists became more extreme, seeking solutions out of the mainstream. Some became socialists or anarchists. Others followed the new philosophy of the day proposed by Karl Marx -- Communism.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Today we know Communism is a totally failed system. It made lofty promises such as the ability to create "a workers' paradise." It had idealistic slogans like, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs." It asked the workers of the world to unite for they had nothing to lose but their chains.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_CW3r1OedzyihzuVOCaacqXWhS7zbDLiEt9ENDD7pJAb4UwClDhZ9D_z8Zby5CeiAvLS38YQ5zD4AIso1Y6400W4ZlByP6sc0aSe61IlzQgrzvg8694kvZCqaw4rMtkBdAXpgVsJUks/s1600/Chicago_garment_workers%2527_strike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="430" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_CW3r1OedzyihzuVOCaacqXWhS7zbDLiEt9ENDD7pJAb4UwClDhZ9D_z8Zby5CeiAvLS38YQ5zD4AIso1Y6400W4ZlByP6sc0aSe61IlzQgrzvg8694kvZCqaw4rMtkBdAXpgVsJUks/s400/Chicago_garment_workers%2527_strike.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garment Workers' strike in Chicago, 1910<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chicago_garment_workers%27_strike.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
In reality Communism, where ever it appeared resulted in oppression by a new ruling class -- the Communist Party elites -- who simply replaced the old ruling class of Capitalist elites.<br />
<br />
Communism where ever it appeared -- in Russia, China, and elsewhere -- resulted in tyranny and a loss of civil liberties, including a loss of fundamental freedoms such as freedom of speech, the press, and of religion. Furthermore, it failed to accomplish its main objective -- economic justice for workers.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, considering the terrible oppression workers lived under in the early 20th century, some economic and political activists tried socialism and communism as a solution to their problems. One such activist was Elizabeth Gurley Flynn. Her heart was in the right place; but her solution was wrong.<br />
<br />
Eventually nicknamed "The Rebel Girl" because of her revolutionary ideas, fiery speeches, and political activism, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn was born in New Hampshire to Irish immigrants. Her mother was Annie Gurley from Galway, Ireland; her father was Thomas Flynn from County Mayo, Ireland. In typical Irish fashion, she was a rebel. There was even a song about her called "The Rebel Girl; and this was the name of her autobiography too.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Rjwjzgj2vWowtfMDxBG8H8BHhlMQzzR_Weqd8-Toorq2Y0oBbdbF8xw8TaIDAvl3nDDnb6j9iprUhZqowZNuKjR_hCtm6U7wx_p8Z2nPTIm_bLJMWn3O598hMzm48sXI67CkXxpl4tE/s1600/1912_Lawrence_Textile_Strike_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="496" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Rjwjzgj2vWowtfMDxBG8H8BHhlMQzzR_Weqd8-Toorq2Y0oBbdbF8xw8TaIDAvl3nDDnb6j9iprUhZqowZNuKjR_hCtm6U7wx_p8Z2nPTIm_bLJMWn3O598hMzm48sXI67CkXxpl4tE/s400/1912_Lawrence_Textile_Strike_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawrence, Massachusetts textile workers strike in 1912<br />
State militia with rifles and fixed bayonets against unarmed <br />
striking workers, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1912_Lawrence_Textile_Strike_1.jpg" target="_blank">led by the IWW</a> <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1912_Lawrence_Textile_Strike_1.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Her Irish father instilled upon Elizabeth the importance of rebelling against tyranny by teaching her Irish history. Elizabeth once wrote that "when one understood British imperialism, it was an open window to all imperialism." Elizabeth thus developed a hatred of oppression in general, in a sense, comparing any oppression, political or economic, to the oppression Britain forced upon Ireland for centuries.<br />
<br />
She became knowledgeable of Irish history, and came to believe that each generation of her ancestors had played a role in a rebellion against British tyranny in Ireland. She saw herself as a continuation of Irish rebellion against oppression, anywhere and everywhere.<br />
<br />
When the family moved to the Bronx in New York, her father, Thomas Flynn, became active in socialism and politics. He, along with Elizabeth's mother, taught their daughter about these topics.<br />
<br />
Because of the family's poverty and the awful conditions workers lived under then, socialism was seen as the best solution to the problem. Instead of having the means of production owned by a few big shot capitalists, the means of production should be controlled by the people, or the state which in theory represented the people.<br />
<br />
Elizabeth came to believe, as she later stated, that "scientific socialism made it clear that it was not a poor man's fault if he was out of work." She felt people could be poor because they simply did not want to exploit their fellow man or woman, the way capitalists did.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIi-SEhpIBI2Y9LX3osnx3nyZYZtP98tsjDmI95JR4_sH9iAoJB4312K6iRyDkwBUCBA5MQyo72nvRjNjComTMiOGlvcyTmeLUjTekDJVd5GD2bLBTHVTJ2xhqhRG-J2TglYdZSljrWY/s1600/800px-Lane_Cotton_Mill_Workers_New_Orleans_1913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="800" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIi-SEhpIBI2Y9LX3osnx3nyZYZtP98tsjDmI95JR4_sH9iAoJB4312K6iRyDkwBUCBA5MQyo72nvRjNjComTMiOGlvcyTmeLUjTekDJVd5GD2bLBTHVTJ2xhqhRG-J2TglYdZSljrWY/s400/800px-Lane_Cotton_Mill_Workers_New_Orleans_1913.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Workers of the Lane Cotton Mill in New Orleans,<br />
Louisiana from 1913, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lane_Cotton_Mill_Workers_New_Orleans_1913.jpg" target="_blank">original photo</a> by Lewis Hine,<br />
from the Library of Congress and Wikimedia Commons.<br />
Note how young some of the workers look.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Elizabeth began to educate herself on politics by reading on the subject including the works of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Kropotkin" target="_blank">Peter Kropotkin,</a> a Russia political activist who believed in anarcho-communism; and she extended her education to feminist politics. She developed impressive public speaking abilities, and in fact made her first public speech at the Harlem Socialist Club at only 15 years of age. Her topic was "What Socialism will do for women."<br />
<br />
(Here is a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw5JgrZA-HE" target="_blank">youtube link</a> to a reproduction of a speech she gave in Union Square in New York City in 1914. This is related to the <a href="https://www.tenement.org/" target="_blank">Tenement Museum</a> in New York City.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMskWShPZPbbZU62dSFJDSNYVcson7g93gInJETZf8WvGU6rC4-lPQq1j-gBcfX6GYX1F5Qf8_r38V-a-J8vEnMBL9WHdD47dUOCdo6H5bbuVJg2VMDWkBLmk9SB8tjxi99U8mflFi8I/s1600/343px-Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_point.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="343" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMskWShPZPbbZU62dSFJDSNYVcson7g93gInJETZf8WvGU6rC4-lPQq1j-gBcfX6GYX1F5Qf8_r38V-a-J8vEnMBL9WHdD47dUOCdo6H5bbuVJg2VMDWkBLmk9SB8tjxi99U8mflFi8I/s640/343px-Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_point.jpg" width="366" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Rebel Girl"<br />
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn making a speech,<br />
circa 1910<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn_point.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from the </a>Library of Congress and<br />
Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
An interesting anecdote about Elizabeth states that a Broadway producer once proposed to make her an actress. She had such a tremendous public speaking ability and commanding stage presence, he figured crowds would love it. But Elizabeth refused saying she did not want to act; she wanted to speak ... her own words.<br />
<br />
She was electrifying as an extemporaneous speaker and motivator; some people compared her to Saint Joan of Arc. She was clearly very intelligent and became a first class orator. She did not, however, graduate from high school, leaving Morris High School in the Bronx. She regretted this move later but nevertheless continued to educate herself.<br />
<br />
Elizabeth married J.A. Jones in 1907, an activist with an economic political organization called the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). She and her husband had two sons, one of whom died shortly after birth; and the other son only lived to be 30. Despite being in love, her marriage also did not last. We must wonder to what extent these tragedies affected her later behavior.<br />
<br />
Flynn worked for the IWW and continued to make rousing speeches against capitalism and advocating workers' rights and women's rights. She fought for economic rights for laborers as diverse as garment workers, textile workers, restaurant workers, and coal miners. He relationship with the IWW became strained over time, however, for various reasons. (IWW members were nicknamed "Wobblies.")<br />
<br />
Amazingly, in 1920 she played a key role in creating a new political and legal organization -- the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She is recorded as being one of its founders.<br />
<br />
She was a strong advocate for the women's right to vote (which became American law with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" target="_blank">19th Amendment </a>to the US Constitution in 1920) and was an advocate for the legalization of birth control (which was not legalized even for married couples in the USA until the US Supreme Court decision of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griswold_v._Connecticut" target="_blank">Griswald </a>v Connecticut.) In this way Elizabeth showed that she was way ahead of her time, anticipating fundamental societal, political, and legal changes in America.<br />
<br />
Flynn was involved in many workers' strikes and was arrested several times for various reasons relating to her activism, which were always non-violent, though very vocal.<br />
<br />
In 1936, however, Elizabeth made a critical move in her life; she joined the Communist Party of the USA. This radical move resulted in her expulsion from the leadership of the ACLU. In 1940 she was removed from the governing board.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZycatdA9nAt-A4BO_vnhTLDg5QdFmc08RwzhN1Me1LK8S33PidY52Bml7mSfmUW7t-8vWodrthgiu-UyfQNwtKokb9hAoCyNOmWv4NeCmMO55qbZnmhICiSHt1OJDUiZnioSLWIKC9kw/s1600/Paterson_strike_leaders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="223" data-original-width="336" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZycatdA9nAt-A4BO_vnhTLDg5QdFmc08RwzhN1Me1LK8S33PidY52Bml7mSfmUW7t-8vWodrthgiu-UyfQNwtKokb9hAoCyNOmWv4NeCmMO55qbZnmhICiSHt1OJDUiZnioSLWIKC9kw/s400/Paterson_strike_leaders.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth Gurley Flynn at the Patterson<br />
Silk Workers Strike, 1913<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paterson_strike_leaders.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Elizabeth became a journalist for the newspaper of the Communist Party USA called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Worker" target="_blank">Daily Worker</a>. In 1942 she even ran in an election for Congress, but she lost. She did, however, get almost 50,000 votes.<br />
<br />
Elizabeth was arrested in 1951 under the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_Act" target="_blank">Smith Act,</a> for advocating the violent over throw of the US government, largely because of her membership in the Communist Party. She was not involved in any violence, just accused of "advocating" a violent overthrow.<br />
<br />
Despite the argument that she was exercising her right of free speech, protected under the US Constitution's First Amendment, she was found guilty and sent to jail.<br />
<br />
Elizabeth served two years at a federal prison at Alderson, West Virginia. She considered herself to be a political prisoner and wrote an account of her experience called <i>The Alderson Story: My Life as a Political Prisoner.</i><br />
<br />
When she got out of jail, she simply picked up where she left off. Elizabeth made speeches and advocated Communism. She ran for public office, for New York City Council, and lost.<br />
<br />
Flynn became the chairwoman the Communist Party USA in 1961 and traveled to the Soviet Union. In 1964, however, at age 74, she died while visiting the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqZxYBiW0IUrcjc4Y7hXNMW2drt2F8AjPLn2kNrEVshMufFEQUivlu6i66-U42DKi16j3579DzAXZ7ov9NaEhi3Y5kP6pIiuWwFwQXGe1MVIEN02LLn7T0JKckQ-f22mGmH-MF4A9xDs/s1600/The_Rebel_Girl_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqZxYBiW0IUrcjc4Y7hXNMW2drt2F8AjPLn2kNrEVshMufFEQUivlu6i66-U42DKi16j3579DzAXZ7ov9NaEhi3Y5kP6pIiuWwFwQXGe1MVIEN02LLn7T0JKckQ-f22mGmH-MF4A9xDs/s400/The_Rebel_Girl_cover.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover page to sheet music written<br />
for a song called "Rebel Girl"<br />
about Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, 1915<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Rebel_Girl_cover.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The Russians held a state funeral for her in Moscow, and reportedly 25,000 people attended. Her remains where sent back to the USA, and she was buried in Chicago. (Here is a link <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36oJtxtU7mE" target="_blank">to a video</a> of her state funeral in Moscow.)<br />
<br />
It is interesting to note that Elizabeth donated her belongings (consisting mainly of personal items like books, clothes, and some furniture) to another Irish American woman activist (the third subject of our trilogy) named Dorothy Day, the founder of the newspaper <i>Catholic Worker</i>.<br />
<br />
Dorothy and Elizabeth became friends in New York around 1910, and both shared an interest in helping the poor and the working class. Elizabeth would send needed supplies sometimes to help Dorothy at the Catholic Worker House, a social services center Dorothy operated in New York.<br />
<br />
Dorothy Day, though a socialist, found salvation for the poor through Catholicism, charity, and spiritual aid, while Elizabeth advocated Communism.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_962bVIFzcKXHkNRW5Vrax1G-nVRDSdbZW42LJWBZxLR4ZmN44PRqdZ80MRz4_Ij40kmsBTJooI5VGVPAW81Vpv7yGNMpMS3zSz1FQelCmRFgd0ZpUWbM9GW-sxJndusL3hJ6JHTSQg/s1600/Dorothy_Day%252C_1916_%2528cropped%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1099" data-original-width="778" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_962bVIFzcKXHkNRW5Vrax1G-nVRDSdbZW42LJWBZxLR4ZmN44PRqdZ80MRz4_Ij40kmsBTJooI5VGVPAW81Vpv7yGNMpMS3zSz1FQelCmRFgd0ZpUWbM9GW-sxJndusL3hJ6JHTSQg/s200/Dorothy_Day%252C_1916_%2528cropped%2529.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dorothy Day, friend of<br />
Elizabeth's and head<br />
of the Catholic Worker<br />
House, journalist and social<br />
activist, 1916<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dorothy_Day,_1916_(cropped).jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Interestingly, among the many noteworthy people Elizabeth befriended during her life's work in activism were the Irish revolutionary and socialist James Connolly, who was executed by the British in the famous Easter 1916 Rebellion in Dublin, and also <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2019/01/irish-women-activists-trilogy-mary.html" target="_blank">Mary Harris "Mother" Jones</a> (the first woman of our trilogy on women activists.) She also knew John Reed, the Harvard-educated, socialist journalist, who wrote about the Bolshevik Revolution in his book <i>Ten Days that Shook the World</i> (and who was portrayed by Warren Beatty in the film <i>Reds</i>.)<br />
<br />
How can we asses the life of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn? Different people will see her in different ways, of course. As for me, she was clearly an intelligent and talented person who initially and generally advocated for good causes -- workers' rights, equal rights, women's rights, and social justice. She was right in that social and economic reforms were definitely needed at that time.<br />
<br />
She was misguided, however, to think socialism would solve the economic problems of the poor. And she was tragically mistaken to join the Communist Party and be fooled into believing that Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism, or any ism that sprang from the communist philosophy could do anything but result in more tyranny and more oppression.<br />
<br />
We need only look to the many millions of innocent people who died under Communist regimes to see the tragic error Elisabeth made. Some historians believe the number of people who were killed under communism to be around <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_killings_under_communist_regimes" target="_blank">100 million</a>.<br />
<br />
Despite the mistakes Elizabeth made in her life, she was a remarkable woman; and a study of her life (with both the good and bad things she did) is worthwhile.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources and Further Reading: See wikipedia.com's article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Gurley_Flynn" target="_blank">Flynn</a>; <a href="https://socialistworker.org/2012/08/07/the-story-of-the-rebel-girl" target="_blank">"The Story of the Rebel Girl" </a>by Benjamin Silverman at socialistworker.com; speech by Elizabeth with the Tenement Museum at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw5JgrZA-HE" target="_blank">youtube </a> ; <a href="https://irishamerica.com/2017/09/weekly-comment-remembering-the-irish-of-labor-history/" target="_blank">Weekly Comment: The Irish of Labor History</a> from irishamerica.com </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-34358859068599394352019-01-08T13:55:00.001-06:002019-01-08T16:57:52.396-06:00Irish Women Activists Trilogy: Mary Harris Jones, "Mother Jones" <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXStiphJuN4gScfKSSvA-SaZeT6FJAUOs18PFJKJ4UUYaPvMtHnkDjSqb6UsuCcSMdFNVMr7zblhh5ynei5n_JBa7aR3tWe56AtkcVW6C8hyomin9OMJHMxr4_-KKEoDs6uK09PoaBvBs/s1600/406px-Mother_Jones_1902-11-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="406" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXStiphJuN4gScfKSSvA-SaZeT6FJAUOs18PFJKJ4UUYaPvMtHnkDjSqb6UsuCcSMdFNVMr7zblhh5ynei5n_JBa7aR3tWe56AtkcVW6C8hyomin9OMJHMxr4_-KKEoDs6uK09PoaBvBs/s320/406px-Mother_Jones_1902-11-04.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Harris Jones,"Mother Jones"<br />
Photo from Library of Congress<br />
and Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
(Editor's Note: The Irish, it seems, have always been involved in politics. This is almost certainly the result of 800 years of occupation and oppression in Ireland by a foreign and hostile power. For 800 years Great Britain occupied Irish lands and oppressed Irish people, mainly for religious and ethnic reasons. But there were other reasons, including economic ones. The British exploited Ireland and its people for money and the equivalents of money.<br />
<br />
It is no wonder that the Irish produced over the centuries not just rebels for a political cause, but rebels with an economic cause.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiiVbuhcY5EgeH0FRsViECoWs74Wo-4TaNw4FbK-E82FfOsb2PhMXtoPKQ-x8CacZvGW-xcZx4nW3UND3Pw22eNZyN6UYfP3Oe1BpoVyTZ_cCKJELS_beOwjxmTNc4PWAd7yRu9pfmSo/s1600/James_Connolly2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="618" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaiiVbuhcY5EgeH0FRsViECoWs74Wo-4TaNw4FbK-E82FfOsb2PhMXtoPKQ-x8CacZvGW-xcZx4nW3UND3Pw22eNZyN6UYfP3Oe1BpoVyTZ_cCKJELS_beOwjxmTNc4PWAd7yRu9pfmSo/s200/James_Connolly2.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Connolly, Irish Rebel and<br />
socialist who was executed<br />
by the British after the<br />
Easter 1916 Rebellion<br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Connolly2.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Many Irish men became famous for struggling for economic justice, not just for the Irish, but for all people. We can think of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Connolly" target="_blank">James Connolly </a> who fought in the bloody 1916 Easter Rebellion in Dublin who also was an advocate of socialism and economic equality.<br />
<br />
We can think of men who advocated economic justice by the pen rather than the sword such as Eugene O'Neill, the Irish American author of famous plays about people who lived on the fringes of life. (See more about Eugene O'Neill at <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/06/us-postage-stamp-1967-eugene-oneill-and.html" target="_blank">my article</a> on him.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfiBfsTB-T6O9IvHNcr75vDit_Y9J0NU4cdFqfodVReuphWS87RnxtroCtuNlLRnKPPwMdF-tAm76WvxDGsLtAxfFvbHmzkt5Tdi0l0FHLHknQelwyv35_-W-XT2a-273OwnE7RBesKg/s1600/ONeill-Eugene-LOC+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfiBfsTB-T6O9IvHNcr75vDit_Y9J0NU4cdFqfodVReuphWS87RnxtroCtuNlLRnKPPwMdF-tAm76WvxDGsLtAxfFvbHmzkt5Tdi0l0FHLHknQelwyv35_-W-XT2a-273OwnE7RBesKg/s200/ONeill-Eugene-LOC+%25281%2529.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eugene O'Neill,<br />
Irish American playwright and<br />
Nobel Prize recipient who<br />
wrote about social injustice<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ONeill-Eugene-LOC.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a><br />
Wikimedia Commons<br />
and Library of Congress</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
But it was not just Irish men who advocated and took great risks for economic and social justice; it was also Irish women.<br />
<br />
IrishAmericanJournal.com will now look at three Irish and Irish American women who took a stand against overwhelming odds and faced great difficulties to help other people in need. The next three articles, a trilogy, will be about Irish women activists and the impact they had not just on the Irish but on all people worldwide. We will examine Mary Harris Jones (Mother Jones), Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, and Dorothy Day.<br />
<br />
Women have always played a major part in Irish and Irish American history. There are many more fine examples besides these three above; but it is hoped that by studying the lives of these three significant women, readers will be encouraged to learn more about the subject.<br />
<br />
The article below is about Mary Harris Jones, a school teacher, an advocate for proper child labor laws, and a labor organizer who became famous and beloved as "Mother Jones." The next will be about Elizabeth Gurley Flynn -- a feminist, a socialist labor leader, and a leader of the political union called the International Workers of the World. The third and final article will cover the life of Dorothy Day, a founder of the <i>Catholic Worker </i>newspaper and social activist who was praised by Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis<i>.)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
Mary Harris Jones, "Mother Jones"<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3YO96muWm-wPXxf89jXSIdBuhpaoRFAS4ZOTxv2eftPDawUsL6JJoOYSRDgrLIbyKRKKHsZKHm_u_7Phq3UTNcToyymrPVNpAmoOdaGaa-lzrMJOefTP0czZwsWvp9UOVoeJhiZhO_0/s1600/Mother_Jones_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="609" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3YO96muWm-wPXxf89jXSIdBuhpaoRFAS4ZOTxv2eftPDawUsL6JJoOYSRDgrLIbyKRKKHsZKHm_u_7Phq3UTNcToyymrPVNpAmoOdaGaa-lzrMJOefTP0czZwsWvp9UOVoeJhiZhO_0/s320/Mother_Jones_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother Jones, circa 1912<br />
Photo from Library of Congress<br />
and <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mother_Jones_02.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Mary Harris was born in the city of Cork in Ireland in 1837.<br />
Her parents were poor Irish Catholic farmers who rented their land. She and her family fled Ireland for North America when she was young because of the potato blight and the Great Hunger (Potato Famine of 1845 to 1850.) The horrors of the Famine forever scarred the psyche of Mary Harris. One million Irish people died of starvation and disease in Ireland from 1845 to 1850, while another one million sailed away into permanent exile from Ireland. Most, like Mary's family, eventually came to the United States. (Read more about the Great Hunger at <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/08/coffin-ships.html" target="_blank">my article here.)</a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6QbVrLl1MSGedgQzKKl5EPp-EQ-esunuyN7Ku_XqM61DOp8iaVadrXpewUVI24grPG2L-FlS_GMF5MgNLLfyh_YddK7IprURuS4e1HKsyfufQmE56Qc920vs-Mq4OArfS19tGZfSCnY/s1600/Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony%252C_1847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="405" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6QbVrLl1MSGedgQzKKl5EPp-EQ-esunuyN7Ku_XqM61DOp8iaVadrXpewUVI24grPG2L-FlS_GMF5MgNLLfyh_YddK7IprURuS4e1HKsyfufQmE56Qc920vs-Mq4OArfS19tGZfSCnY/s320/Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony%252C_1847.JPG" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skibbereen, Ireland during the Great Hunger<br />
(Potato Famine) Illustrated London News, 1847<br />
by James Mahony from Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />In permanent exile Mary first lived in Canada and was educated in Toronto. After completing her schooling in her early 20s, she moved to Michigan and worked as a teacher in a Catholic convent school. She eventually moved on, first to Chicago and then to Memphis, TN. In 1861 she married a man named George Jones who was a labor leader.<br />
<br />
She and her husband had four children, but tragically the husband and all the children died from an epidemic of yellow fever in Memphis. Mary had abandoned teaching and began making dresses and women's clothing for a living, eventually moving back to Chicago.<br />
<br />
Tragedy again fell upon Mary when in 1871 the Great Chicago Fire destroyed her dress shop and home, as it destroyed much of the city.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6A2aCXl30-BT2fWjsy9rm2LW3b08wQZY6eLWkILSIx4WOqGUbmXlaoCObKD4PB9sBipGrzKLK95aJ7vghJX3WXD8xOKH6ciaK7eXZ0qPrL_y2Sd9SUXT8AbrerCgYsT4IZFhShb4cmwk/s1600/800px-Chicago_in_Flames_by_Currier_%2526_Ives%252C_1871_%2528cropped%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="799" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6A2aCXl30-BT2fWjsy9rm2LW3b08wQZY6eLWkILSIx4WOqGUbmXlaoCObKD4PB9sBipGrzKLK95aJ7vghJX3WXD8xOKH6ciaK7eXZ0qPrL_y2Sd9SUXT8AbrerCgYsT4IZFhShb4cmwk/s320/800px-Chicago_in_Flames_by_Currier_%2526_Ives%252C_1871_%2528cropped%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Chicago Fire of 1871<br />which destroyed the home and dress shop<br />of Mary Harris Jones<br />Photo by Currier and Ives, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chicago_in_Flames_by_Currier_%26_Ives,_1871_(cropped).jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Much like the story of the Irish philanthropist in New Orleans (also discussed on this blog, see <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/06/margaret-margaret-haughery-by-adrian.html" target="_blank">Margaret Haughery</a>), Mary Harris Jones, instead of being destroyed by tragedy, responded by doing positive things for her community.<br />
<br />
She became a member of the Knights of Labor and advocated for fair treatment of workers. She led strikes and put herself into dangerous situations when riots occurred sometimes mixed with violence and police brutality. She eventually joined the United Mine Workers and advocated for a fair wage.<br />
<br />
It is significant to note that some labor protests at this time became very dangerous and even deadly, such as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair" target="_blank">Haymarket Riot </a>in Chicago in 1886. At Haymarket, Workers protested police abuse and advocated an eight-hour working day. A bomb was thrown from the crowd at the police; the police opened fire; and there were many casualties. Such was the nature of protest in those days.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOFALvXqvNukWlwhT8Uh_bFr7TodbiNSL4XEKqUDkCIwB-BcR19XhDF6M8VXpaAwF7dmi1sE60tIFCbRRh4eSCEYX_lsa7_nMKKwgm_KCidorCAxTg2V8Ln0nytbX1aC1pddkNg9ewqM/s1600/HaymarketRiot-Harpers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="800" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOFALvXqvNukWlwhT8Uh_bFr7TodbiNSL4XEKqUDkCIwB-BcR19XhDF6M8VXpaAwF7dmi1sE60tIFCbRRh4eSCEYX_lsa7_nMKKwgm_KCidorCAxTg2V8Ln0nytbX1aC1pddkNg9ewqM/s400/HaymarketRiot-Harpers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Haymarket Riot in Chicago in 1886. <br />
Workers were demanding an eight hour working day<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HaymarketRiot-Harpers.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Harper's Weekly and Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Mary Harris Jones seemed to have a philosophy of social justice which had a mixture of Christian beliefs from her Roman Catholic background (indeed, her brother became a Catholic priest) and socialism. She became active with the Socialist Party of America. She was in fact one of the first organizers of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Workers_of_the_World#Founding" target="_blank">Industrial Workers of the World</a>, a Leftist political/economic labor organization and union.<br />
<br />
Mary would organize protests made up not just of striking men, but also of their wives and children. This made the protests very strong and persuasive. But it was also in keeping with Mary's strong belief in the importance of the family unit.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Gzm5N3GronHHh6pJrOMgX1qmYEL6J8vzYcxSyeGBJOL8hr3Mwl5mjX1zOh0YSFJtZp5x1omeNmErAv_PlA6O78z1Ace3EfV8vE5jr2-CUIipVWfdXWQ5TUEHUv0kt6ThV86JvKba4i0/s1600/800px-Child_Labor_in_United_States_1911a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="800" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Gzm5N3GronHHh6pJrOMgX1qmYEL6J8vzYcxSyeGBJOL8hr3Mwl5mjX1zOh0YSFJtZp5x1omeNmErAv_PlA6O78z1Ace3EfV8vE5jr2-CUIipVWfdXWQ5TUEHUv0kt6ThV86JvKba4i0/s400/800px-Child_Labor_in_United_States_1911a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Child workers at a cotton mill in 1911<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Child_Labor_in_United_States_1911a.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> the Library of Congress and<br />
Wikimedia Commons/Creative Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The elites of society and their political representatives, of course, feared and detested Mary Harris Jones. One politician, a district attorney called Reese Blizzard, who strongly opposed Mary called her "the most dangerous woman in America." Mary was on trial in 1902 before this man after being arrested for disregarding a judicial decree which banned a strike for miners in West Virginia.<br />
<br />
Interestingly, Mary was not an advocate for the women's right to vote. Rather she stressed workers' rights and fought for laws protecting the working class -- composed of men, women, and children. Some suffragettes criticized her for not openly supporting the women's vote.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOnQX-GFTvILUu16iK5XhEAoNnA3AGsTx0kFyR9REbjW-NfG51BKhK7M8GjijFbVDhCu9XBMIYVt0OcWRoIe0N7Bh7S618tBk7tQevs74Z98M6NvcaSlyKpBiRJiVQBZRdHF8fkiK5yI/s1600/800px-Mill_Children_in_Macon_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="800" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwOnQX-GFTvILUu16iK5XhEAoNnA3AGsTx0kFyR9REbjW-NfG51BKhK7M8GjijFbVDhCu9XBMIYVt0OcWRoIe0N7Bh7S618tBk7tQevs74Z98M6NvcaSlyKpBiRJiVQBZRdHF8fkiK5yI/s400/800px-Mill_Children_in_Macon_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Children working in a textile mill in<br />
Georgia in 1909, instead of going to school<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mill_Children_in_Macon_2.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from </a>the Library of Congress<br />
and Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Mary, as a big supporter of the family unit, always included protecting the rights of children as well as adult workers. In 1903 she famously led a protest march from Philadelphia to Long Island, NY to the home of President Theodore Roosevelt to bring awareness to the problems facing working children. This was called the "march of the mill children."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivY8e7eD8acY8pweXAws2_rOyyUdDGBG5atf4E9jNOYR7TfEjJF90cA-P0nrKUAT57Kw5_fXVvVmpCOe_zWD5DFLLCFr1B__wEGyvIFoAJIzKdn_TIierSSxpIsgZOgyxcsaKge8AVHrM/s1600/800px-Child_Labor_in_Georgia%252C_United_States%252C_1909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="800" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivY8e7eD8acY8pweXAws2_rOyyUdDGBG5atf4E9jNOYR7TfEjJF90cA-P0nrKUAT57Kw5_fXVvVmpCOe_zWD5DFLLCFr1B__wEGyvIFoAJIzKdn_TIierSSxpIsgZOgyxcsaKge8AVHrM/s400/800px-Child_Labor_in_Georgia%252C_United_States%252C_1909.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Children as textile workers in Georgia, 1909<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Child_Labor_in_Georgia,_United_States,_1909.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from </a>the Library of Congress and<br />
Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
By the late 1890s, now with national and international fame, Mary Harris Jones became known openly as "Mother Jones," partly because of her age, being over 60, and her demeanor. She treated the working men she represented as a mother treated her children. She also supported humane child labor laws which allowed for children to go to school rather than go to work at an early age.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aJZA4eGAktRfehwQGQw6TJ0n57ORaqPZD-m4fAMF2nGbUazj6LvQTZDPtnGHWipxulW47zPUSkaeVa5RiKXZmqIknBirSLL2FvudINUAvDu3icPGOFWkWno_YX3nMTfURRyjqS1ojWE/s1600/800px-Abolish_child_slavery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="800" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aJZA4eGAktRfehwQGQw6TJ0n57ORaqPZD-m4fAMF2nGbUazj6LvQTZDPtnGHWipxulW47zPUSkaeVa5RiKXZmqIknBirSLL2FvudINUAvDu3icPGOFWkWno_YX3nMTfURRyjqS1ojWE/s400/800px-Abolish_child_slavery.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Children in a workers' protest in New York City<br />
in 1909. The sign says "Abolish Child Slavery" in English<br />
and in Yiddish. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abolish_child_slavery.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Wikimedia Commons and<br />
the Library of Congress</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
In 1912 Mary participated in a strike in West Virginia. The United Mine Workers were literally at war with a force of private security guards controlled by the mine owners. Fights and gunshots were involved. Mary was arrested and charged with attempted murder. Although she was given a long sentence from an ad hoc military court, of questionable legitimacy, she was let go after about three months. She had developed a case of pneumonia while being under arrest. This incident resulted the an investigation by the US Senate.<br />
<br />
It was common at that time for some large businesses, like coal mine companies, to hire virtually small armies of armed security guards who roughed up striking workers.<br />
<br />
Mother Jones by this time had become a simultaneously beloved and despised well-known figure. She had been arrested time and again and appeared in court time and again because of her advocacy for social justice.<br />
<br />
She was loved by the working class and the oppressed, and she was hated by the ruling class. She was once denounced in the US Senate as the "grandmother of all agitators."<br />
<br />
Mother Jones lived an incredible life -- born in impoverished and occupied Ireland, a survivor of the Great Hunger (Great Famine) in Ireland, a woman who lost her husband and four children to an epidemic, a woman who lost her career and home to the Great Chicago Fire, and a woman denounced by powerful politicians as "a dangerous woman" and "grandmother of agitators," but a woman who was heroic, caring, and bold who significantly influenced American society and American history.<br />
<br />
As a true Irish Rebel, Mother Jones lived by her own war cry -- a mix of religious mercy from her Catholic upbringing and boldness from her troublesome Irish nature. Her motto was: "Pray for the dead and fight like Hell for the living."<br />
<br />
Mary Harris Jones, "Mother Jones," lived to be 93 years old and left a significant impact on all labor movements since her death in 1930. She is buried in the Union Miners Cemetery in Mount Olive, Illinois.<br />
<br />
Mother Jones lives on as a hero who spent her life trying to help oppressed workers and poor children and create a more civilized society.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
Note: There is today <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/" target="_blank">a magazine</a> in the USA named <i>Mother Jones</i>. It is named in honor of Mary Harris Jones. See <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/about/history/" target="_blank">more about it here </a>and its discussion of Mary's life and works.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources and Further Reading: <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/about/history/" target="_blank">Mother Jones magazine,</a> discussion of Mary Harris Jones' life and works; Wikipedia article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Harris_Jones" target="_blank">Mary Harris Jones. </a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-2461487831680583412018-12-25T14:39:00.002-06:002018-12-25T14:39:47.696-06:00"No Irish Need Apply" <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCeDYKSv3U8UWNytmukhlYkg2HGWJQ4bRgdqa3Oaz29svda6sirodPD03LQ55jfEY4UEe4qI7tWZtpYvHi4S5LKnqQxM2JJ_7wZkdoQ20RJnH7WAIGNG0lSDqfvLd5cHKn2W1sUb1Vzps/s1600/001q.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="943" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCeDYKSv3U8UWNytmukhlYkg2HGWJQ4bRgdqa3Oaz29svda6sirodPD03LQ55jfEY4UEe4qI7tWZtpYvHi4S5LKnqQxM2JJ_7wZkdoQ20RJnH7WAIGNG0lSDqfvLd5cHKn2W1sUb1Vzps/s400/001q.gif" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original lyric sheet for the song<br />"No Irish Need Apply" <br />Female version of the song <br />by Kathleen O'Neill, 1862 <br />Photo from the <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/rbc/amss/cw1/cw104040/001q.gif" target="_blank">Library of Congress </a><br />and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:No_Irish_Need_Apply_(lyric_sheet_-_female_version).jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia Commons</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
The Irish, especially Irish Catholics, were terribly discriminated against and oppressed in their own land of Ireland when it was forcibly occupied by the British Empire for 800 years. There were a series of British laws which denied equal rights to Irish Catholics from the Statutes of Kilkenny in 1367 AD to the Penal Laws of the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries.<br />
<br />
The British political statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke once described the Penal Laws as, " ... a machine ... of impoverishment and degradation of a people and the debasement in them of human nature itself, as ever proceeded from the perverted ingenuity of man."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwWC6HrZ7PZ7Y5AAUuJ8-5_B3qQ_CREFXs-IK7Y9zPrrHu7N90tz0_MK1Im4c6GyfC7aCSCfSspVCT2BtGnE7O4z8badvUHfr4oGkXWluboaJhm6pkw-ZoOmKGxLV5nSg8NB7Ggpz9JA/s1600/TheUsualIrishWayofDoingThings+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwWC6HrZ7PZ7Y5AAUuJ8-5_B3qQ_CREFXs-IK7Y9zPrrHu7N90tz0_MK1Im4c6GyfC7aCSCfSspVCT2BtGnE7O4z8badvUHfr4oGkXWluboaJhm6pkw-ZoOmKGxLV5nSg8NB7Ggpz9JA/s400/TheUsualIrishWayofDoingThings+%25281%2529.jpg" width="393" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish immigrants were often insulted and depicted in<br />"respectable" publications in 19th century England and<br />America as drunken apes, prone to violence<br />Photo from Wikipedia Commons, <br />by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TheUsualIrishWayofDoingThings.jpg" target="_blank">Thomas Nast from Harper's</a><br />Weekly, 1871</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Then in the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell invaded Ireland. He killed many Irish civilians, forced others into homelessness and destitution, enslaved others sending them as forced labor to the Barbados in the Caribbean, and drove the rest to the less fertile lands west of the Shannon River to a region called Connacht. This was known in Irish history as "To Hell or Connacht." (See more about this at my article on the Great Hunger and <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/08/coffin-ships.html" target="_blank">oppression here.</a>)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqKkRiGh3OwNTkUk9Hb7Smc5dFRocDdMViYNcFHcMGjMX07RVaBsRLjWu4CtAhbYeBeoC_Lt09LQS4wIwq7g-_XKJpGWvrgHm1aNiEHOKdJZLzjJP_H7KWlDeRfJAt6P64YXO7_yBzAM/s1600/Monkeyirishman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="350" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqKkRiGh3OwNTkUk9Hb7Smc5dFRocDdMViYNcFHcMGjMX07RVaBsRLjWu4CtAhbYeBeoC_Lt09LQS4wIwq7g-_XKJpGWvrgHm1aNiEHOKdJZLzjJP_H7KWlDeRfJAt6P64YXO7_yBzAM/s400/Monkeyirishman.jpg" width="312" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A representative of the Young Ireland Party,<br />depicted as a gorilla and called Mr. G.O'Rilla in<br />the English political magazine called "Punch" <br />from circa 1850. An example a blatant bigotry against<br />the Irish. Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monkeyirishman.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />But the worst oppression was yet to come. From 1845 to 1850 the potato crop in Ireland failed. A fungus destroyed the only source of food available to most Irish peasants. There was an abundance of other food in Ireland, but it was controlled by the British who denied it to the starving Irish. One million Irish starved to death in their own country and another million sailed away to permanent exile to other lands, mainly to the United States.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5LQUaDiQV4_rNbVFnN4iONvwwM4v0oIYVL3-psjbhuOsstNeo-viKC3VC5HOdmv5IDMV_7QEo8ExVX6n9gYtsMeZSWyu1S3pCMMZDJDrqsaixMXg_3EDhGBSidr5FGe_mOCNZBP_6TA/s1600/Irish_potato_famine_Bridget_O%2527Donnel+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="619" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5LQUaDiQV4_rNbVFnN4iONvwwM4v0oIYVL3-psjbhuOsstNeo-viKC3VC5HOdmv5IDMV_7QEo8ExVX6n9gYtsMeZSWyu1S3pCMMZDJDrqsaixMXg_3EDhGBSidr5FGe_mOCNZBP_6TA/s400/Irish_potato_famine_Bridget_O%2527Donnel+%25282%2529.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Irish_potato_famine_Bridget_O%27Donnel.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a>.<br />A starving Irish woman, Bridget O'Donnel, and her children<br />as depicted in 1849 in the publication Illustrated London News.<br />This is a scene from the Great Hunger (also know as the<br />Irish Potato Famine). There was plenty of food in Ireland, but it was<br />controlled by the British overlords who would not share it with the Irish. <br />One million Irish people starved to death when their only food source <br />-- potatoes -- became diseased and rotted away. Another one <br />million Irish sailed away mainly to the USA.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
As a result while today there are about 5 million Irish living in all of Ireland, there are about 40 million Americans who claim Irish ancestry. The United States has become the new homeland of the Irish people. In addition to the USA, Irish emigrants also went to Canada, England and Scotland, and Australia -- where they also faced discrimination.<br />
<br />
Today, and especially since the <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/12/election-day-1960.html" target="_blank">election of President </a>John F. Kennedy, the Irish are fully integrated into American society. But they were not welcomed at first. There was much anti-Irish and anti-Catholic sentiment in America in most of the 19th and early 20th centuries. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEiTNCeSgGcLFGrUyxpEEicZh-JfjkfFgdpGm7X6Ywy91i3nFeIzLunCbE24GkugINLQBIcLvCUkTnT_FLk8iG-gTQlGY8Wl_BBEpoL144qty4pwFf0SDXxfg4q2xohD3ss98gBFZ1OM/s1600/NINA-nyt+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="760" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEiTNCeSgGcLFGrUyxpEEicZh-JfjkfFgdpGm7X6Ywy91i3nFeIzLunCbE24GkugINLQBIcLvCUkTnT_FLk8iG-gTQlGY8Wl_BBEpoL144qty4pwFf0SDXxfg4q2xohD3ss98gBFZ1OM/s400/NINA-nyt+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Advertisement from the New York Times, 1854, which<br />says, "Also, young man wanted, from 16 to 18 years of age,<br />able to work. No Irish need apply." Photo from<br /><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NINA-nyt.JPG" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons. </a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Irish immigrants were discriminated against in employment, housing, and in society in general. Signs saying "No Irish Need Apply" or "NINA" were common in many large American port cities in the 19th century.<br />
<br />
Political cartoons in prominent newspapers depicted Irish Catholics as animals, especially as apes, and as violent drunkards. Bigoted people saw the Irish Catholics as too foreign, untrustworthy, troublesome, and followers of an alien religion. Many publications printed political cartoons and news stories that were blatantly prejudicial, insulting, and hateful against the Irish.<br />
<br />
In response a song came about telling the story of an Irish immigrant's reaction to this prejudice. The first version was of a male immigrant, but later there was another version for a female immigrant. A male Irish immigrant was often derisively referred to as "Paddy," and a female was called "Bridget."<br />
<br />
In the mid 1850s (the exact date is uncertain), a man named John F. Poole wrote the lyrics to a song named "No Irish Need Apply." It was published by H. De Marsan in New York. (See more at the Library of <a href="https://www.loc.gov/resource/amss.as109730.0/?st=text" target="_blank">Congress</a>.) It tells the story of an Irish immigrant, newly arrived in America and eager to go to work. But when he arrives at the place of employment, he is told by the boss, "...you are a Paddy, and no Irish need apply." The song goes on until the Irishman decides to "persuade" the boss to hire him and never say "no Irish" again.<br />
<br />
In 1862 a new version was published but the main character was an Irish woman who emigrates to England or America. She faces the same form of discrimination as the Irish man in the original song. The author of the song was purportedly a second generation Irish American named Kathleen O'Neill, although this is not certain. It was published in 1862 in Philadelphia <a href="https://apps.cndls.georgetown.edu/projects/borders/items/show/86" target="_blank">by J.H. Johnson.</a><br />
<br />
Here are the lyrics to the first stanza of the song "No Irish Need Apply." You can find the rest <a href="https://www.loc.gov/resource/amss.as109730.0/?st=text" target="_blank">at this link</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>"I'm a dacint boy, just landed from the town of Ballyfad,</b><br />
<b>I want a situation: yis, I want it mighty bad.</b><br />
<b>I saw a place advartised. It's the thing for me, says I;</b><br />
<b>But the dirty spalpeen ended with: No Irish Need Apply.</b><br />
<b>Whoo! says I; but that's an insult -- though to get the place I'll try.</b><br />
<b>So, I went to see the blaggar with: No Irish need apply."</b><br />
<br />
And here are the words to the first stanza of the female version of the song. Find the <a href="https://apps.cndls.georgetown.edu/projects/borders/items/show/86" target="_blank">rest here.</a> Also at the <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/rbc/amss/cw1/cw104040/001q.gif" target="_blank">Library of Congress.</a><br />
<br />
<b>"I'm a simple Irish girl, and I'm looking for a place,</b><br />
<b>I've felt the grip of poverty, but sure that's no disgrace,</b><br />
<b>'Twill be long before I get one, tho' indeed it's hard I try,</b><br />
<b>For I read in each advertisement: "No Irish need apply."</b><br />
<b>Alas! For my poor country, which I never will deny,</b><br />
<b>How they insult us when they write: No Irish need apply."</b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxxQ8f44IQUNAUggAhtacDsRsT4KvApYVeZ13rPw1qDEghHdoM5scYRONhicJLAk2djPngqVttVN6V-wG24KXdwqebp4d9RhVFnu81MToKDU3P1Jb3Zc7812poLjG_04i_aKqN7zdgzU/s1600/001q.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="943" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxxQ8f44IQUNAUggAhtacDsRsT4KvApYVeZ13rPw1qDEghHdoM5scYRONhicJLAk2djPngqVttVN6V-wG24KXdwqebp4d9RhVFnu81MToKDU3P1Jb3Zc7812poLjG_04i_aKqN7zdgzU/s640/001q.gif" width="404" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original lyric sheet to the female version<br />of the song "No Irish Need Apply"<br />Photo by the <a href="http://memory.loc.gov/rbc/amss/cw1/cw104040/001q.gif" target="_blank">Library of Congress </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Both of these songs became popular and helped address this issue of unjust discrimination. It is no accident that they appeared around the time of the American Civil War.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2D3wLp0ea7r1oMeaI8mCbkgbzE4sYC4lPFSB79tqBPlp60LyIQSRvlqn8CsqSzQl-l7T3tG2yt_DB4cF5Z6jg739XG7psbqIad0Yn5l1hOCPDWe3C9P_xwkGJKga1gADC4r7UgDtGNI/s1600/800px-American_Civil_War_Chaplain+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="800" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2D3wLp0ea7r1oMeaI8mCbkgbzE4sYC4lPFSB79tqBPlp60LyIQSRvlqn8CsqSzQl-l7T3tG2yt_DB4cF5Z6jg739XG7psbqIad0Yn5l1hOCPDWe3C9P_xwkGJKga1gADC4r7UgDtGNI/s400/800px-American_Civil_War_Chaplain+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 19.2px;">Irish in the Union Army in the American Civil War, circa 1862.<br />Most likely the 69th New York Regiment, taken in Virginia.<br /><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Civil_War_Chaplain.JPG" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Wikimedia Commons and Library of Congress. Over<br />150,000 Irish were in the Union Army and 30,000 were in the<br />Confederate Army during the war, 1861 to 1865.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Many thousands of Irish immigrants served in the Confederate and Union Armies and proved their courage and loyalty to America. About 30,000 were in the Confederate Army; and over 150,000 were in the Union Army. More than anything else, the service of Irish in the American Civil War, especially in the Union Army where most of the Irish were, set the Irish immigrants on the road to acceptance as loyal and respectable American citizens.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
A final thought: The only good thing that can come from such a history of persecution and discrimination is that perhaps the Irish people, and maybe all people everywhere who care about human rights, will be more sensitive to issues of prejudice and intolerance and treat all people, regardless of their background, fairly and with justice and compassion.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources and Further Reading: <a href="https://www.loc.gov/resource/amss.as109730.0/?st=text" target="_blank">Library of Congress</a> "No Irish Need Apply" original manuscript song sheet; Wikipedia's article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Irish_sentiment#"No_Irish_need_apply"" target="_blank">Anti-Irish Sentiment</a>; Georgetown University article <a href="https://apps.cndls.georgetown.edu/projects/borders/items/show/86" target="_blank">on the song</a>. Here is a link to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_CgIrdnE54" target="_blank">Don McLean's version</a> of "No Irish Need Apply," performed live in Ireland, at youtube.com.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-87641215432611379162018-10-13T10:36:00.002-05:002020-08-04T09:04:12.162-05:00Who is St. Patrick?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLGWWKto_z8Y_rEddjNmX534GAOtzuqkgHY33gjT9cvui1XByfqV6h3VG_hO_cP7ddXJqI6CaGeJ6yHIDhKG_nGQHtderVPlnlM-drCCEjeogF3aQ3wXB4yiC2K_E3Fl362puHM5670I/s1600/20181010_153831.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1213" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlLGWWKto_z8Y_rEddjNmX534GAOtzuqkgHY33gjT9cvui1XByfqV6h3VG_hO_cP7ddXJqI6CaGeJ6yHIDhKG_nGQHtderVPlnlM-drCCEjeogF3aQ3wXB4yiC2K_E3Fl362puHM5670I/s320/20181010_153831.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Patrick Cemetery, Number 1<br />
in New Orleans<br />
Photo by Adrian McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>By Adrian McGrath</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>There is an old church in New Orleans on Camp Street named after St. Patrick. He is the patron saint of Ireland who converted the Irish people from paganism (Druidism) to Christianity in or about 432 AD.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>There is a cemetery on Canal Street in New Orleans named St. Patrick Cemetery, Number 1. There is another cemetery, also in New Orleans and also on Canal Street, named St. Patrick Cemetery, Number 2.</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVtgCmgS1QgekOI4p7PfakoEW0TCm7Ok7pgak0JfZTpnAi4v07ZYw1IiIcR6lnEgFdBB66GaWi347r5d0xHdL96wlGfyTg8WlwoHhGw9moI8ZL6jO57FW3uAbGMejHHkCZZ-nFXxoAaQ/s1600/20181010_194930.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="1600" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXVtgCmgS1QgekOI4p7PfakoEW0TCm7Ok7pgak0JfZTpnAi4v07ZYw1IiIcR6lnEgFdBB66GaWi347r5d0xHdL96wlGfyTg8WlwoHhGw9moI8ZL6jO57FW3uAbGMejHHkCZZ-nFXxoAaQ/s200/20181010_194930.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Patrick Cemetery #2,<br />
in New Orleans<br />
Photo by A. McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>And there is still another cemetery in New Orleans named St. Patrick. This is St. Patrick Number 3, and it is on City Park Avenue.</b><br />
<br />
<b>There are numerous parades for St. Patrick's Day in New Orleans. In multicultural New Orleans everyone celebrates March 17th. Some parades go through the old neighborhood called the Irish Channel, and others go through the French Quarter and the suburbs.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Some parades are typically Irish; others are multicultural. One includes the Italians/Sicilians -- who celebrate St. Joseph Day on March 19 -- and another includes the Islenos, who are people with an ancestry in the Canary Islands of Spain. The Islenos immigrants originally settled in fishing villages just south of New Orleans. In reality, in New Orleans, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all ethnic backgrounds and all religious beliefs.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkp7wkbCEtoveWZPYC77afz-0QIDK6iBUJ8f842ZTqfNEttuaBQxmxyyPBSMCWTao_Z0NiTOiY5fuynLRsl7VpIWK0y4F6KdeLcnNdMmVmDJZB69uxquqAapX-Z7w8X5J_Hvq2g5ZsoDA/s1600/20181010_223524.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1600" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkp7wkbCEtoveWZPYC77afz-0QIDK6iBUJ8f842ZTqfNEttuaBQxmxyyPBSMCWTao_Z0NiTOiY5fuynLRsl7VpIWK0y4F6KdeLcnNdMmVmDJZB69uxquqAapX-Z7w8X5J_Hvq2g5ZsoDA/s400/20181010_223524.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to St. Patrick Cemetery #1<br />
on Canal Street in New Orleans, LA, USA<br />
Photo by A. McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>There is even a street in the city named St. Patrick Street -- not far from the St. Patrick cemeteries -- and a playground by that name too.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWH1SKmAlhaFVoZY-rlPIJKDgJHfI6XqgVhM65HD4tkBodW_XDs6XNrYVn6eJyZqGrbklT-_yH3LbWz_QBNVH418thyphenhyphen_KrlWksS4ErM5z2F89tq6YC6UFcd9DYSZ5g-W_4ixP_WAWXyBw/s1600/20181010_142013.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWH1SKmAlhaFVoZY-rlPIJKDgJHfI6XqgVhM65HD4tkBodW_XDs6XNrYVn6eJyZqGrbklT-_yH3LbWz_QBNVH418thyphenhyphen_KrlWksS4ErM5z2F89tq6YC6UFcd9DYSZ5g-W_4ixP_WAWXyBw/s400/20181010_142013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Patrick Cemetery, Number One<br />
on Canal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana<br />
Photo by Adrian McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>New Orleans is about 4300 miles from a place called Downpatrick in Northern Ireland (or the North of Ireland, if you prefer). There is a graveyard at a cathedral there which is said to be the final resting place for St. Patrick who died on March 17, 461 AD. The exact resting place for St. Patrick is disputed, however.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>So, why is this man who lived 4300 miles away and 1557 years ago remembered in a city, New Orleans, so separated from him in time and space? And for that matter, why is St. Patrick remembered in other cities and countries around the World?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The day for St. Patrick was remarkably celebrated in Antarctica too. No kidding. See <a href="http://donegalnews.com/2016/03/irish-in-antarctica-on-st-patricks-day/" target="_blank">this story </a>about a St. Patrick's Day celebration in Antarctica.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>And St. Patrick's Day was even observed in outer space where an Irish American astronaut, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX-5n_YcxgQ" target="_blank">Dr. Cady Coleman </a> , played an Irish tune on a flute and sent holiday greetings from the International Space Station orbiting planet Earth.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ge3zFsHugv6rnBVJ_HsIkRYbYd7Af2SomW4TqqmNyd-oyfBnAlM6gTtk_zJ9vtuLktZ2WW08e2nM0a3MzYW0aP00zJKR9sUogPWjd_hvm4ZF_aN3k1LdKGlZnv594xrjcvKMgSKMYI0/s1600/800px-Catherine_Coleman_with_flutes_floating_in_space.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="800" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ge3zFsHugv6rnBVJ_HsIkRYbYd7Af2SomW4TqqmNyd-oyfBnAlM6gTtk_zJ9vtuLktZ2WW08e2nM0a3MzYW0aP00zJKR9sUogPWjd_hvm4ZF_aN3k1LdKGlZnv594xrjcvKMgSKMYI0/s320/800px-Catherine_Coleman_with_flutes_floating_in_space.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Astronaut Dr. Cady (Catherine) Coleman<br />
sends best wishes for St. Patrick's Day from<br />
the International Space Station, while playing<br />
an Irish flute and a tin whistle, given to her by<br />
the Irish band The Chieftans. She is floating with the<br />
musical instruments in zero gravity while orbiting planet Earth.<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catherine_Coleman_with_flutes_floating_in_space.jpg" target="_blank">Photo </a>from NASA and Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Quite amazing, yes. Although St. Patrick's Day -- his Feast Day which is actually observed on the day he died, March 17 -- had been recognized for centuries by the Church, the first officially recorded St. Patrick's Day <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day_in_the_United_States" target="_blank">celebration</a> in America happened in the Spanish colony of Florida in 1600. That Spanish colony had an Irish priest or vicar named Ricardo Artur (or Richard Arthur) who made the St. Patrick's Day celebration happen. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The largest St. Patrick's Day parade in the world today is not in Ireland but in New York City. This New York tradition began in </b><b>1762 by Irish soldiers who were then in the British Army. Not to be outdone by the British Army, George Washington celebrated St. Patrick's Day with his soldiers during the Revolutionary War. (See <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2018/04/george-washington-does-st-patricks-day.html" target="_blank">my article</a> on this.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>So why has St. Patrick and his Feast Day been remembered with such affection throughout the centuries by so many people? What did St. Patrick do?</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJshHdxCTEM0NwCgxHmSqwBLMPP6_9YVjHP-mJOM_IkhnlXDtwtGAAVN8iXmq-vVvsA1CYgGMuMltnxtdqLFI1nD3dAlYcC8n_eZHT_4vVaMdL_RR8KF895gbPbw3UHEzNO4Ar-ukbIBo/s1600/387px-Saint_Patrick_%2528window%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="387" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJshHdxCTEM0NwCgxHmSqwBLMPP6_9YVjHP-mJOM_IkhnlXDtwtGAAVN8iXmq-vVvsA1CYgGMuMltnxtdqLFI1nD3dAlYcC8n_eZHT_4vVaMdL_RR8KF895gbPbw3UHEzNO4Ar-ukbIBo/s400/387px-Saint_Patrick_%2528window%2529.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stained glass of St. Patrick<br />
in Cathedral of Christ the Light<br />
in Oakland, CA, USA<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Saint_Patrick_(window).jpg" target="_blank">Photo</a> from Creative Commons/<br />
Wikimedia Commons, Flickr, Sicarr</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>The story begins, oddly enough, not in Ireland, but in ancient Britain. His original name was Maewyn Succat, not Patrick; and he was Roman, not English, despite being born in Britain.</b><br />
<b>(Maewyn later took on the Latin name Patricius, which in English is Patrick.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Many of the details of St. Patrick's life are uncertain today, and much remains a mystery. We do know that he came from a fairly well-to-do family of Roman citizenship and that his parents were Christians. He was born in the early 5th century AD and may have lived in his early years in Scotland. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdr4cSvQbRYd0OCWmujgD-6789vJQpUphtz9DSnfBYK4dGGGzAS1yGUN9gHebLFX0H9POJTnJ1WxKvEpPoIiIGeXxkxv8ZLA5HbTevuxK1APGBmUOc_1ho_Dew55KPMzKMDeFO1aIkL0E/s1600/800px-Green_Chicago_River_on_Saint_Patricks_Day_2009.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="308" data-original-width="800" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdr4cSvQbRYd0OCWmujgD-6789vJQpUphtz9DSnfBYK4dGGGzAS1yGUN9gHebLFX0H9POJTnJ1WxKvEpPoIiIGeXxkxv8ZLA5HbTevuxK1APGBmUOc_1ho_Dew55KPMzKMDeFO1aIkL0E/s400/800px-Green_Chicago_River_on_Saint_Patricks_Day_2009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The river dyed green for the Irish<br />
for St. Patrick's Day in Chicago, Illinois, 2009<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Chicago_River_on_Saint_Patricks_Day_2009.jpg" target="_blank">Photo </a>from Wikimedia Commons and Mike<br />
Boehmer, Chicago/ Creative Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>The world in those days was still dominated by the Roman Empire, but it was in decline in the West. The eastern empire thrived from Constantinople, but the West fell to barbarian invaders in 476 AD. In the time of St. Patrick, Rome still existed; but the world was changing. Rome was no longer officially a pagan state but had been Christianized under Emperor Constantine.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Nevertheless, paganism prevailed throughout much of Europe. Ireland had not been conquered by Rome, although Romans did visit it somewhat and named it Hibernia, the winter land. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyfEo_hUGhBfYGcdWoByQ051I4HWoDi7cvuZjU4GWHZsz1m4lsfmIzlB4KieIUleeJvUOl6e-Q6bgWxslUmuBE-Tg1kfzRXhXQMewMOXSERiWzegCwFxqNeLWhbwZQLW2cqAzHEsGO9c/s1600/800px-Barack_Obama_and_Enda_Kenny_in_the_Oval_Office_2012.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyfEo_hUGhBfYGcdWoByQ051I4HWoDi7cvuZjU4GWHZsz1m4lsfmIzlB4KieIUleeJvUOl6e-Q6bgWxslUmuBE-Tg1kfzRXhXQMewMOXSERiWzegCwFxqNeLWhbwZQLW2cqAzHEsGO9c/s400/800px-Barack_Obama_and_Enda_Kenny_in_the_Oval_Office_2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US President Barack Obama and Irish Prime<br />
Minister (Taoiseach) Enda Kenny celebrate<br />
St. Patrick's Day at the White House, 2012.<br />
Pres. Obama and Mr. Kenny both have on<br />
green ties and green shamrocks. St. Patrick's<br />
original color was blue, but green<br />
eventually won favor as the symbol for Ireland.<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barack_Obama_and_Enda_Kenny_in_the_Oval_Office_2012.jpg" target="_blank">Photo</a> from Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Most of what we know about the life of Patrick comes from a book he wrote called <i>Confessio</i>. (See more about the book <a href="https://www.confessio.ie/" target="_blank">here</a>.) In it St. Patrick describes his life and his work as a missionary. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>When he was only 16 years old, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish pirates and taken back to Ireland as a prisoner and sold as a slave. </b><b>He was forced to work for a wealthy Irish chieftain as a shepherd tending to his flock of sheep. (Yes, it had an uncanny symbolism, did it not?)</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmItfp77Ipcdsym2bmz6NdYYJGhetKuvZrTy-PhQXQrHSfC6vCf3KzNbiaMavKd3Tmon3RGDtyvYbWaUAL40OS_haZdYjtdvmLBtszsHaQbeTL9Kp1dDVjZJNsr2OrXswVX0mT_g2SqU/s1600/409px-Kilbennan_St._Benin%2527s_Church_Window_St._Patrick_Detail_2010_09_16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="409" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmItfp77Ipcdsym2bmz6NdYYJGhetKuvZrTy-PhQXQrHSfC6vCf3KzNbiaMavKd3Tmon3RGDtyvYbWaUAL40OS_haZdYjtdvmLBtszsHaQbeTL9Kp1dDVjZJNsr2OrXswVX0mT_g2SqU/s400/409px-Kilbennan_St._Benin%2527s_Church_Window_St._Patrick_Detail_2010_09_16.jpg" width="272" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stained glass of St. Patrick<br />
Kilbennan, County Galway,<br />
Ireland, St. Benin's Church<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kilbennan_St._Benin%27s_Church_Window_St._Patrick_Detail_2010_09_16.jpg" target="_blank">Photo</a> by Wikimedia Commons.<br />
Creative Commons, Andreas F. Borchert</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Patrick was a prisoner and slave for six years. During that time, although he had not been particularly religious prior to his enslavement, he developed a strong belief in prayer. His Christian faith sustained him during his captivity. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>He escaped somehow and made his way by ship back to Britannia and was reunited with his family. It was said that Patrick was advised by a mysterious voice during a dream on how to make his escape. </b><b>Was this the voice of God?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>After he was back home, Patrick decided that he would become a Catholic priest. He studied for the priesthood and became a missionary. But he had another dream. This time, in the dream, he received a letter called "The Voice of the Irish." In the dream he heard the voices of Irish people asking him to return to Ireland and teach them about Christ.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikA8TdS0BjGf5bLH04H_nziNT6eKfWXLiq00XD6q6Ik47lt2tq2CnMM3cWrnVKQDzxYREmSS7koxuZbJVLtTJNiDRp9RRE06O5rDCHSPfoPN_Nhu5EOhJ4KE2XhJVzRuwAv58FbgFfrkY/s1600/800px-White_House_fountain_dyed_green_for_Saint_Patrick%2527s_Day_2011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikA8TdS0BjGf5bLH04H_nziNT6eKfWXLiq00XD6q6Ik47lt2tq2CnMM3cWrnVKQDzxYREmSS7koxuZbJVLtTJNiDRp9RRE06O5rDCHSPfoPN_Nhu5EOhJ4KE2XhJVzRuwAv58FbgFfrkY/s400/800px-White_House_fountain_dyed_green_for_Saint_Patrick%2527s_Day_2011.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fountain in front of the White House<br />
in Washington DC dyed green in honor<br />
of St. Patrick's Day, 2011. Green is the Irish color.<br />
<a href="https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White_House_fountain_dyed_green_for_Saint_Patrick%27s_Day_2011.jpg#mw-jump-to-license" target="_blank">Photo</a> from Wikimedia Commons and US Government</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Patrick eventually became a bishop, and in 433 AD he traveled back to Ireland. In the land where he was once held as a slave and labored as a shepherd, he returned as a Catholic bishop and missionary who would lead a new flock, the Irish nation from paganism to Christ.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>By using no power but his remarkable powers of persuasion, his will power, and his faith in Jesus, St. Patrick built churches and converted thousands upon thousands of the Irish people. He told the Irish about the life of Jesus and delivered the Gospel to them. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBklUs3wru6hut_oqbfZhyphenhyphenZ1Tv7YfjDZ26VpBTt_ev65keO0z9_S2hdvSY3ttVeigCMwmMe4TwdGagSzvKz7vjPexF_C1Z-KVdQHnS3mxk_5tq6aoGzySnRGgD-LdjrRwjBDLg3LmEvrY/s1600/St._Patrick_Parade%252C_Fifth_Ave.%252C_New_York_1909.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="579" data-original-width="800" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBklUs3wru6hut_oqbfZhyphenhyphenZ1Tv7YfjDZ26VpBTt_ev65keO0z9_S2hdvSY3ttVeigCMwmMe4TwdGagSzvKz7vjPexF_C1Z-KVdQHnS3mxk_5tq6aoGzySnRGgD-LdjrRwjBDLg3LmEvrY/s400/St._Patrick_Parade%252C_Fifth_Ave.%252C_New_York_1909.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City,<br />
on 5th Avenue, 1909<br />
<a href="https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Patrick_Parade,_Fifth_Ave.,_New_York_1909.jpg#mw-jump-to-license" target="_blank">Photo</a> from Wikimedia Commons, Library of<br />
Congress, Bain News Service Collection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>St. Patrick lived and worked in Ireland as a missionary, usually in a state of poverty and with great physical hardship for almost 40 years. Although there were other Catholic missionaries to Ireland, it was Patrick who was responsible ultimately for turning the Irish away from Druidism to Christianity.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>St. Patrick, it was said used the shamrock -- a three leaf clover with one stem -- to explain to the pagans the complex and seemingly contradictory concept of the Blessed Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were like the three leaves on the shamrock which were connected by one stem forming one shamrock leaf. Like the Celtic harp, the shamrock became the very symbol of Ireland, perhaps greater so because of its religious ties to St. Patrick.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>There is a popular story that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. Of course, Ireland did not and does not have any snakes. What this story most likely means is that St. Patrick drove away the belief of the Irish in paganism and replaced it with a faith in Christianity.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>St. Patrick truly did great things and did so in a humble and caring way. He never used force or threats to convert the pagans. He only persuaded them through the power of love -- the love of the words of Jesus.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Evidence of St. Patrick's devotion to the teachings of Jesus is this prayer which he wrote called "Christ Be With Me." There is no doubt that these were not mere words to Patrick because it was the power of Christ that sustained him when he was just a boy being held as a prisoner and worked as a slave. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>St. Patrick devoted is life to helping the very people who had enslaved him find salvation through Jesus Christ.</b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">From<a href="http://www.beliefnet.com/prayers/catholic/comfort/christ-be-with-me.aspx" target="_blank"> "Christ Be With Me"</a> written by St. Patrick:</span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">"Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Christ on my right, Christ on my left, </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise,</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Christ in every eye that sees me, </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Christ in every ear that hears me.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Salvation is of the Lord. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">Salvation is of the Christ.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">May your salvation, Lord, be ever with us."</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>St. Patrick died in a place called Saul, Downpatrick, in the North of Ireland on March 17, 461 Anno Domini. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The spirit and message of St. Patrick's live on centuries later in Ireland, in New Orleans, in Antarctica, in New York, in Washington DC, in a space station in orbit around planet Earth, and where ever and when ever people of faith travel throughout the Universe -- not just the Irish people, but any and all people who hear the healing power of the words of Christ -- or simply follow his example -- by which St. Patrick found Salvation. </b><br />
<br />
<b>Sources and further reading:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>"This Day in History: March 17, 461 <a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/saint-patrick-dies" target="_blank">Saint Patrick Dies" </a>by the Editors at history.com; Wikipedia.com, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick" target="_blank">article on St. Patrick</a>.</b><br />
<b>For St. Patrick's prayer, "Christ Be With Me," see <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/413139-christ-with-me-christ-before-me-christ-behind-me-christ" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.beliefnet.com/prayers/catholic/comfort/christ-be-with-me.aspx" target="_blank">here</a>. Wikipedia article on <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick%27s_Day_in_the_United_States" target="_blank">St. Patrick's Day in the USA </a></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-47892639162863625072018-10-03T23:18:00.000-05:002018-10-04T23:02:37.549-05:00What Foods did the Irish Eat in Old New Orleans?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFzr3gKSm4Ef7thWzybWebj4QMR7dA23vKlKfMsMqzCT9Hg6GesTNBPyIA8K7uonbv2iHYKNTmSat0ZHIaYKUuYVMRz2iTpD2kI3rF6R5BuXlicbjCk3xcaoMYU4fMBEuMApqJsMr5s4/s1600/20181003_131213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCFzr3gKSm4Ef7thWzybWebj4QMR7dA23vKlKfMsMqzCT9Hg6GesTNBPyIA8K7uonbv2iHYKNTmSat0ZHIaYKUuYVMRz2iTpD2kI3rF6R5BuXlicbjCk3xcaoMYU4fMBEuMApqJsMr5s4/s320/20181003_131213.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Beans and Rice with Andouille and Ham<br />
with a French Bread Pistolette<br />
Photo by Adrian McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>By Adrian McGrath</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What foods did the Irish eat in New Orleans after they emigrated to that major port city on the Mississippi River? The Irish had been coming to New Orleans, Louisiana from the city's earliest days since the 1700s. But they came sporadically, and the early immigrants had some means in that city which was originally controlled by France. They were not poor and uneducated. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The French city changed hands, going to Spain and then back to France. Napoleon Bonaparte gave it to the United States under the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 when Thomas Jefferson was president.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Unlike the rest of the American South which was mainly Anglo-Saxon and Protestant, New Orleans was Catholic -- as was south Louisiana in the French Cajun country. As a major port New Orleans attracted people from around the world. French, Spanish, African (most held as enslaved persons, although there were some Freemen-of-Color and Freewomen-of-Color), Native American Choctaws, Germans, Italians, all made up the multi-cultural gumbo that was New Orleans. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>But there was another group of immigrants who came en masse. The Irish, and mainly Irish Catholics, came again to New Orleans in the 1830s through the 1850s. These Irish were different from the few Irish who had arrived earlier. These Irish were mainly poor and uneducated. They came in the 1830s seeking political freedom from oppression in their homeland which was occupied by Britain, and they came for work to survive. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>These Irish were typically discriminated against in work with signs like "No Irish Need Apply" -- a common thing in the major cities on the US East coast.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Some of these Irish found employment, albeit very difficult and dangerous, digging the New Basin Canal from the shores of Lake Ponchartrain, north of the city, to the business district of New Orleans. Thousands of these Irish immigrants died from diseases and exploitation while digging this canal through hot, humid swamps infested with wild animals and mosquitoes which carried deadly yellow fever. (See more about this at <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/07/new-basin-canal-of-new-orleans.html" target="_blank">my article </a>on the New Basin Canal.)</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIf5gDzX7kvnQSgo0UzdE90IjCyTQpPh5w3v00cmUg2AYJGdYnb7usbWG5P_1w1WLlb49sJ5kGmMnb2fj8l-ScRLb-KePkWx5SLPZJiFz410gWM-4zG19W0wjElBCBvumiA1oG1Mhts8c/s400/Irish+Celtic+Cross+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument for the Irish who died digging the<br />
<a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/07/new-basin-canal-of-new-orleans.html" target="_blank">New Basin Canal</a> of New Orleans in the 1830s<br />
Photo by A. McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>The living conditions for these Irish workers was atrocious. They had no medical care to speak of and very poor food as they were several miles from the central city. The only supplies they got were from the company store which took advantage of them and had inadequate cooking facilities.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Another wave of Irish immigrants came during the Great Hunger or Potato Famine from 1845 to about 1850. (Read more about this at my article on <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/08/coffin-ships.html" target="_blank">Coffin Ships</a>.) A million Irish people starved to death when the potato blighted, despite the fact that there were other types of food in Ireland besides potatoes. But all the food and the lands were controlled by the British who let the Irish starve to death or flee Ireland, mainly for America, in dangerous and disease-filled Coffin Ships. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>We should be thankful always for the food we have today when we consider how our ancestors suffered horribly and died by the thousands upon thousands in those horrible days.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>These Famine Irish immigrants were not discriminated against because of religion, as New Orleans was a Catholic city historically; but they were nevertheless considered outcasts by both the old established Creoles (descendants of the French and the Spanish) and the newer Anglo-Americans who came after the Louisiana Purchase.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>By the time of the 1850s, a notorious group of bigots called the Know Nothings actively discriminated against the Irish and were involved in political movements to suppress Irish immigration.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBiFD69woldPJ5VI1ShjY7xwkEAjNcSk3tDJO1JZa6gFDJ96LJjlzfm1pPGAbSXVdIDfHPjNgopd7tOQhZ7ztK__a7-WBBogjRHwfmjsq0AjfoKA_ZVqrhsGKWDh0qwy89I60M4D9BoI/s400/New+Orleans+1862+USN+Fleet+wikimedia+commons+Campfires+and+Battlefields+by+Rossiter+1894+NY.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="311" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Union Fleet captures New Orleans<br />
during the American Civil War, 1862<br />
Photo from Wikipedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>With the American Civil War, Irish immigration to the city reduced and more and more Irish arrived in Northern ports like New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Eventually, however, the Irish made a home in New Orleans and began to assimilate. Because of their outstanding service as soldiers in the American Civil War, they gained respectability and advance up the social ladder becoming policemen, firemen, businessmen, journalists, lawyers, and politicians. (See <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/09/blue-and-gray-how-civil-war-turned.html" target="_blank">my article</a> on the Irish in the American Civil War, for more.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Yes, all of this history is quite interesting; but since we are talking about New Orleans, a city where food is practically a religious experience, the question remains: What did the Irish eat? What foods did they cook at home?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I looked far and wide; and much to my surprise, I found the answer in a book written under the auspices of Franklin D. Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration (WPA) created during the Great Depression in the 1930s. It was part of a special writers' program of the WPA, Louisiana Writers' Project. (More on this book in a moment, let me finish the historical setting first.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Most of the early Irish in New Orleans lived in a neighborhood near the Mississippi River called The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Channel,_New_Orleans" target="_blank">Irish Channel</a> a few miles up the river from the Vieux Carre or French Quarter which was the heart of the city. Originally, it was outside of the city limits and was a poor neighborhood or a working class neighborhood. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>No one really knows how it got its name. Some suggested when it rained, the poor drainage made the steets there resemble water channels. Others said the Irish were "channelled" into that area -- new Irish simply followed where earlier Irish immigrants stayed. Still another explanation was that as immigrants arrived by river boat on the Mississippi, they went down a side waterway, or channel, into that neighborhood. But, no one really knows.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It had shotgun houses (a unique style of small houses in New Orleans which were long and thin) and a number of rough-house bars -- one was called the "Bucket of Blood." (You get the idea.) Yes, on the waterfront, with lots a bars, drinking, and a few fist fights. Like something right out of a play by Eugene O'Neill.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The neighborhood was mainly Irish then but had people from other ethnic groups living there too. They did not always get along. Today the neighborhood is no longer mainly Irish, but is African-American and Hispanic. But the history of the Irish is remembered very well by, among other things, a popular St. Patrick's Day parade which still goes down Magazine Street.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTC7uV6HnymfUucqD8Zk2AIFggxX0XaaFgAyqZ0pQIHZzMa2gmH-oFRk4aLpq0n3if992Zb2a3ZqBlCdpQL6TPuf5yVmy40p4Mor8qZ5fq5fdz8bDQrWuJs2mLTkHl4Qg4Ew59m2sKyk/s1600/450px-St._Alphonsus_Church_03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTC7uV6HnymfUucqD8Zk2AIFggxX0XaaFgAyqZ0pQIHZzMa2gmH-oFRk4aLpq0n3if992Zb2a3ZqBlCdpQL6TPuf5yVmy40p4Mor8qZ5fq5fdz8bDQrWuJs2mLTkHl4Qg4Ew59m2sKyk/s400/450px-St._Alphonsus_Church_03.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Alphonsus Church, the Irish<br />
Church in the Irish Channel<br />
of New Orleans<br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Alphonsus_Church_03.JPG" target="_blank">Wikimedia and Nolabob</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>But the Irish Channel also had a very fine Catholic church called St. Alphonsus, which is still there. The Irish went to it. The German immigrants went to St. Mary's Church which was across the street (and still is), and the French went to Notre Dame church which was down the block a bit (but is no longer there).</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The book I mentioned above is called "Gumbo Ya Ya: Folktales of Louisiana," complied by Lyle Saxon, et al. The name is a reference to a French Louisiana term for a type of "coffee klatch" (Kaffeeklatsch) where people get together socially, have coffee and nice conversation and everybody talks at the same time. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>There on page 61, I discovered my long-sought answer which discussed the Irish Channel neighborhood in the old days. The chapter on the Irish Channel said the Irish had large families and ate healthy but simple food. The book said that Irish in the Channel, as it is often called for short, ate "... stews, corned beef and cabbage, potato pancakes, red beans and rice ... during most of the week." The book went on to say that on Sundays, people -- if they had the money -- would eat roast chicken or turkey. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Some pretentious people would sometimes put a turkey near the home's front window so the neighbors would notice the bird and be impressed. Other poorer people would pretend that they had enough money to buy turkey by sticking turkey feathers -- which they may have found in a garbage can or acquired somehow -- halfway into a shopping bag so that the neighbors could see the feathers as they carried the bag home (which actually contained no turkey). They had to keep up appearances.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Now as to the foods. I have earlier written about most of these. You can find my article on <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/08/irish-stew-traditional-or-make-your-own.html" target="_blank">Irish Stew here.</a> </b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmCwLkK4YojMBgjxpMfMVXdhPg6n2GS-gcT-Wg0T-DL4l7geWPLIebUEpjRFqQ3Y_zYwCz3zE2_P39u_5aFSa4i8ekwErGeSGO467_BfaK_mlJLhV_eibZuyY5pPlCdj5NSnCEK0w_DA/s320/IMAG0461-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bowl of Irish Stew<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.56px;">(Photo by Adrian McGrath)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>You can find my article on <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/07/corned-beef-and-cabbage.html" target="_blank">Corned Beef and Cabbage here.</a> </b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVvtBAiTqBGiJJQt4RtcikXhkMKYOoRtQTjrttPCOZ2ekqb19tu23vqXGQAQmjH8fx_fl9Ep3q8qC5jAl0vPSo-MCFGHwgcTDkinWxSJM-8YGp4Z-PJncgLrlGD_a2F997gwNzwzQvaMM/s320/IMAG0413.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.56px;">Corned Beef and Cabbage (Photo by Adrian McGrath)</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>And you can find my article on <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2018/02/irish-potato-cakes.html" target="_blank">Irish Potato Cakes here.</a></b><br />
<b>They are sort of like potato pancakes.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYvj6_OCsY9_1NmZXp7HEpnVRjs4hBajb7dIAgVoMPf3dVSd9mB7e5U3bJOWu0jLqCdhlHbjp93m_fX2OpEk-h8DldViSUubLFoXbq0oHx_nrqKJK8VRptjj0rBArH84khdGxRA1RuALI/s320/IMG_20180219_141123+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish Potato Cakes<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.56px;">Photo by Adrian McGrath</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>And, by the way, I earlier wrote about the <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/10/lafcadio-hearn-how-irishman-managed-to.html" target="_blank">Irishman, Lafcadio Hearn</a>, who wrote the very first New Orleans Creole Cookbook that was ever published in the English language. The others were in French. In his book he gave recipes for Irish Stew and Stewed Irish Potatoes, which he said was a breakfast dish.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibShA6XD9o6-E9nfJeP4x5Mt9efxnK6Eo_I4_1jIynOrYsk0m_MtPAbmdkgGOQY0GmwyeiNIEtFdhZ7Usv4WBsQQUH2aminxMuU9NDfWF5r8U0PvuB4im7cRCwUNbKsEX7b2VCixvBI9Y/s400/626px-Lafcadio_Hearn_portrait.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="277" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lafcadio Hearn, 1889<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.56px;">Photo Wikipedia</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>His Irish Stew mainly consists simply of mutton or beef, potatoes, onions, stewed down with water and served with rice. (Rice is to New Orleans what potatoes are to Ireland.) See Hearn's book, <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/10/lafcadio-hearn-how-irishman-managed-to.html" target="_blank">La Cuisine Creole.</a></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>This leave us with just one last stone to turn over. What is traditional New Orleans Creole Red Beans and Rice?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ah, this is the sacred cow of New Orleans food. Although the Crescent City is famous for many wonderful dishes like jambalaya, gumbo, muffulettas, fried shrimp po-boys, Crawfish Etouffee, fried catfish, Shrimp Creole, Stuffed Artichoke, and on and on ... the most essential New Orleans dish is Red Beans and Rice.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKU6kN0jWqBfQUzTVuXfjFJ8k7xdtEWi0JDubtya9L_n8-bBN47UdBGat9vtXu1s90wUUDGych8-EL0YG0ndo8-Hw_gKoFXbpgF_Lf7r4mu98RU0EmxTzXpaWj0FaGhuLJ5rCwQrt32Q/s1600/20181003_131213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1073" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKU6kN0jWqBfQUzTVuXfjFJ8k7xdtEWi0JDubtya9L_n8-bBN47UdBGat9vtXu1s90wUUDGych8-EL0YG0ndo8-Hw_gKoFXbpgF_Lf7r4mu98RU0EmxTzXpaWj0FaGhuLJ5rCwQrt32Q/s400/20181003_131213.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Beans and Rice with French Bread<br />
Photo by Adrian McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>It is eaten by the wealthy, the poor, and everybody in between. There are as many ways to make it as there are cooks in New Orleans. But mainly it consists of red kidney beans; white rice; "The Trinity," which in New Orleans is green pepper, onion, and celery; garlic (of course!), and unless vegetarian, some type of meat, such as sausage, ham, or pickle meat (a type of Creole seasoned pork).</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>I never give precise recipes because I think people should concoct their own based on their own likes and needs, but I do give a general idea.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Here is my general idea on my version of New Orleans Red Beans and Rice, which would have been and still is a popular meal in the homes of all people from New Orleans including the Irish.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0focwikDofUj46hjCNQlAclQv-PZBFCxvbuf9l8XDSWFsklF1mdU7LypiX-MH2iUx9xt6Z4Pz4Rs2PqbEe28XGgtnZoK2av2DzZiDOkzdeaxRSsDItCDK4IFb2CmcOs-FwZr44teFmDA/s1600/20181003_143950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1342" data-original-width="1600" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0focwikDofUj46hjCNQlAclQv-PZBFCxvbuf9l8XDSWFsklF1mdU7LypiX-MH2iUx9xt6Z4Pz4Rs2PqbEe28XGgtnZoK2av2DzZiDOkzdeaxRSsDItCDK4IFb2CmcOs-FwZr44teFmDA/s320/20181003_143950.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncooked, red kidney beans<br />
Photo A. McGrath</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Get some dry red beans and sort them, removing any foreign debris, then soak them in a bowl of water for about an hour or more, even over night if desired. This removes some of the gas. Then drain and toss out the old water.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Put the beans in a pot on the stove (or use a slow cooker) and add chopped up Trinity -- green pepper, also called bell pepper, onions, and celery. Add enough fresh water to cover this, usually about six to eight cups of water per pound of beans. Add Creole spice. If you do not have this, try mixing salt, black pepper, a little bit of cayenne (not much because it is hot), garlic powder, onion powder, parsley flakes, and paprika.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>You may add some butter optionally. Then add, precooked, the meat you wish. I use chunks of ham and sliced Andouille sausage, a type of Creole French sausage. Can you add Irish sausage and Irish bacon? Yes, of course, why not? It is your recipe.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Bring it all to a boil, then set the fire on low. Cover the pot and cook for about two hours or more on low. Smash up some of the red beans with a spoon on the inside of the pot to thicken the juice. Add water as needed. Be sure to stir now and then to prevent sticking.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Serve it with chopped green onions on top in individual bowls. Have French bread on the side or corn bread. Or Irish Soda Bread. See my article <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/09/irish-soda-bread-and-spotted-dog.html" target="_blank">on that here</a>.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>And there you have it. That is what the Irish ate in New Orleans, and they still do the same today. I eat these things on a regular basis.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Bon Appetit.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Sources and Further Reading:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Wikipedia article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Channel,_New_Orleans" target="_blank">Irish Channel, New Orleans;</a> <i>La Cuisine Creole</i> by Lafcadio Hearn, Pelican Publishing Co. 1967; <i>Gumbo Ya Ya: Folktales of Louisiana </i>by Lyle Saxon, Robert Tallant, et al. 1945, 1987. Pelican Publishing.</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-77459960314914676482018-09-26T20:47:00.002-05:002018-09-26T20:47:51.378-05:00Halloween: A Holiday of Irish Origins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjWp5IpbBHmgmMEA8a2Pt6DX3koY-LUrVGQLlIMYIdvQsATvsAx2ZkMp7DTMZGPQtVEWFQ_0k8DshuUG1Me9iW9P9-oSag7n3BVz2bYEmHBRU5tvx8zw3uOv_h46vHVPW1M8P9qWDPHE/s1600/1046px-J._M._Wright_-_Edward_Scriven_-_Robert_Burns_-_Halloween.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1046" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjWp5IpbBHmgmMEA8a2Pt6DX3koY-LUrVGQLlIMYIdvQsATvsAx2ZkMp7DTMZGPQtVEWFQ_0k8DshuUG1Me9iW9P9-oSag7n3BVz2bYEmHBRU5tvx8zw3uOv_h46vHVPW1M8P9qWDPHE/s400/1046px-J._M._Wright_-_Edward_Scriven_-_Robert_Burns_-_Halloween.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Halloween party from the 1800s, from<br />an original illustration for Robert Burns'<br />poem named <i>Halloween, </i>1841 and<br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:J._M._Wright_-_Edward_Scriven_-_Robert_Burns_-_Halloween.JPG" target="_blank">Wikimedia Common</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>By Adrian McGrath</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>We all know what Halloween is ... or we think we do. It is a fun time for children to go around the neighborhood at early night on October 31, ring the neighbor's doorbell, say "Trick or Treat," and get some candy. Maybe the adults will join in and have a party with various Autumn foods like pumpkin pie and a perhaps a lively drink. People might watch a scary movie on television or visit a nearby "Haunted House."</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>But Halloween has its origins way back in time and far away from the United States, across the Atlantic Ocean to what was once Celtic Europe and specifically to ancient Ireland.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>October 31 to us is Halloween, but in olden days it was the Celtic New Year. The Celtic people possibly originated in Eastern Europe or maybe farther East. Centuries before the time of Christ, they traveled to the west and settled in Central Europe and eventually to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain) and to parts of France (Brittany), Britain, and Ireland. Many came to America as their descendants emigrated to the USA and Canada many centuries later.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Before St. Patrick and the Christian monks and missionaries went to Ireland, paganism or Druidism was the main religion there. The people observed certain days of the year as being especially significant as they related to the four seasons. Seasons were important because people's lives depended on the seasonal weather for the health of crops, animals, and humans. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>There were Celtic or Gaelic festivals for those days -- Imbolg (the start of Spring), Bealtaine (Summer), Lughnasadh or Lunasa (Autumn or Fall), and Samhain (Winter).</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBv8jZFBtJQ1nTS1uA01fmoW62e-74Hxl5mer9mT4TRgtvD6FwsmEZsT5zSki0x3R9jm2RUwJP_hGZ0BPa3CSPm6BrTNIS6HNFtMTfMLsfWYQFEz-bx7OPfZnTfD5zl-cE2fDSbyfgsZ4/s1600/400px-John_William_Waterhouse_-_Magic_Circle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBv8jZFBtJQ1nTS1uA01fmoW62e-74Hxl5mer9mT4TRgtvD6FwsmEZsT5zSki0x3R9jm2RUwJP_hGZ0BPa3CSPm6BrTNIS6HNFtMTfMLsfWYQFEz-bx7OPfZnTfD5zl-cE2fDSbyfgsZ4/s400/400px-John_William_Waterhouse_-_Magic_Circle.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A witch and her cauldron.<br />In pagan times in Europe and Ireland,<br />witches were not "evil" but simply<br />followed a belief in Nature and<br />used the cauldron for cooking and<br />herbal medicine.<br />Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_William_Waterhouse_-_Magic_Circle.JPG" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons </a><br />and John William Waterhouse, 1886<br />called <i>The Magic Circle</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Samhain (pronounced as SOW win) began at night time on October 31 and went to night time on November 1. It was (and still is) the the start of the darkest, coldest days of the year and the Celtic New Year. It marked the day when the warm weather would leave and a more dangerous time of year would come. Food could be scarce, animals might die from the cold, and human life might be in peril.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaOKp_mlL1ZnSe9HogzjMarv9PWvjzPV7G4698yh0KF4urcVLIVIPJX9eskViIc-qaCq2PZgt1DgLL3PUg9aFM-5y1dJmuSVlSwhMFWdfspTyPe8Q0qpjFmPETZMJpK-_wuPA1qqPN3Q/s1600/800px-Jack-o-lantern-FR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaOKp_mlL1ZnSe9HogzjMarv9PWvjzPV7G4698yh0KF4urcVLIVIPJX9eskViIc-qaCq2PZgt1DgLL3PUg9aFM-5y1dJmuSVlSwhMFWdfspTyPe8Q0qpjFmPETZMJpK-_wuPA1qqPN3Q/s400/800px-Jack-o-lantern-FR.JPG" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack-O-lanterns from pumpkins today, originally<br />were made in Ireland from carved turnips and rutabagas.<br />Some claim they represent the poor souls in<br />purgatory. Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jack-o-lantern-FR.JPG" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons </a><br />and <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jack-o-lantern-FR.JPG" target="_blank">Mansour de Toth</a> (Laszloen).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Samhain, therefore, became a day of great significance to the ancient Celts and Irish. It was an end and a beginning. And by its nature, with the winter chill approaching, it was a time of darkness, awe, and even fear.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>On that night of Samhain bonfires were lit, and it was believed that the spirits of those people who died in the past year would once again walk the Earth. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Jack-o-lanterns were eventually made as part of this festival day, but they were actually made at first out of turnips or rutabagas. The tradition spread to America by using the pumpkins, of course; they were plentiful in America and much larger. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>As part of the festival day, mummers became popular. Mummers were people who wore fanciful masks or costumes and roamed about town, some singing or playing musical instruments. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>In the pagan beliefs, in olden days, there were witches; but they were not scary, evil sorceresses. They were simply people, usually women, who respected Nature and the powers of the Earth. They may have understood herbs and herbal medicine. They cooked and created healing potions in big cauldrons. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Contrary to what some people later falsely believed, the witches did not worship the Devil. The Devil, in fact, is a creature from the Christian religion and did not exist at all in the ancient Celtic pagan Old Religion. Yes, there was a belief in magic; but it was not for destructive purposes as many modern, popular movies might depict. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Over centuries Christianity came to Europe and Ireland. Tragically, the peaceful, Nature-worshiping witches were persecuted brutally in Christian Europe during a period called The Burning Times. People -- mainly women but not always women but men and children too -- were falsely accused of witchcraft and of consorting with the Devil. Many, many innocent lives were destroyed by pseudo-religious fanatics who literally went on witch hunts. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Witches were hunted down and burned at the stake. In early America, as in the Salem witch trials, they were hanged by the neck until dead. Some were crushed to death under heavy rocks.</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMmNhWV8udXYK_NuUt9j4U_wpbBIpiFfoVElzAYX_7riXLb0a4v1mOjfQLx0GRfpru2BosrpjjGi8n56LinKIOlMubDWPhVSLq6fnzurYOdfRgr5h4Oeg3PtP8Y7Drxc64rZ_jVSCTeg/s320/Salem_witch2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A melodramatic depiction of a witch trial<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.56px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.56px;">A lithograph by Joseph Baker from 1892</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.56px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 10.56px;">From Wikimedia Commons<br />See <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/11/ann-goody-glover-boston-witch-trial-of.html" target="_blank">my article </a>on an Irish Catholic woman named <br />Goody Glover, falsely accused of witchcraft.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>In pagan times in Europe, the Catholic Church decided that it was too difficult to suppress Samhain and many other pagan beliefs, and found it easier to simply replace pagan days of observation with Christian ones. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>This method of substituting a Christian holy day for a pagan holiday is how Halloween began. The word "Halloween" was possibly first used in the mid 18th century. "All Hallow's Eve" may have appeared in the mid 1500s. Broken down, the word "Halloween" means "Hallow" (or holy) and "Eve" (the day before). So, this meant the eve or day before a Holy Day. The Holy Day the Church set up was All Saints Day, November 1, followed by All Souls Day, November 2. So, Halloween evolved at that time on the calendar to replace Samhain.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>All Saints Day was originally in May and was a day for remembering saints and martyrs. But in 835 AD, Pope Gregory IV moved the holy day to November 1, placing it on top of Samhain.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The traditions of Halloween and Samhain evolved over time and spread from Ireland to the United States as the Irish and other Celtic peoples left Europe for the USA. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Over a million Irish left Ireland during the Great Famine (Potato Famine) from 1845 to 1850. And a million or more died of starvation and related diseases in Ireland. They died not because of bad potatoes alone but because of centuries of political and religious oppression at the hands of Great Britain.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Irish who came to America brought their customs and culture with them. Today in the USA almost 40 million people are of at least part Irish descent. This is many times more than the number of Irish today in Ireland itself.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Naturally, in the USA the Halloween holiday has become commercialized. Almost everyone buys bags of candy, costumes, and food for parties. Halloween has become a very popular holiday for commerce and money-making, right behind Christmas and Thanksgiving. Today it is mainly great fun.</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPlVw1ahIkv-i_NS64MDiQJl7zBPcHfgC-MeYff0j3TQswkP2MMdUGaG4l46yNXoBhd3nkP25edCRjAJTeobaxE3xgZ_6J9ZdcOxc-whtSudQP_q8EuWCimBqtjVHJejz8zRfpK3T3AY/s1600/Anarchist_back_cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="592" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOPlVw1ahIkv-i_NS64MDiQJl7zBPcHfgC-MeYff0j3TQswkP2MMdUGaG4l46yNXoBhd3nkP25edCRjAJTeobaxE3xgZ_6J9ZdcOxc-whtSudQP_q8EuWCimBqtjVHJejz8zRfpK3T3AY/s200/Anarchist_back_cat.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A black cat, today the symbol of Halloween, <br />was seen as a servant of the witch.<br />This particular image of the black cat was actually <br />used by a political group, Anarchists for The <br />Industrial Workers of the World, circa 1961. Anarchists <br />(and Anarcho-Syndicalists, organized labor groups) <br />used the color black; and the black cat represented<br />sabotage against an oppressive capitalist or employer.<br />Photo <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anarchist_black_cat.svg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>But ...</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Before we conclude, however, let me take a moment ... to discuss cats. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>(Pardon me, I am a cat person more than a dog person. So, this is something that matters to me.) </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The insanity of the Burning Times, when witches were burned to death, was horrible not only for people accused of witchcraft but also for cats, specifically black cats. Some ignorant and hateful people foolishly believed black cats could shape shift and turn into bad people. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Some people even believed that a black cat would do the witch's bidding and become a spy or scout for the witch upon command. (Really? Just try telling your cat to do something and see what happens.) </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Sadly, black cats were often killed as a result throughout Europe. This lunacy even occurred in America where the Puritans -- who conducted the infamous Salem witch trials -- persecuted black cats and people who had them as pets. (I am not sure what was the fate of black cats in Ireland. Perhaps someone living in Ireland today can let me know? Also, see more about the persecution of an Irish Catholic woman falsely accused of witchcraft in old Massachusetts at my article on <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/11/ann-goody-glover-boston-witch-trial-of.html" target="_blank">Goody Glover, here</a>.) </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>So, if you or your children go trick-or-treating this year, remember the holiday has ancient origins. Some of the history is fascinating and some is brutal. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Halloween is a unique and popular American holiday filled with spirits and scary stories; but it has very ancient origins thanks to the Celts and to the Irish.</b><br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anarchist_black_cat.svg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anarchist_black_cat.svg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anarchist_black_cat.svg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anarchist_black_cat.svg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-35733126343462155012018-09-14T10:46:00.000-05:002019-02-18T23:14:49.603-06:00The Writers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kLny2xJgLZCHbxlnh8VNwrDvbiB-yLe9PgpuH8SM5YvbF1DrI0JRuox0Bssuay2egUAmn4R8pbAdn5kG0pogG_rz3Z3npN16Hrt0OT0Ut-xFG0_SHjESn1TsdO-zQMMWCi8kXC4lEx0/s1600/369px-James_Joyce_by_Alex_Ehrenzweig%252C_1915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="369" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kLny2xJgLZCHbxlnh8VNwrDvbiB-yLe9PgpuH8SM5YvbF1DrI0JRuox0Bssuay2egUAmn4R8pbAdn5kG0pogG_rz3Z3npN16Hrt0OT0Ut-xFG0_SHjESn1TsdO-zQMMWCi8kXC4lEx0/s400/369px-James_Joyce_by_Alex_Ehrenzweig%252C_1915.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Joyce, 1915<br />
Photo from Wikimedia<br />
Commons, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Joyce_by_Alex_Ehrenzweig,_1915.jpg" target="_blank">original f</a>rom<br />
Alex Ehrenzweig</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
The Irish have a way with words. They have always had a way with words. Some of the most famous and applauded authors in the world have been, and still are, Irish or of Irish descent. And the most famous Irish writers wrote in a language which was historically foreign to Ireland -- English.<br />
<br />
The older Irish wrote in the Irish Gaelic language, but over time the newer ones wrote in English. For about 1,500 years until the 19th century, the Irish language was the main language of the people. Over time, however, English became the dominant language.<br />
<br />
Centuries of oppression by British occupation and even British laws which suppressed the Irish language and culture made the Irish speak and write in English. Eventually, some of the Irish would become the masters of the English language.<br />
<br />
From ancient times the Irish loved a good story. They held the bard, or the story teller, called a shanachie or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seancha%C3%AD" target="_blank">seanchai,</a> in the highest esteem. He was usually second only to the ancient Irish king in importance. Not only did he tell stories, which the Irish loved, but he recorded the history of the Irish people in verse and legend.<br />
<br />
One of the first old Gaelic bards was a man named <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amergin_Gl%C3%BAingel" target="_blank">Amergin</a>. He was a poet and historian for the Milesians, some of the early inhabitants of Ireland who migrated from the East.<br />
<br />
A very old poem is attributed to him called the <i>Song of Amergin</i>:<br />
<br />
"I am the wind on the sea; I am the wave of the sea; I am the bull<br />
of seven battles; I am the eagle on the rock; I am a flash from the sun ... I am the head of the spear in battle; I am the god that puts fire in the head ... Who can tell the ages of the Moon? Who can tell the place where the sun sets?"<br />
<br />
The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milesians_(Irish)" target="_blank">Milesians</a> are said to be the first Gaelic people to arrive in ancient Ireland, going there possibly from Eastern Europe or Spain. They were Celtic or Gaelic people.<br />
<br />
No one knows for sure, but the Celts probably first came to Ireland during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistoric_Ireland#Copper_and_Bronze_Ages_(2500%E2%80%93500_BC)" target="_blank">Iron Age</a> which started around 500 BC.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2P2vWONohMgB9ZmFZyH5FZzYh2Jv-vF65RYZI46S4kZf1AxCHoDHdM5Fs3aIDW2yf0hG3zaaMUGawm5JQFUA1EoEsxb8z-7xxTpH955CvjDTbp4batY7J6UEgpFTCrHf85tyOZczVn7k/s1600/Myths_and_legends%253B_the_Celtic_race_%25281910%2529_%252814760459036%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="406" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2P2vWONohMgB9ZmFZyH5FZzYh2Jv-vF65RYZI46S4kZf1AxCHoDHdM5Fs3aIDW2yf0hG3zaaMUGawm5JQFUA1EoEsxb8z-7xxTpH955CvjDTbp4batY7J6UEgpFTCrHf85tyOZczVn7k/s200/Myths_and_legends%253B_the_Celtic_race_%25281910%2529_%252814760459036%2529.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milesian Celts coming to ancient Ireland<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Myths_and_legends;_the_Celtic_race_(1910)_(14760459036).jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> Wikimedia Commons, <br />
originally Myth and Legends, 1910</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
In ancient times the Irish did not have a true alphabet (before the Romanized alphabet was used). The Old Irish language used the Latin language alphabet starting in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_orthography" target="_blank">8th century AD</a>. Catholic monks and scholars -- who were usually literate in Latin and Greek -- took ancient Irish words and applied the scholarly Latin alphabet to them. Before the 8th century, however, a very basic non-phonetic alphabet was used.<br />
<br />
The pagan Irish priestly class, called Druids, had a very primitive "alphabet" consisting of marks, dashes, and lines called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogham" target="_blank">Ogham</a>. The Ogham alphabet was first seen in the 4th century AD, although some scholars believe it may have appeared some centuries earlier.<br />
<br />
These marks were often made on the sides of ancient stone obelisks for religious messages. The Irish language (called Gaeilge) was the common language in Ireland then.<br />
<br />
Today the Irish language is still used and studied in Ireland, along with English, and is often heard on the west coast region called the Gaeltacht.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBERY89Rc7gO0NYTBtVrPr5V314YWPqaVnzuqfqb6MXe6AC2e05uWcEx_EHESm5wsmjGm_STOMkTJo7Ojrv5gMbHNjJptFmUXMWHLpTaajoQQvObMPLjI_7DaubM3M4EPy9iF18phEo4/s1600/800px-Book_of_Ballymote_170r+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="800" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBERY89Rc7gO0NYTBtVrPr5V314YWPqaVnzuqfqb6MXe6AC2e05uWcEx_EHESm5wsmjGm_STOMkTJo7Ojrv5gMbHNjJptFmUXMWHLpTaajoQQvObMPLjI_7DaubM3M4EPy9iF18phEo4/s320/800px-Book_of_Ballymote_170r+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A page from an old Irish book called<br />
"The Book of Ballymote" from 1390 AD. The<br />
book was assembled by scribes who wrote about<br />
the history, religion, and culture of old Ireland.<br />
The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Ballymote" target="_blank">Ballymote</a> page explains the functions<br />
of the Ogham writing. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Book_of_Ballymote_170r.jpg" target="_blank">Photo </a>from<br />
Wikimedia Commons.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
From these ancient times, more modern Irish writers emerged. An entire body of literature was in the Irish Gaelic language, eventually giving way to English. But the manner and the message remained always Irish.<br />
<br />
From this ancient history, with a culture and a language evolving, great Irish writers emerged.<br />
<br />
Here is a brief look at just a few of the most renowned Irish writers. There are many more.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Jonathan Swift, 1667-1745</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDqTPU9IfR-Jpc2nYyg6yCfrBXlFakbOxc6WJgdzsEkPmORAawc10a_ECtW6MRucAX5jasDTmh6qSNJp8ZcbjWiTIXDc6VCRN5YIYESwDVzwPLWZCSPIAyfJ7-T2eovDNFOrasRW-7dE/s1600/533px-Jonathan_Swift_by_Charles_Jervas_detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDqTPU9IfR-Jpc2nYyg6yCfrBXlFakbOxc6WJgdzsEkPmORAawc10a_ECtW6MRucAX5jasDTmh6qSNJp8ZcbjWiTIXDc6VCRN5YIYESwDVzwPLWZCSPIAyfJ7-T2eovDNFOrasRW-7dE/s320/533px-Jonathan_Swift_by_Charles_Jervas_detail.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jonathan Swift<br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jonathan_swift.jpg" target="_blank">WikimediaCommons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin and was Anglo-Irish. He is most remembered for his essays and satires. He was greatly concerned about Irish politics, and he often made his points in clever ways by using symbolism and satirical devices. He wrote <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Swift#Youth" target="_blank">Gulliver's Travels</a> and perhaps the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Modest_Proposal" target="_blank">greatest satire</a> ever written in the English language called A Modest Proposal. Its full title is actually: "A modest proposal for preventing the children of poor people from being a Burthen [sic] to their parents or country, and for making them beneficial to the Publick [sic]."<br />
<br />
What Swift proposed, modestly, was that Irish children of poor Irish parents could be cooked, sold, and served as meals for wealthy ladies and gentlemen to eat. This would reduce the burden of taking care of poor Irish children, give some revenue to the poor Irish parents, and make a nice and tasty meal for rich people, typically from the Ascendant Protestant class or the English. Of course, this satire was extreme and devastating, to say the least. Swift used such devices to ridicule and condemn the ruling class.<br />
<br />
Jonathan Swift was a champion of social justice, and he used his intellect and writing skills to indict the British government for its often unjust policies.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>2. William Butler Yeats</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJpL_QAgFn6xZDkieL6c_p68kYwBiH4kQxc6fyOXWrTNQooo8X8pCaXVGAvkYTj7FHbLyLch76Ch4UQXy2fgLbmHgHON9duYJewgeOnz6gwe3tU4wHidJT6lFyF7KMMsdMcx8LTo6SP4/s1600/William_Butler_Yeats_by_John_Butler_Yeats_1900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="484" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJpL_QAgFn6xZDkieL6c_p68kYwBiH4kQxc6fyOXWrTNQooo8X8pCaXVGAvkYTj7FHbLyLch76Ch4UQXy2fgLbmHgHON9duYJewgeOnz6gwe3tU4wHidJT6lFyF7KMMsdMcx8LTo6SP4/s320/William_Butler_Yeats_by_John_Butler_Yeats_1900.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portrait of W.B. Yeats in 1900<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Butler_Yeats_by_John_Butler_Yeats_1900.jpg" target="_blank">Photo</a> from Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
William Butler Yeats lived from 1865 to 1939. Born in Dublin, he became an acclaimed poet and playwright; he was one of the creators of the Abbey Theater, which is the National Theater of Ireland. Famous plays over the years have been performed at The Abbey. Yeats received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1923.<br />
<br />
Some of his greatest works include a powerful and moving poem about the Irish Rebellion of 1916 (The Easter Rising). The poem is called "Easter, 1916." In this poem Yeats uses a phrase which has become famous as it represents both the positive and negative aspects of the cause for Irish independence from Britain -- "A terrible beauty." Yeats wrote, "Now and in time to be, Wherever green is worn, Are changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born."<br />
<br />
Another renowned poem he wrote is called "Lake Isle of Innisfree." "I will arise and go now, and go to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Isle_of_Innisfree" target="_blank">Innisfree</a>, And a small cabin build there ..." Yeats beautifully paints a picture with words describing this tranquil place called Innisfree in County Sligo, Ireland.<br />
<br />
Yet another great poem by W.B. Yeats is "Down By the Sally Gardens." This <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_by_the_Salley_Gardens" target="_blank">story </a>of lost love has been turned into a popular Irish song as well. "Down by the Sally Gardens, my love and I did meet ... She bid me take life easy, as the grass grows on the weirs; But I was young and foolish, and now am full of tears."<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>3. James Joyce</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Joyce_by_Alex_Ehrenzweig,_1915_restored.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="369" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Wt06z5P9Fu7rkywyDgoJIcSLpyPlAQbhWsb1xPuZOVCkbxJYslUcYSeVewYSpxy9qoKuTRvOU9A0SmzLtcjOja-EvKaqE1iqSZr41QnsXTzg6DUIYBeXeGHDMoqnTkEaC4TS-yLsUuY/s400/369px-James_Joyce_by_Alex_Ehrenzweig%252C_1915.jpg" width="246" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Joyce, 1915<br />
One of the most acclaimed writers <br />
in world literature, of all times<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Joyce_by_Alex_Ehrenzweig,_1915_restored.jpg" target="_blank">Photo</a> from Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
James Joyce was born in Dublin in 1882 and died in 1941. He wrote novels, short stories, and poems. His writing style was considered modernist, and he had a great impact on world literature in the 20th century.<br />
<br />
One modern device Joyce used, famously, was called the "stream of consciousness" wherein the writer states a multitude of thoughts all at once, simulating the thinking process a person might have in real life with many thoughts occurring simultaneously.<br />
<br />
He is famous for several works including <i>Dubliners</i>, <i>A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man</i>, and <i>Finnegan's Wake</i>. Joyce was taught by the Christian Brothers and the Jesuits; and he studied at University College Dublin.<br />
<br />
His writings became famous and were extremely progressive in a literary sense. Joyce usually focused on life in Dublin; but he spent much of his life abroad, especially in Paris, France and Zurich, Switzerland. His writings, though brilliant, were often controversial and were denounced by some conservative authorities.<br />
<br />
His great work called <i>Ulysses, </i>written in the early 1920s<i>, </i>was not published in the USA until the 1930s because a controversy arose resulting in charges of obscenity. The book was banned in some places, and it was first published in its entirety in English by a bookstore on the Left Bank of Paris in 1922, at Shakespeare and Company. The novel focuses on the adventures of a character named Leopold Bloom who ventures around Dublin city on what has come to be called "Bloomsday," June 16, 1904.<br />
<br />
Today <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_(novel)" target="_blank">Ulysses </a></i>is seen as one of the most significant novels in the history of the world. James Joyce is seen as one of the greatest writers of all times.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>4. Eugene O'Neill</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwxo0jWzLh0cZSvNGonfu-ZJLbK2LaFRfA9u2psz2LAaYcRaPPzFALczkowM4FreUUoOiTlirh4naPU9e517N8rQVMXgj3xXGsefnSCZtRt3VsX4QfuaBXid3BT89SzefD2IgS4bkI4s/s1600/ONeill-Eugene-LOC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwxo0jWzLh0cZSvNGonfu-ZJLbK2LaFRfA9u2psz2LAaYcRaPPzFALczkowM4FreUUoOiTlirh4naPU9e517N8rQVMXgj3xXGsefnSCZtRt3VsX4QfuaBXid3BT89SzefD2IgS4bkI4s/s400/ONeill-Eugene-LOC.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eugene O'Neill<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ONeill-Eugene-LOC.jpg" target="_blank">Photo</a> from Wikimedia Commons<br />
and US Library of Congress</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
Only one American has ever received the Nobel Prize for Literature as a playwright, and it was the Irish-American writer Eugene O'Neill.<br />
<br />
O'Neill changed the face of drama and theater in America and worldwide by using the concept of realism. O'Neill's characters were often tragic and sometimes suffered from terrible emotional troubles and personal conflicts. (The concept of realism had it origins in plays by the Russian writer Anton Chekhov.)<br />
<br />
Born in New York City, O'Neill was well aware of his Irish heritage and the impact it had on him personally and on his work.<br />
He once commented in 1946: "The one thing that explains more than anything about me is the fact that I'm Irish. And, strangely enough, it is something that all the writers who have attempted to explain me and my work have overlooked."<br />
<br />
Some of Eugene O'Neill's plays are among the most famous in world literature: <i>The Iceman Cometh</i>, <i>A Moon for the Misbegotten</i>, and <i>Mourning Becomes Electra -</i>- to name a few.<br />
<br />
But his greatest work, which was actually not first performed publicly until after his death, is <i>Long Day's Journey Into Night. I</i>n many ways, the play is autobiographical.<br />
<br />
(See more about Eugene O'Neill at my <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/06/us-postage-stamp-1967-eugene-oneill-and.html" target="_blank">earlier article</a> on him.)<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>5. Oscar Wilde</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8jsJzRFMNdRnjMH7MC8VbLlp3xM9nHY6n5EUmn4c7yjx6pbvZ9khAVeWPI7R4VdInESo6HeIxFZhljiUzLsO-K4MMbnf8gwR78b1oZHYek9ku3XF8SvlvIH85fcIsKLNhZz59qa8-M4/s1600/360px-Oscar_Wilde_Sarony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8jsJzRFMNdRnjMH7MC8VbLlp3xM9nHY6n5EUmn4c7yjx6pbvZ9khAVeWPI7R4VdInESo6HeIxFZhljiUzLsO-K4MMbnf8gwR78b1oZHYek9ku3XF8SvlvIH85fcIsKLNhZz59qa8-M4/s400/360px-Oscar_Wilde_Sarony.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oscar Wilde, 1882<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oscar_Wilde_Sarony.jpg" target="_blank">Photo </a>from Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
If you<b> </b>look up the word "wit" in the dictionary, you will probably find the name of Oscar Wilde next to it. Wilde was one of the most clever writers ever with the use of satirical phrases and witty statements (called epigrams), which came to him seemingly with ease.<br />
<br />
He wrote poems, plays, and even a novel. Born in 1854 in Dublin, Ireland, he died in 1900. His life, filled with wit and even comedy, was eventually one of great literary success, infamous scandal, high drama, and finally tragedy.<br />
<br />
Some of his best known works are The<i> Picture of Dorian Grey</i>, <i>The Importance of Being Earnest, </i>and <i>The Ballad of Reading Gaol</i>.<br />
<br />
Oscar Wilde did not plan on being an LGBT rights activist, but his life made him that by default. Wilde was involved in a complex legal action against the Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel (a form of defamation). During the legal process, evidence emerged that Wilde allegedly had a consensual gay affair with the son of the Marquess.<br />
<br />
Gay relationships were illegal at that time, and Wilde was brought to trial for "gross indecency." (The famous expression "the love that dare not speak its name" came from this legal process involving Oscar Wilde and the son of the Marquess, Alfred Douglas.)<br />
<br />
After much legal maneuvering, Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years of hard labor. After he did his time in jail, Wilde in effect went into exile to France, where he eventually died impoverished. It was the tragic end to a once brilliant literary carrier. It was also a terrible injustice.<br />
<br />
No doubt from the hardships he faced in public disgrace and hard labor in jail, Oscar Wilde died in Paris at the young age of only 46.<br />
<br />
<br />
The authors above are just five of the Irish writers who have greatly influenced the world of literature. There are many more. Bram Stoker, who wrote the great horror story <i>Dracula,</i> was Irish. The creator of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Arthur Conan Doyle, was Irish -- though born in Scotland, both of Doyle's parents were Irish Catholic. Even the great American writer and poet Edgar Allen Poe was partly of Irish descent.<br />
<br />
The list could go on and on. And probably there will be many more famous Irish writers in the future too ... because the Irish have a way with words.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-27791862474721915282018-08-23T17:51:00.001-05:002018-08-24T09:33:45.300-05:00What Were the Penal Laws?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1T_4qGh-NaW09K-A1k7TNzDIwMPNvouVLEWmHFbZV4tOCZPV8p6_QJq9l1lvVmjyHTMu1y9m7JdTRXgEiFhSPz8tt6y_Oi4ATCaQZJnNyHtUG2Hc48mgZpuEQQVaBMbBcQCJqQzQMZNs/s1600/LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="204" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1T_4qGh-NaW09K-A1k7TNzDIwMPNvouVLEWmHFbZV4tOCZPV8p6_QJq9l1lvVmjyHTMu1y9m7JdTRXgEiFhSPz8tt6y_Oi4ATCaQZJnNyHtUG2Hc48mgZpuEQQVaBMbBcQCJqQzQMZNs/s400/LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An English court dispensing <br />
"justice" in the 19th century?<br />
Photo from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LCJ-Court-1886.jpg" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>By Adrian McGrath</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Who remembers? Were you taught about this in school? If you live in Ireland, perhaps someone told you about this. But if you live in the United States, where most people who are of Irish descent live today, you probably did not learn this in school, unless you deliberately took a special course in Irish history. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Penal Laws were blatantly brutal and discriminatory laws which targeted primarily Irish Catholics. To some extent the laws also persecuted non-Anglican Protestants like Scots Irish Presbyterians (also called Dissenters) and members of other religions such as Judaism. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Anglican Church was officially sanctioned and supported by the British government and included the Church of England and the related Church of Ireland. But Roman Catholics were deprived of all fundamental human rights under the Penal Laws. In this sense the Penal Laws were comparable to the Apartheid laws in South Africa or the anti-Semitic Nuremberg Laws in Nazi Germany. The focus of oppression, however, was on religion not race.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>All people who are interested in the cause of justice, whether Irish or not, should want to learn about these prejudicial Penal Laws which existed in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries in British-controlled Ireland. Yes, people should want to learn about them for the sake of learning history. But they should also want to learn about the evils of the Penal Laws so that such a persecution of a select group never happens again -- to anyone, anywhere. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It is noteworthy that the United States Constitution in addition to its safeguard of freedom of religion in the First Amendment, specifically outlaws the persecution of a select group of people without due process of law under the legal term <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_of_attainder" target="_blank">"bill of attainder</a>." The American Founding Fathers understood what British tyranny was too. See Article I, secs. 9 and 10 of the US Constitution which forbid bills of attainder.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Battle of the Boyne, 1690</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2K6OalPbCuqI40_h4mWrYgGpJUkirKiBldngp6aPJp1CdthwtN_Xu0Gp-wmnZilbBOfnpBX_lXdb2q5BgVVZ3poSc0uflrZ3zmA9lh6pRxzB4Vy_6pwrd7nsgGpVx8FLGXO8GDELLMg/s1600/BattleOfBoyne.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="400" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc2K6OalPbCuqI40_h4mWrYgGpJUkirKiBldngp6aPJp1CdthwtN_Xu0Gp-wmnZilbBOfnpBX_lXdb2q5BgVVZ3poSc0uflrZ3zmA9lh6pRxzB4Vy_6pwrd7nsgGpVx8FLGXO8GDELLMg/s400/BattleOfBoyne.png" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Battle of the Boyne, 1690. <br />
The Protestant Dutch/English leader William of Orange <br />
defeated the Catholic English king, James II, securing<br />
Protestant rule in Ireland for centuries to come.<br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BattleOfBoyne.png" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a>, original<br />
painting from 1693</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>The last time two rival English kings fought each other for the crown of Great Britain was at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Boyne" target="_blank">Battle of the Boyne</a>, a river north of Dublin in Ireland, in 1690. This battle was part of a larger power struggle over control of Britain where religion, Catholic versus Protestant, was a key factor. The Catholic English king, James II lost the battle to the Protestant English king, William of Orange, who was really Dutch and not English. William and his wife Mary would then rule over the British Isles including Ireland. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Treaty of Limerick which ended this so-called Williamite War was supposed to guarantee equal rights for Catholics; but as time passed, those protections disappeared.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The victorious group, eventually known as the Protestant Ascendancy, wanted to make certain that it remained in a position of power and privilege and that any opposition, mainly from Catholics, never again threatened their status. So, a series of discriminatory laws were passed by the pro-British and Protestant Irish parliament to suppress Catholics in Ireland, a land where the vast majority of the populace was in fact Catholic. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ever since the Reformation and the rule of Henry VIII, Great Britain feared powerful foreign countries which were predominately Catholic, such as France and Spain. Britain historically feared that foreign Catholic nations might attack British interests directly and might aid Irish Catholic rebels who resisted British rule in Ireland. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioNHHnSiYW_xsMuvjrFdiCGODCDpRMi1yZ72D66jYb2MXkWvobo7xyphd4CuNSY19LtZROqluUQRIDHOQhHdvwPHGj_0q0SBWmqUuqVSwR-sif7Yv1wKWGjCNebPpa46rEDO-EktboEU/s1600/Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony%252C_1847+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="405" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioNHHnSiYW_xsMuvjrFdiCGODCDpRMi1yZ72D66jYb2MXkWvobo7xyphd4CuNSY19LtZROqluUQRIDHOQhHdvwPHGj_0q0SBWmqUuqVSwR-sif7Yv1wKWGjCNebPpa46rEDO-EktboEU/s200/Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony%252C_1847+%25282%2529.JPG" width="144" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A scene depicting Irish<br />
peasants during the 1845<br />
famine. The Penal Laws were<br />
largely repealed by 1829,<br />
but the after-effects remained.<br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skibbereen_by_James_Mahony,_1847.JPG" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b><b>When did the Penal Laws begin in Ireland, we might ask. The answer is rather complicated. There had been anti-Catholic Penal Laws prior to 1691 in the British Isles, which included Ireland then. Indeed, some discriminatory laws began from the time of Henry VIII. Certainly during the time of Oliver Cromwell, Catholics in Ireland were brutally persecuted. But the time period after the Williamite War and the Battle of the Boyne saw anti-Catholic Penal Laws which were much more inclusive, permanent, and harsh. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Penal Laws</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Starting after 1695 and for over a century to come until Catholic Emancipation in 1829, the laws of the land persecuted Catholics and non-Anglicans. (See Roman Catholic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Relief_Act_1829" target="_blank">Relief Act of 1829.</a> )</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzXeTPCAZVB0og1LYm3FS_zOHYxNin1m9F2Frxvf_xWK6S3JCPFgRfgTKHIC39AGynF0-dq6cvqr_DvVYZIIe911rM3QzIZWTdRIYiJSqrycW-Tj92nABeNiBGyYcN0RqjUVvaftDYBw/s1600/800px-A_Word_of_Comfort2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="800" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzXeTPCAZVB0og1LYm3FS_zOHYxNin1m9F2Frxvf_xWK6S3JCPFgRfgTKHIC39AGynF0-dq6cvqr_DvVYZIIe911rM3QzIZWTdRIYiJSqrycW-Tj92nABeNiBGyYcN0RqjUVvaftDYBw/s400/800px-A_Word_of_Comfort2.jpg" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A political cartoon from 1790 making fun of an<br />
attempt by progressives to repeal the Test Act, <br />
a Penal Law which required a candidate for public office be a<br />
member of the Church of England and not a Catholic<br />
Photo by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Word_of_Comfort2.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>In fact, it could be argued that the discrimination against Catholics did not fully end in Ireland until the Irish won their partial independence in the 1920s, although the North (Ulster) remained under British control. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Here are some of the things the Penal Laws did in Ireland:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Catholics could not hold public office, i.e. be elected as a member of government.</b><br />
<b>Irish Catholics could not practice their own religion.</b><br />
<b>Catholics could not be educated in schools.</b><br />
<b>Catholics could not become part of a profession, like being a doctor or a lawyer.</b><br />
<b>Catholics were limited in what trade or commerce they could engage in.</b><br />
<b>Catholics could not buy or sell land. They also could not lease land.</b><br />
<b>Catholics could not own a horse over the price of five pounds.</b><br />
<b>Catholics could not vote.</b><br />
<b>Catholics could not keep and bear arms. Catholics could not own a gun, a sword, or any type of weapon. </b><br />
<b>Catholics could not have an annuity, and they were limited in undertaking financial matters.</b><br />
<b>A Catholic could not legally marry a Protestant. Any offspring from such a relationship had to be raised as Protestant.</b><br />
<b>Catholics could not buy land from a Protestant or receive land as a gift. Additional laws made it illegal for Catholics to buy or sell any land in any way. (So, this meant Irish Catholics, who made up over 90% or more of Ireland, could not legally own any land in their own country.)</b><br />
<b>Catholics could not inherit any land or movable property from a Protestant. (So, if a family member converted to Protestantism, he or she could not will property to a Catholic relative.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>A Catholic who might be in the process of dying could not leave his or her child into the guardianship of another Catholic. The child fell under the control of a Protestant only. (Yes, this is shockingly true. See Seamus MacManus book "The Story of the Irish Race," Devin Adair Co. New York, 1921, 1975 edition, on page 459, esp. footnote 11.)</b><br />
<b>Catholics were not allowed to educate their children by themselves or send them to another Catholic to teach them.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>And there were many other restrictions. Violations of these laws could result in severe penalties including prison, torture, or death. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>As an example of an attempt to purge Ireland of Catholic leadership, a law was made in 1698 which stated, " All Popish Archbishops, Bishops, Vicars General, Deans, Jesuits, Monks, Friars, and all other Popish clergy shall depart out of this kingdom before the first of May, 1698 ..." (See MacManus p. 456. Interestingly, the law specified the Jesuits by name.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>If a Catholic clergyman attempted to return to Ireland after that date in 1698, he was subject to execution by being hanged, drawn, and quartered. (In this horrible form of execution, a person was partially hanged but not killed, then disemboweled or cut open, and then chopped into pieces with an ax.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The Irish sometimes clandestinely broke these terrible laws by having "hedge teachers" or "hedge school masters" who taught children while hiding behind trees or large hedgerow plants. Catholic religious services were also held in secret behind hedgerows or anywhere the British soldiers or officials could not find them. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYz8hf9MiTwt9qKrgPuPwvF426sDbvG6uZ1HgtABe7PJCwBSXRZROLYFSunU7KfC9w1eai2eRhEf2xL82ORDsB4USUDFUIHxcvXx_nIOXqms7j6ulC75pTaSf8Go09rpc7r0h20OcT2s/s1600/800px-Mass_in_a_Connemara_Cabin_by_Aloysius_O%2527Kelly_%25281883%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="800" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYz8hf9MiTwt9qKrgPuPwvF426sDbvG6uZ1HgtABe7PJCwBSXRZROLYFSunU7KfC9w1eai2eRhEf2xL82ORDsB4USUDFUIHxcvXx_nIOXqms7j6ulC75pTaSf8Go09rpc7r0h20OcT2s/s400/800px-Mass_in_a_Connemara_Cabin_by_Aloysius_O%2527Kelly_%25281883%2529.png" width="400" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catholic priest saying a Mass in secret in Ireland. <br />
Original painting by Aloysius Kelly, 1883<br />
"Mass in a Connemara Cabin"<br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mass_in_a_Connemara_Cabin_by_Aloysius_O%27Kelly_(1883).png" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>A certain type of very small rosary called a Penal Law Rosary was devised which could be quickly hidden in case the British police came by. The Irish, thereby, attempted many ways to circumvent these unjust laws and follow their own religious faith.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The political statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke said of the Penal Laws, "... there was not a single right of nature or benefit of society which had not been either totally taken away, or considerably impaired." Edmund Burke became famous as an Anglo-Irish member of the British parliament who was overtly sympathetic to the American cause during the American Revolutionary War, supporting colonists' rights but opposing American independence. He also supported Catholic Emancipation or Catholic rights in Ireland. See <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Burke" target="_blank">Edmund Burke</a>.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0369PVwDTMbukSJYAcETsOBlKCfo29bABBNEpHreucWHVYtJFdDaf3lgodJtAgFbPprsgnqrloXyHYfSLf2JZAKhqZOGbTFL29hqlpC0n_ErBJiDRYdFZu39tIcZk3pZEpl8DAoEE1q8/s1600/Edmund_Burke2_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="180" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0369PVwDTMbukSJYAcETsOBlKCfo29bABBNEpHreucWHVYtJFdDaf3lgodJtAgFbPprsgnqrloXyHYfSLf2JZAKhqZOGbTFL29hqlpC0n_ErBJiDRYdFZu39tIcZk3pZEpl8DAoEE1q8/s400/Edmund_Burke2_c.jpg" width="310" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edmund Burke, statesman<br />
and political philosopher<br />
who denounced the Penal Laws and supported<br />
the rights of American colonists<br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edmund_Burke2_c.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Edmund Burke went on to say about the Penal Laws imposed on the Irish, "a machine of wise and elaborate contrivance, as well fitted for the oppression, impoverishment, and degradation of a people, and the debasement in them of human nature itself, as ever proceeded from the perverted ingenuity of man ..." </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>There was a legal scholar from France named Montesquieu who lived in the early 18th century, during the time of the Penal Laws. He is noted for advancing the concept of "Separation of Powers," where no one person or part of the government has absolute power. We see this principle in the US Constitution where we have equal powers among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It is a device to prevent tyranny, an evil with which he was gravely concerned. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwEEAMdaiWzYMbCboDt9c4c5dI4Pver5xvnv6VXPyqB9TQ0DSMcJtLIqieULOZx0y6iBza-H09Bp9zDyXp0_4BzIiuwCgQz7SzFRvjWgVdQXoFujvPCQWnBEJYbY3H5q2O9008fPMFZng/s1600/488px-Montesquieu_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="488" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwEEAMdaiWzYMbCboDt9c4c5dI4Pver5xvnv6VXPyqB9TQ0DSMcJtLIqieULOZx0y6iBza-H09Bp9zDyXp0_4BzIiuwCgQz7SzFRvjWgVdQXoFujvPCQWnBEJYbY3H5q2O9008fPMFZng/s200/488px-Montesquieu_1.png" width="162" /></b></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The French philosopher<br />
Montesquieu <br />
Photo from<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Montesquieu_1.png" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Here is what the political philosopher Montesquieu said about the Penal Laws which tyrannized Irish Catholics in their own country: " [The Penal Laws were] conceived by demons, written in blood, and registered in Hell." (See MacManus p. 455.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Why We Remember the Penal Laws</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>This then is what the Penal Laws were which sent Irish Catholics to Hell on Earth in their own country at the hands of British invaders. Indeed, one English judge, Lord Chancellor John Bowes, once remarked in an official capacity, "The law does not suppose any such person to exist as an Irish Roman Catholic." (See Mac Manus p.460.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>We should all learn more about the Penal Laws if we are interested in Irish history. They happened long ago, but they had profound affects on the people of Ireland to this day and on the Irish who sailed away to America long ago. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The horrible story of the Penal Laws, however, is not just for a study of Irish history, but for all of human history. The story of the Penal Laws teaches us one clear lesson above all others: Persecution and tyranny anywhere and everywhere are always wrong and must always be opposed. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>(Note: This article is dedicated to the late professor of law </b><br />
<b>Frederick Swaim of Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans. He was my teacher, my brother-in-law, and my friend.)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Sources and further reading:</b><br />
<b><i>The Story of the Irish Race </i>by Seumas MacManus, 1921, 1975. Devin Adair Co. New York; <i>Ireland: A Terrible Beauty</i> by Leon Uris. History of the <a href="https://glc.yale.edu/history-penal-laws-against-irish-catholics" target="_blank">Penal Laws</a>, Yale University. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penal_Laws_(Ireland)" target="_blank">Penal Laws </a>(Ireland) from Wikipedia. Irish <a href="https://www.law.umn.edu/library/irishlaw/intro" target="_blank">Penal Law</a> from the University of Minnesota Law Library. <a href="https://www.libraryireland.com/articles/Eighteenth-Century-Ireland/Irish-Penal-Laws.php" target="_blank">Library Ireland Article o</a>n Penal Laws.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-26089387262701835742018-06-28T17:23:00.001-05:002019-07-02T12:06:00.012-05:00Timothy Murphy: Revolutionary War Rifleman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBziULMLLZO7URArXPEQonWNi-pOgRfRWk_rezRkywleL84fHnOg6-oJyCG5OSfL8g6vCN-mVZKSbNNRL1-WZTew0KZxyblmTmRSWhGkgY46XBEaPnSMAufNJ02GlpComHThFDU_D3ho/s1600/800px-Murphymonument+-+Edited+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="321" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTBziULMLLZO7URArXPEQonWNi-pOgRfRWk_rezRkywleL84fHnOg6-oJyCG5OSfL8g6vCN-mVZKSbNNRL1-WZTew0KZxyblmTmRSWhGkgY46XBEaPnSMAufNJ02GlpComHThFDU_D3ho/s320/800px-Murphymonument+-+Edited+%25281%2529.jpg" width="170" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument to<br />
Timothy Murphy in <br />
Middleburgh, New York<br />
Cemetery Photo, edited, from <br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Murphymonument.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
One of the most renowned riflemen from the American Revolutionary War (1775 to 1783) was Timothy Murphy. He served as a scout and sniper during the war and is credited with having been highly skilled as a marksman in several battles, often playing a crucial role in American victories. He was of Irish descent and is a good example of the part played for the cause of Liberty by Irish Presbyterians whose origins were in Ulster.<br />
<br />
Sometimes called Scots Irish or Ulster Scots, these people suffered under British tyranny in Ireland under the Penal Laws and fled to colonial America for a better life.<br />
<br />
(The Irish Catholics were most severely oppressed by the British Penal Laws dating from the 17th century; but non-Anglican Protestants, like the Ulster Presbyterians, also were discriminated against.)<br />
<br />
Timothy's parents were both from Donegal in Ireland but immigrated to America and settled in Pennsylvania when Timothy was young. He grew up in rugged, frontier country and learned to live off the land and use a rifle both for hunting wild game for food and as a defense against Native American Indian raids. The frontier lands were disputed between European settlers and indigenous tribes, as the Europeans often encroached on Native American territory.<br />
<br />
When the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, Murphy and his brother joined the American forces besieging the British troops at Boston, Massachusetts. Timothy fought in the battles around New York City as the massive reinforcements of British troops almost destroyed Washington's army and quickly ended the revolution.<br />
<br />
Murphy fought along side General Washington at the crucial battles of Trenton and Princeton in New Jersey in late 1776 and earned the designation as an expert marksman. (The term "expert marksman" meant a soldier could hit a seven inch target at a distance of 250 yards.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D_nI0LXNbk77GzULaerNbvay__t-TixRRMG0BdOLMYIZNnnvHbG8_-zRFYJ75VSSSsAJ1akwwWQYCWGJGJz3V6FrO8sVL7ekoVQgHDfMF3SyHt5YI2W6HAvaqGS3kXSXZ9O9_5mzzWQ/s1600/799px-John_Spitzer_-_Kentucky_Rifle_-_Walters_511434_-_Side_A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="799" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1D_nI0LXNbk77GzULaerNbvay__t-TixRRMG0BdOLMYIZNnnvHbG8_-zRFYJ75VSSSsAJ1akwwWQYCWGJGJz3V6FrO8sVL7ekoVQgHDfMF3SyHt5YI2W6HAvaqGS3kXSXZ9O9_5mzzWQ/s400/799px-John_Spitzer_-_Kentucky_Rifle_-_Walters_511434_-_Side_A.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A"Long Rifle," the type of weapon<br />
Timothy Murphy may have used<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Spitzer_-_Kentucky_Rifle_-_Walters_511434_-_Side_A.jpg" target="_blank">Photo from</a> Wikimedia Commons and<br />
Walters Art Museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Rifles in those days fired a round lead ball from a barrel which have grooves in it which made the ball spin, going straighter and farther than a ball from a musket, the typical weapon of a regular infantry soldier.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWQYflazpZ8gcEX7lBBo0RExLcbYh6jm_Yv1WMkdK5mcVdMae8u-FBcRk1RnvlAF9TjIhoKln_jXIm7vFV5PzXhmDsubdCd2oHVfHLBHsd5N9qU5ekDDq21WXX-vmqKKdnuZhD6p7ryQ/s1600/Brown-Bess-Musket.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWQYflazpZ8gcEX7lBBo0RExLcbYh6jm_Yv1WMkdK5mcVdMae8u-FBcRk1RnvlAF9TjIhoKln_jXIm7vFV5PzXhmDsubdCd2oHVfHLBHsd5N9qU5ekDDq21WXX-vmqKKdnuZhD6p7ryQ/s400/Brown-Bess-Musket.png" width="172" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Brown Bess" musket,<br />
typical smoothbore weapon<br />
used by British soldiers<br />
in the war.<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brown-Bess-Musket.png" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Wikimedia<br />
Commons and the US Army<br />
Center for Military History</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The musket could be fitted with a bayonet and because it was smooth-bore, it could be loaded faster than the grooved rifle. The rifle, however, had the advantages of greater accuracy and range -- muskets being accurate in battle only up to about 50 yards to 100 yards, while rifles could accurately hit targets at ranges of 200 to 300 yards.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjid2gaYjKJqDFKRd49BuS9q2wXd8q5kqlsn4H1j7oyFL44pwgMoEQavc3gsPFs3-4UiOjWdUrW0q7_e6hkTuSjM3JA7CAxgzJUOgRqvZnEA835RFCGmMEPD1O9bghsEfnbwaNQjo_9QN4/s1600/491px-DanielMorgan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="492" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjid2gaYjKJqDFKRd49BuS9q2wXd8q5kqlsn4H1j7oyFL44pwgMoEQavc3gsPFs3-4UiOjWdUrW0q7_e6hkTuSjM3JA7CAxgzJUOgRqvZnEA835RFCGmMEPD1O9bghsEfnbwaNQjo_9QN4/s320/491px-DanielMorgan.jpeg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel Morgan, American<br />
leader of Morgan's Riflemen,<br />
of which Timothy Murphy was<br />
a member Photo <br />
from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DanielMorgan.jpeg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
As Murphy's reputation became known, he was admitted to an elite group known as Daniel Morgan's Riflemen. Dan Morgan was a tough, smart, and daring leader who specialized in troops using the long rifle. His men were deadly accurate with their weapons.<br />
<br />
In the Autumn of 1777, Timothy Murphy was selected by Dan Morgan to be in a crack unit to join the American forces assembling for the Battle of Saratoga in New York state near Albany. This battle proved to be the turning point of the entire war. The Americans under Horatio Gates defeated the British and their German Hessian allies in two battles -- Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights -- which together are today known as the battle of Saratoga.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxu5q5WepB23ZGNWypu3CFNkm2AVFg6zH3d6vowM73Nb1g-EWb7_E-TfKIiVJzsv-uDQfuv5yfACvaJ8QQsPjpzYOxAmKAWAJ5FgZKaXXEKmVdXy8aTmnS8kTh2CYPfqwknj5aODhag3U/s1600/Benedict_Arnold._Copy_of_engraving_by_H._B._Hall_after_John_Trumbull%252C_published_1879.%252C_1931_-_1932_-_NARA_-_532921.tif.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="488" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxu5q5WepB23ZGNWypu3CFNkm2AVFg6zH3d6vowM73Nb1g-EWb7_E-TfKIiVJzsv-uDQfuv5yfACvaJ8QQsPjpzYOxAmKAWAJ5FgZKaXXEKmVdXy8aTmnS8kTh2CYPfqwknj5aODhag3U/s200/Benedict_Arnold._Copy_of_engraving_by_H._B._Hall_after_John_Trumbull%252C_published_1879.%252C_1931_-_1932_-_NARA_-_532921.tif.jpg" width="162" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Benedict Arnold, the real<br />
hero of the Battle of Saratoga,<br />
who became an infamous<br />
traitor to the American cause<br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benedict_Arnold._Copy_of_engraving_by_H._B._Hall_after_John_Trumbull,_published_1879.,_1931_-_1932_-_NARA_-_532921.tif" target="_blank">Photo from </a>Wikimedia Commons<br />
and the US National Archives</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Oddly enough, the real American hero of the battle was the man whose name later became synonymous with the word "traitor," General Benedict Arnold. At Bemis Heights, while Gates wavered, Arnold personally led a daring charge, rallying the Americans and crushing the British. Arnold was seriously wounded in the leg, but he did not get the proper credit for this victory from Gates or Congress.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsGneBEKKgYq7it4hsZ0xDzadUQasVBBBX9dJJAGRerQUd-XdLcx9VANBJnSp_qw_-TfyzsBGIyauNvnRA9tV8Dw2S2RwZCYjUyzaErTjDeNevrUGTJROffs9AS_rj-0zmcVKpeSvwmA/s1600/Simon_Fraser3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="344" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsGneBEKKgYq7it4hsZ0xDzadUQasVBBBX9dJJAGRerQUd-XdLcx9VANBJnSp_qw_-TfyzsBGIyauNvnRA9tV8Dw2S2RwZCYjUyzaErTjDeNevrUGTJROffs9AS_rj-0zmcVKpeSvwmA/s200/Simon_Fraser3.jpg" width="114" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British General <br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Simon_Fraser3.jpg" target="_blank">Simon Fraser</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
But there is another story too about<br />
Bemis Heights. A highly capable British general named Simon Fraser was spotted on the battlefield by Arnold. If Fraser could be eliminated, the British troops could be seriously disrupted. Arnold told Dan Morgan to have one of his marksmen shoot him. Morgan chose Timothy Murphy who in turn climbed a tree and shot and killed Fraser at 300 yards, reportedly with a double-barreled rifle. However, some historical research says that this story is apocryphal or may or may not have happened, despite its being reported throughout history as accurate over and over again. It is possible the story is a myth. (See <a href="https://allthingsliberty.com/2013/03/the-myth-of-rifleman-timothy-murphy-and-the-power-of-the-written-word/" target="_blank">Myth of Murphy</a>.)<br />
<br />
Whatever the case, Fraser was indeed killed on the battlefield probably by a marksman, and possibly by Murphy. Murphy allegedly also shot and killed another British officer named Sir Francis Clerke at Bemis Heights, throwing the British into confusion and disarray.<br />
<br />
With the situation seemingly hopeless after Benedict Arnold's charge and the loss of key British officers, the British leader, General "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne, surrendered.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDa-7bTgJl00th-Wa8erDrcqsx2Zn6KZ0ZdprX6mz8454CzmYMH7rQrFM2KlwtO6R9OXKpvAxdtg6I7m8zOBg-YWyOIdb9E_vMHHLN7AlG6-3Et0JqqCIejBezUARduiBLLLmihNyAT_s/s1600/800px-Surrender_of_General_Burgoyne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="799" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDa-7bTgJl00th-Wa8erDrcqsx2Zn6KZ0ZdprX6mz8454CzmYMH7rQrFM2KlwtO6R9OXKpvAxdtg6I7m8zOBg-YWyOIdb9E_vMHHLN7AlG6-3Et0JqqCIejBezUARduiBLLLmihNyAT_s/s400/800px-Surrender_of_General_Burgoyne.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British general "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne surrenders<br />
to American General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, NY, 1777<br />
Benedict Arnold was largely responsible for the<br />
American victory, aided allegedly by the shooting<br />
of British General Simon Fraser by Timothy Murphy<br />
Photo from <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Surrender_of_General_Burgoyne.jpg" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Murphy was also at Valley Forge for the brutal winter where Washington's army suffered from hunger, lack of supplies, and freezing weather.<br />
<br />
Murphy distinguished himself in skirmishes and battles against pro-British Tories and their Native American allies on the frontier in New York.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjeJQ3FCIA1Ah_qIIm0eD4Em4GxYyHiC8y_NusETZILKf-gJWfAjmtAgxwYIZD2R_oImju2GXeDxxvJHDvcKF-uN11LP2sj9q2z60RHj_Qx3YhjMUvUhxFKEEAUB5eIqJmsf4gXYSu5o/s1600/800px-Schoharie_Creek_headwaters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="800" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjeJQ3FCIA1Ah_qIIm0eD4Em4GxYyHiC8y_NusETZILKf-gJWfAjmtAgxwYIZD2R_oImju2GXeDxxvJHDvcKF-uN11LP2sj9q2z60RHj_Qx3YhjMUvUhxFKEEAUB5eIqJmsf4gXYSu5o/s400/800px-Schoharie_Creek_headwaters.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schoharie Creek in modern times in New York state,<br />
Photo from Wikimedia Commons, original by <br />
Daniel Case, 2006, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schoharie_Creek_headwaters.jpg" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
In New York state in 1780, in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schoharie,_New_York" target="_blank">Schoharie Valley</a>, a source of vital grain and food supplies for the Americans, at the Defense of the Middle Fort (near present-day Middleburgh, NY), Murphy used his rifleman's skill to help the Americans win. Murphy steadfastly refused to surrender the fort to the invading British over the objections of his American commander who wanted to give up. The British invaded the Schoharie region aided by Tory troops (Americans loyal to Britain), Hessians (German mercenaries), and pro-British Native American Indians. They planned to destroy the crops and food supplies in the area, while eliminating any American forces there.<br />
<br />
The Americans had only a few troops there, mainly composed of local militia. Murphy and the other American militiamen put up such a fight that the British eventually withdrew. The commanding American officer, a regular Army officer named Woolsey who wanted to surrender, eventually relinquished command to the militia leader.<br />
<br />
But it was Murphy's refusal to surrender that led militia to stand and fight and win. He reportedly fired rifle shots over the heads of the British truce party seeking to offer surrender terms to the Americans in the Middle Fort. Murphy's heroic stand made him a local hero to this day in that part of New York state.<br />
<br />
Murphy later served with General Anthony Wayne and fought at the siege of Yorktown,Virginia in 1781, where Washington defeated British General Cornwallis, effectively winning the war for the Americans.<br />
<br />
Murphy died in 1818 in New York state. A frontiersman, he never learned to read or write; but he played a key role in the history of America.<br />
<br />
The Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish cultural society, memorialized Murphy with a plaque in 1913 at the site of the Battle of Saratoga.<br />
<br />
The state of New York in 1929 also put up a memorial to Murphy at the Saratoga battlefield. The man who was then governor of New York state made a speech on that occasion. Some of his words were as follows: "This country has been made by Timothy Murphys, the men in the ranks ... Our histories should tell us more of the men in the ranks, for it was to them, more than the generals, that we were indebted to our military victories."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmIgRVFsrwJibiSgmcJNz0U2TNtxoy10inpuqMa3I7s3k0_cdIh5L2qb7kq77bKB84pt-OH17can_1qJQJI7T3yYE8N4-aHUBlQHmPx8vUXAQZbEYqQTVFG4B95zjPVL_d91SiQdKhO8/s1600/FDR_in_1933_%25283x4%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsmIgRVFsrwJibiSgmcJNz0U2TNtxoy10inpuqMa3I7s3k0_cdIh5L2qb7kq77bKB84pt-OH17can_1qJQJI7T3yYE8N4-aHUBlQHmPx8vUXAQZbEYqQTVFG4B95zjPVL_d91SiQdKhO8/s320/FDR_in_1933_%25283x4%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The governor of New York state who<br />
honored Timothy Murphy in a speech<br />
and who later became President of the<br />
United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt<br />
Photo from Wikimedia Commons and<br />
the Library of Congress</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The governor of New York who made that speech was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who would later become president of the United States.<br />
<br />
Timothy Murphy, a descendant of the Irish, was an American hero.<br />
<br />
<br />
Sources and further reading:<br />
<br />
"Timothy Murphy: Frontier Rifleman: New York State <a href="https://dmna.ny.gov/historic/articles/murphy.htm" target="_blank">Military museum;</a> Murphy at <a href="https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Murphy-15066" target="_blank">wikitree</a>; photo of Murphy <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Murphy_(sniper)#/media/File:Murphymonument.jpg" target="_blank">monument</a>; Murphy at <a href="https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/george-washingtons-greatest-sniper-was-an-irish-marksman-timothy-murphy" target="_blank">Irishcentral</a>; Wikipedia article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Murphy_(sniper)" target="_blank">Timothy</a> Murphy. AOH <a href="https://aoh.com/2018/03/21/timothy-murphy-the-irish-american-who-turned-the-tide-at-saratoga/" target="_blank">article</a> on Murphy.<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-30735604526069174732018-05-10T01:43:00.002-05:002018-06-21T01:39:51.340-05:00Irish Ancestry Search: Your Irish Family and Mine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXP7JANSWb09nT6Kl3aJrXN5xjnDjPIkRGehDgnlI1xYmax2sh8FPhlJKXhKeYrCMXt_CqckJjOL2SHo0u_8hyphenhyphenAA27rgNgD5mJigAfoMLSqBzcPBkWbxg-5PzgZj_M1RXawcc-Gre4qo/s1600/Hugh+Byrne+Sr.+--+2+photos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="953" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXP7JANSWb09nT6Kl3aJrXN5xjnDjPIkRGehDgnlI1xYmax2sh8FPhlJKXhKeYrCMXt_CqckJjOL2SHo0u_8hyphenhyphenAA27rgNgD5mJigAfoMLSqBzcPBkWbxg-5PzgZj_M1RXawcc-Gre4qo/s320/Hugh+Byrne+Sr.+--+2+photos.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hugh Byrne, circa 1915, my grandfather on my mother's<br />
side, who had roots back to Ireland<br />
Photo -- family photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">By Adrian McGrath</b></div>
<b><span id="docs-internal-guid-2d70e3e9-4895-7e68-021b-42e0c8fb9b34"><br /></span>
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Where did your family come from in Ireland? Do you </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>know? I</b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">’m not an expert in ancestry research or </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">genealogy, </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">so I can’t help </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">you too, too much. </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">But maybe I can help you a little to get started </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>in your search. </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Yes, there are places online where you can </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>search for </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">professional help, and I’m sure they </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">are good </b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>sources. </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">But you can start on your </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">own too, and </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">see what </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">you can find out. </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Then get experts to help you</b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> later on.</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> To start, ask your relatives where did your </b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">parents </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">and grandparents </span></b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">come, getting as </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">much </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">detail as possible? </b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Where </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">did their </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">parents</span></b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> come from, and so on. But </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">remember, </b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">they did not </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">exist in a vacuum. </span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Historical and even dramatic historical events </b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">may have </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">occurred which</span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> led your distant relatives to leave Ireland and</b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> come to </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">America. And </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">other historical events </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"><b>happened in America that your </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">relatives might </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">have participated in. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Did they </span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">leave Ireland because of</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> the Famine, </span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>as many did? Were any of your relatives</b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">soldiers in any </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">American wars? </span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>All of this can lead to historical documentation</b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> and more </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">information </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">about your ancestors. </span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIa3svjmhgBqYxMf_Rxq0-1B8OYYGG5fvlQfwxi-yaPuJywLspIR1J5hnhXO5bVwrxj62SEpWmi62Nm6BhGAMx73_NPAHGhC6Yx-oaUEADlvtO6Rmh-Dt2bz3i9xnzvSelT-9uM4h3WE/s1600/Byrne+McGrath+archive+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="360" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIa3svjmhgBqYxMf_Rxq0-1B8OYYGG5fvlQfwxi-yaPuJywLspIR1J5hnhXO5bVwrxj62SEpWmi62Nm6BhGAMx73_NPAHGhC6Yx-oaUEADlvtO6Rmh-Dt2bz3i9xnzvSelT-9uM4h3WE/s400/Byrne+McGrath+archive+10.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A baptism certificate is<br />
a good source of info<br />
-- my relatives<br />
from a family photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>For many of you, your relatives came during the Irish </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Potato Famine </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>(or Great Hunger as they say in Ireland) or near that time. </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Ask your </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">relatives about this. Some distant relatives </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">may have </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">witnessed </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">incredible events in American history -- </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">especially for the </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Irish this </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>could be the American Civil War where so many Irish </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>immigrants </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">and early generation Irish Americans served. </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">(My family had a relative in the Union Army, </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">although I was born in the South, because part of my </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">ancestry is from the North.)</b><br />
<br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Your </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">ancestors might </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>date back in America even to the time of the </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Revolutionary </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">War. </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Many Irish were in the Mexican-American war since that</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> happened </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">around the time of the Great Famine in the mid 1840s. </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirg2wNWUZnF4_HUNbfbKCfPaCJTftbR3PVMRFO1Uodo3AeRJ4oYtcbWAMn5GH9WEVHjYYE61gg_7iyOqKzLM0umA4Ae5NmpFPXwxuOqyMEpW8-tdKB8J1Jb2W8KZi1RpvBTchXSg6tSAY/s1600/Byrne+McGrath+Archive+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="837" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirg2wNWUZnF4_HUNbfbKCfPaCJTftbR3PVMRFO1Uodo3AeRJ4oYtcbWAMn5GH9WEVHjYYE61gg_7iyOqKzLM0umA4Ae5NmpFPXwxuOqyMEpW8-tdKB8J1Jb2W8KZi1RpvBTchXSg6tSAY/s400/Byrne+McGrath+Archive+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A relative of mine --<br />
"Hugh Byrne a native of Ireland" --<br />
words written on this legal document<br />
show a clear tie to Ireland<br />
Family photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Were your ancestors here during World War I, the Great</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> Depression, </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">or World War II? Just ask your relatives </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">what they know </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">and make a </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>list of the facts you find. Military records are a good source </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>of information. </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Other sources of information could be birth certificates,</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> marriage licenses, </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">and church wedding documents, </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">baptism documents, </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">school records, and </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>death notices in newpapers, or death certificates. </b></span></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Look at old family photographs. Who are the people in </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>them? What are </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>the places in the photos and the surroundings? What can</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> they tell you </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">about your family’s past? </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Old photographs can sometimes </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>indicate the </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">time of year or an approximate date. </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">By observing something </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>in the </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">background of the photo like an old appliance,</b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> a tool, a machine, </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">a car, </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">or certain buildings, or farms, </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">or the countryside you can get clues.</b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ytIMya_HVF0t5hNZ6PiRyQGecaknvv2B0EAz1OAovfj_UVfWeIGtP8Yp2l8u1TLX-zms4yJkwCr0Ye4QDEADFu35XKCSJA4c1_y3lHtL0WhU57899u3gFAl64PuO3UNt3VXzM4jwg1E/s1600/Byrne+McGrath+archive+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="1065" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ytIMya_HVF0t5hNZ6PiRyQGecaknvv2B0EAz1OAovfj_UVfWeIGtP8Yp2l8u1TLX-zms4yJkwCr0Ye4QDEADFu35XKCSJA4c1_y3lHtL0WhU57899u3gFAl64PuO3UNt3VXzM4jwg1E/s400/Byrne+McGrath+archive+5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hugh Byrne -- A marriage license from 1877<br />
Family photo of my relative</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Much like doing a jigsaw puzzle, put all the disjointed pieces</b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> together </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">to see the big picture.</span></b></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>You can also check the history of your last name. Many</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> last </b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>names give </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">us a clue as to where our most </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">distant </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">ancestors came from. </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Some will </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">probably be an Anglicized version of an </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">ancient Irish Gaelic </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">name or word. </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBo7dr9QzB_D4NFZNQ8v9RYFA2ic6yqNDb9Wq0MV24QixS_H9Fn3BNCxNuCa3x_2afjxyv33XCufkXoUZgFh4qrfMsDoJMqxeYchl1SL4t_xDUe4lOXIqBid4cPBkt7vd108unFtFiLs0/s1600/Byrne+McGrath+archive+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="405" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBo7dr9QzB_D4NFZNQ8v9RYFA2ic6yqNDb9Wq0MV24QixS_H9Fn3BNCxNuCa3x_2afjxyv33XCufkXoUZgFh4qrfMsDoJMqxeYchl1SL4t_xDUe4lOXIqBid4cPBkt7vd108unFtFiLs0/s400/Byrne+McGrath+archive+6.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A very old family document <br />
from the 1870s gives us ancestry clues<br />
Family photo of my relative</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>You might find, most likely, that your ancestors were </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Irish and something else. Mine are mainly Irish</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>(McGrath and Byrne), </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>but also some German (Bahl) and Scandinavian (Andersen). </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>But for some unknown reason we seem to cling emotionally</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> to the Irish. </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>I can’t explain why. Maybe you know or have your own views </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>on</b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> why we focus our emotions on the history of an exiled </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">people who </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">were so </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">badly treated for so long, </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">but who survived and later prospered </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">in America?</b></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>One source you can use which is free of charge is the </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>website </b></span><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">of the National Library of Ireland</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://www.nli.ie/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">http://www.nli.ie/</span></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> which has</span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> a free </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Genealogy Advisory Service. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">( See more information at </span><a href="https://www.nli.ie/en/genealogy-advisory-service.aspx" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;" target="_blank">NIL</a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> )</span></b></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>The website says a good way to start your family history </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>search is to ask family members, check old photographs, </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>newspaper articles, old letters, family Bibles, and family </b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">grave sites. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Try to focus in on approximate dates, names,</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> and </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"><b>places your </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">ancestors were. Also, check for religious </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">or church records for </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">births, m</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">arriages, and deaths. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51mhsIS4rgHTrnp1cXYuo4MlOhm_0qXY0RxbfHBbBzjhY48U58gepAGYbPwJt1Owxnh6y-TVPD2r1Sv237jMhcjPU0FHGE4kBEix7SeBJouSynis9Jr1Xc7BvfTvUebIzwNetplE17_M/s1600/501px-1804_Jeffreys_and_Kitchin_Map_of_Ireland_-_Geographicus_-_Ireland-weimar-1804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="501" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51mhsIS4rgHTrnp1cXYuo4MlOhm_0qXY0RxbfHBbBzjhY48U58gepAGYbPwJt1Owxnh6y-TVPD2r1Sv237jMhcjPU0FHGE4kBEix7SeBJouSynis9Jr1Xc7BvfTvUebIzwNetplE17_M/s400/501px-1804_Jeffreys_and_Kitchin_Map_of_Ireland_-_Geographicus_-_Ireland-weimar-1804.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of Ireland, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1804_Jeffreys_and_Kitchin_Map_of_Ireland_-_Geographicus_-_Ireland-weimar-1804.jpg" target="_blank">Jeffreys and Kitchen</a><br />
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1804_Jeffreys_and_Kitchin_Map_of_Ireland_-_Geographicus_-_Ireland-weimar-1804.jpg" target="_blank">1804, from Wikimedia Commons</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Also check for</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> census data, the website advises. The website has a free booklet </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>too which may help in your initial search. You can find the pdf file </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>link at this site</b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://www.nli.ie/en/intro/family-history-introduction.aspx" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">https://www.nli.ie/en/intro/family-history-introduction.aspx</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></b></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>To search for where your family came from is a fascinating </b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">puzzle. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">And it might suggest where you might want your family to</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> go in the future. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">The future is built on the past.</span></b></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>As for me, I know only a few things; but I will share some </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>of this with you and perhaps you will find it interesting. </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Maybe you can use this as a guide in your own search.</b></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>From Ireland to Wisconsin to New Orleans</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcFVgHC5uFVvbaehQM-ru6dEclIQb_m9KeZ0G2KFj1tKYLk2M4nIL8PW3SXMjkQbDspdOlRzPn04XhGYjxP072cxhpexqJUJnISAMtiI-w2EiGmZrEqwh0ik9enwnUBP8mOmum9ZAiEE/s1600/Moma+and+Daddy%252C+circa+WW2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcFVgHC5uFVvbaehQM-ru6dEclIQb_m9KeZ0G2KFj1tKYLk2M4nIL8PW3SXMjkQbDspdOlRzPn04XhGYjxP072cxhpexqJUJnISAMtiI-w2EiGmZrEqwh0ik9enwnUBP8mOmum9ZAiEE/s400/Moma+and+Daddy%252C+circa+WW2.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mother and father during<br />
the War years, World War 2<br />
John and Isabella McGrath<br />
Family Photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>My mother’s side is Byrne; my father’s side is McGrath. </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Both, of course, are Irish names.</b></span></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Let’s start with some general information which is fairly easy</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> to find online about the name “Byrne.” It is an English language </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>variant of the old Gaelic name O’Broin. This was a descendant of </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>a son of the King of Leinster, a province in ancient Ireland. </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">(See more about that</span><a href="https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=byrne" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> here.</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">) It might also be from O Beirn </span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>which was from the Northwest of Ireland around Mayo or Donegal. </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Variations of the name in English could be Burns, Byrnes, or </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>O’Byrne. </b></span><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">In general, “O’ means the “grandson of”; and “Mc” or </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>“Mac” means the “son of”. </b></span></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>It is possible the different locations were the result of various </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>invasions of Ireland over centuries by different people like </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>the Vikings, the Normans, and, of course, the English. </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">(See more on that </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byrne" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">here.</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">)</span></b></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>What I know is that my mother was a Byrne; and she had </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>six brothers, a mother, and a father who all lived in New Orleans, </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Louisiana. I also know the Byrne family arrived in America after </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>the American Civil War. But I don’t know exactly when. </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Several </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>of her brothers served in the US military during World War II. </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>One in the US Army Air Force, one in the US Merchant Marine, </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>and one was a US Army medic. This information can be helpful </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>in further research as the US government has information on military </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>service to some degree. </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>All were raised Catholic, and so that is </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>another source of good ancestral research -- marriage certificates, </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>birth certificates, baptism records, etc. Church records are a good </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>source of information.</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56i2W7wFCfTNAbzVP1Uo7CMYWIH3m2_q2gogh88VllZoiuh0I7XQghfh9H-QVXtcBNF2h7c16zdH9zP5_R308pqV9Xm_S485u7vV59iMqAjInFD-v-yi0vGJfOsfSW3Ez894K79cY4MI/s1600/Daddy+in+US+Army%252C+Camp+LaGarde+NOLA%252C+c.+WW2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="250" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56i2W7wFCfTNAbzVP1Uo7CMYWIH3m2_q2gogh88VllZoiuh0I7XQghfh9H-QVXtcBNF2h7c16zdH9zP5_R308pqV9Xm_S485u7vV59iMqAjInFD-v-yi0vGJfOsfSW3Ez894K79cY4MI/s320/Daddy+in+US+Army%252C+Camp+LaGarde+NOLA%252C+c.+WW2.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My father, Master Sergeant John McGrath<br />
(center) at the US Army LaGarde General Hospital<br />
c. 1943. "You're in the army now ..."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>The other side of my family, my father’s, is McGrath </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>(which is my name). </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>This is an ancient Irish name from the Gaelic “Mac Craith.”</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> It came from</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> a place called the Kingdom of Thomond in Munster, Ireland. </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>This was before the Norman invasion in the 12th century. </b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">(See more </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_McGrath" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">here</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">.) </span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>The McGraths were Dalcassians, who lived in Southern Ireland. </b></span></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>“Craith” means divine grace, and “Mc” means son of, so</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> McGrath means “son of divine grace.” How about that! </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Different versions of the name in English are McGraw, Mac, </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Crae, McKray, and so on. </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wdHHlAje2qdAnBf_HG_ODLVd1xyfWtezKemoz1Y0AhaVJCfYPveL4lxtQOVrWO54iST5ZeZQrBN5VsuVSn8argzgMOogzGV-VHAZ2GyhKlZeRI_9n4mFMxOc4tVTZ2m9fZ66q4mfAZE/s1600/Highland+High+School+Diploma%252C+Wisconsin%252C+Daddy+1936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="841" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wdHHlAje2qdAnBf_HG_ODLVd1xyfWtezKemoz1Y0AhaVJCfYPveL4lxtQOVrWO54iST5ZeZQrBN5VsuVSn8argzgMOogzGV-VHAZ2GyhKlZeRI_9n4mFMxOc4tVTZ2m9fZ66q4mfAZE/s400/Highland+High+School+Diploma%252C+Wisconsin%252C+Daddy+1936.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School records are a good source of info<br />
My father's high school diploma from Highland High School in<br />
Highland, Wisconsin (70 miles west of Madison), 1936 <br />
Family photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Some sources indicate that the original McGraths were descendants </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>of a group called “Cenneide.” In English that is Kennedy. And they </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>were somehow related to the High King Brian Boru, who united </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Ireland but was killed in 1014 at the Battle of Clontarf by the Vikings. </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">(See more </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan_McGrath#The_Clan_McGrath_Today" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">here</span></a></b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>.)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-weight: 400; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuauZsMplI0kPcsKl6LTYiTFGgCSYhPO8ZOlIi-UC9PL5fVrDtDCpn0EhBDevgu55FofHfcLkIkCxinkH6BpRB7iXjH3WaVyKZL4Gt7JhWot6fQpMiTMBGpQ0yPSwgk25FvxmbWaw9MY/s1600/Daddy+at+Lagarde+Hospital%252C+WW2%252C+NOLA+2+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="189" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuauZsMplI0kPcsKl6LTYiTFGgCSYhPO8ZOlIi-UC9PL5fVrDtDCpn0EhBDevgu55FofHfcLkIkCxinkH6BpRB7iXjH3WaVyKZL4Gt7JhWot6fQpMiTMBGpQ0yPSwgk25FvxmbWaw9MY/s400/Daddy+at+Lagarde+Hospital%252C+WW2%252C+NOLA+2+cropped.jpg" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My father,<br />
Master Sergeant<br />
John McGrath<br />
US Army, c. 1943</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Some sources say the McGraths were </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>originally poets, dating back to 1086 AD. </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>And, of course, as every pub crawler</b></span><br />
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> knows</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> there are at least two Irish pub songs </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">about </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">McGrath. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">One is an anti-war song </span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>called “Mrs. McGrath,” and the other is </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>about and Irish dog who beats an English </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>dog in a dog race. The Irish dog and the</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> song are named “Master McGrath.”</b></span></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>My McGrath side came from Wisconsin;</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> my father was born in a small town </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>named Highland, WIsconsin about </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>70 miles west of Madison. ( See more about Highland</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>at the Facebook page for the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Highland-Area-Historical-Society-265888606865578/" target="_blank">Highland, Wisconsin</a></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Highland-Area-Historical-Society-265888606865578/" target="_blank"> Area </a></b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Highland-Area-Historical-Society-265888606865578/" target="_blank">Historical Society.</a> </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">See more about Highland at </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">their <a href="http://www.villageofhighland.net/historicalsociety.html" target="_blank">website</a> and <a href="http://www.villageofhighland.net/" target="_blank">Village of Highland.</a>)</b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"> In the mid 1800s, </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">many Irish immigrants settled in Wisconsin and in the farming </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">areas west of present-day Madison, where Highland is. </b><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">My father was </b><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">a farmer, a US army soldier in World War II,</b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b> and an accountant. He eventually moved to </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>New Orleans where he met my mother. Tracing his line back, </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>we can find connections to Boston, </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Canada, and ultimately Ireland. </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>My father had a sister named Mary and a brother named Glen.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Glen went to the University of Wisconsin at Madison and </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>became a journalist. He was a member of the Wisconsin Press</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Association and wrote for newspapers in Madison and also </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Sheboygan, Wisconsin.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Like my father, my Uncle Glen </b></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">grew up in Highland, WI and</b><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>graduated from Highland High School. I corresponded with him </b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>by snail mail -- before we had computers and the internet. </b></span><br />
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">Uncle Glen was always interested in Irish history, </b><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>and he encouraged me to write more and create a journal.</b></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaPRXwkiE4DtrZBu0rVtNHFysYjMxyjPNdsAOoZC0w0txPX6oBTUdXyioHPEUI9LDJEAdV3Chw8kXSEsB7JOcwYQb78RdgeVtMaiSnQGEmaKui6YPAVRK8p63NUpGvokxDO5fHz6dY5-M/s1600/Daddy+%2526+Uncle+Glen+at+511+c.1992+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="629" data-original-width="405" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaPRXwkiE4DtrZBu0rVtNHFysYjMxyjPNdsAOoZC0w0txPX6oBTUdXyioHPEUI9LDJEAdV3Chw8kXSEsB7JOcwYQb78RdgeVtMaiSnQGEmaKui6YPAVRK8p63NUpGvokxDO5fHz6dY5-M/s320/Daddy+%2526+Uncle+Glen+at+511+c.1992+%25281%2529.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My father John McGrath (standing)<br />and my Uncle Glen (sitting)<br />circa 1991<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">If you are searching for your family history, </b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>then that is a good way to start. Look for </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>general information about your Irish last name, </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>then look for church records and military records.</b></span></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>The search can take awhile and can be frustrating at times. </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>But give it a try and you might find out some interesting </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>things about your Irish background.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>I hope this helps a bit to get you started in your search.</b></span></div>
<b><br />
</b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><b>Sources and further reading:</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">National Library of Ireland (NLI) </span><a href="https://www.nli.ie/en/genealogy-advisory-service.aspx" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Genealogy Advisory Service </span></a></b></div>
<b><br /></b>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-16967836690597418652018-04-18T01:26:00.002-05:002018-04-18T11:03:55.068-05:00George Washington does St. Patrick's Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcfpp6UPWLe42Wv-lHDm6sEG3r8kiKN9DCartjOtaGuTMakEU4Dazd2hURKC24DwiMn4wJsfgHnStIiPG7xN5FvMQQ2Dh36mh-2r4SBarkMtAJtojxvd0ao-Vxorr6Ip_K0WLNR4BAus/s1600/1136px-Washington_and_Lafayette_at_Valley_Forge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1136" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcfpp6UPWLe42Wv-lHDm6sEG3r8kiKN9DCartjOtaGuTMakEU4Dazd2hURKC24DwiMn4wJsfgHnStIiPG7xN5FvMQQ2Dh36mh-2r4SBarkMtAJtojxvd0ao-Vxorr6Ip_K0WLNR4BAus/s400/1136px-Washington_and_Lafayette_at_Valley_Forge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Washington and Lafayette with<br />
the American Continental Army in winter quarters<br />
Photo by Wikimedia Commons,<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Washington_and_Lafayette_at_Valley_Forge.jpg" target="_blank">original painting by John Ward Dunsmore</a>, 1907 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>By Adrian McGrath</b><br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>What do you do when you command an exhausted and beaten-down army that is ill-equipped, largely demoralized and on the verge of collapse while you are fighting against the most powerful country in the world, Great Britain, and losing? What can you possibly do to lift up the spirits of your desperate troops. The answer, of course, is you celebrate <span style="color: lime;">St. Patrick’s Day.</span></b></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-cc8060cf-d74d-e66b-1be1-fa08fc906a5b"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>That is exactly what George Washington did in 1780. The winter of 1779/1780 was terrible for the Continental Army. The soldiers were ragged, unfed, and unpaid. They wintered in Morristown, New Jersey, which was as bad a place as was Valley Forge, earlier in the war. The American soldiers were malnourished and sick and poorly clothed. </b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>It is true that they had fought the British to a standstill in the North, but the British were making good progress with a new and aggressive strategy in the South in the Carolinas. As the war dragged on and on, the Continental Army could only see a long and bloody struggle ahead of it. The cause of American independence seemed to be slipping away day by day.</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHJkB_gpWuc0DENsCkoImTmxJiIBR86LsdSm6PpVH-LZSqemvltLPLY5crQ_DuGseZNy96tb-ce2cH6EJdWaw043SE3FDjAsH5mYMEArkbSHpRzvkZyopzQXaWQBRQoKywrPri62kldU/s1600/Baron_Steuben_drilling_troops_at_Valley_Forge_by_E_A_Abbey.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="320" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiHJkB_gpWuc0DENsCkoImTmxJiIBR86LsdSm6PpVH-LZSqemvltLPLY5crQ_DuGseZNy96tb-ce2cH6EJdWaw043SE3FDjAsH5mYMEArkbSHpRzvkZyopzQXaWQBRQoKywrPri62kldU/s400/Baron_Steuben_drilling_troops_at_Valley_Forge_by_E_A_Abbey.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American soldiers being trained at Valley Forge,<br />
in conditions similar to those at Morristown<br />
Photo by Wikimedia Commons,<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Baron_Steuben_drilling_troops_at_Valley_Forge_by_E_A_Abbey.png" target="_blank">original painting by E. A. Abbey, 1911</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>To brighten up his soldiers' spirits, George Washington decided to have a holiday for his troops. </b></span><b style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the war began in 1775 at Concord and Lexington, the majority of American soldiers were of English heritage. As the war progressed, however, more and more men of other ethnic groups joined the Rebel cause. One of the main groups was the Irish from Ulster, the North of Ireland. These men were mainly Presbyterian and not Anglican or Catholic. (The great wave of Irish Catholic immigration to America would come later. Britain then was officially Anglican.) Sometimes called Scots Irish, these men nevertheless sympathized with the Irish rebel cause for freedom from British tyranny. Many Irish Presbyterians had suffered in Ireland under the unjust English Penal Laws which persecuted Irish Catholics mainly but also non-Anglicans like the Presbyterians. These Ulstermen also honored the feast day of the legendary Irish saint, St. Patrick.</b></div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>General Washington knew he had to raise the morale of his weary troops somehow, and a celebration of St. Patrick’s Day seemed like the remedy. So, on March 16, 1780, the day before St. Patrick’s Day, Washington produced a proclamation.</b></span></div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Here is part of General Washington’s order for March 16, 1780:</b></span></div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>“ General Order</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>The general congratulates the army on the very interesting proceedings of the parliament of Ireland and the inhabitants of that country which have been lately communicated not only as they appear calculated to remove those heavy and tyrannical oppressions on their trade but to restore to a brave and generous people their ancient rights and freedom and by their operations promote the cause of America. </b></span></div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Desirous of impressing upon the minds of the army, transactions so important in their nature, the general directs that all fatigue and working parties cease for tomorrow the seventeenth, a day held in particular regard by the people of the nation …”</b></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2c71JlLiw4a7gs4mcUj55t1-KayUGPuL_dqKE-3p_7IM5XPqU_dH9jjak93Awa29COZCD09bN1Xg9ddg_4ou3tgpz2L-UpaJvPGcTUWhnH6V0pfQgftuV2-AvOcX7WHVlaCaQwPvUjQU/s1600/WashingtonPeale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="564" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2c71JlLiw4a7gs4mcUj55t1-KayUGPuL_dqKE-3p_7IM5XPqU_dH9jjak93Awa29COZCD09bN1Xg9ddg_4ou3tgpz2L-UpaJvPGcTUWhnH6V0pfQgftuV2-AvOcX7WHVlaCaQwPvUjQU/s400/WashingtonPeale.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Washington<br />
Photo Wikimedia Commons <br />
and US Army, original painting <br />
by Charles Peale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<b>(Note: A full text of General Washington's letter can he found online at the <a href="https://www.archives.gov/historical-docs/todays-doc/index.html?dod-date=317" target="_blank">American National Archives, archives.gov.</a>)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Washington went on to say that the partying should be of a proper and mild nature with “the least rioting or disorder.”</b></span></div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>By all accounts the celebration was properly held. George Washington’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration was not the first one recorded in America -- that was back in 1762 in New York -- and it won’t be the last. It was not the biggest and maybe not the most fun -- although reportedly at least one army officer donated a cask of rum for the event. </b></span></div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>George Washington’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration of 1780, might be, however, the most important St. Patrick’s Day event in American history. It lifted the spirits of Washington’s army and saw his men through a very rough time. It made his soldiers admire their leader and feel like he cared about their well-being, that he sympathized with their miserable condition. </b></span></div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>The next year, in 1781, George Washington would force march his war-weary men, who were nevertheless devoted to him, hundreds of miles to the south, to Yorktown, Virginia. There with the aid of his French ally, Washington would finally crush the British army under Lord Cornwallis, effectively winning the war for the Americans.</b></span></div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>By keeping the morale of his troops up just enough by any means, including celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, George Washington kept the American Revolution alive until he achieved victory. </b></span></div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>As odd as it may seem, a <span style="color: lime;">St. Patrick’s Day</span> celebration on a bleak and cold day in March of 1780 helped a desperate Continental Army create a new nation and rescue the tenuous cause of Liberty from likely defeat.</b></span></div>
<br />
Sources and further reading:<br />
<br />
"A Brave and Generous People: Washington's St Patrick's Day Proclamation of 1780" by <a href="http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-man-the-myth/a-brave-and-generous-people/" target="_blank">Mount Vernon website </a> and <a href="http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-man-the-myth/a-brave-and-generous-people/general-washingtons-st-patricks-day-general-order/" target="_blank">General Order </a>; "Washington's Army Celebrated St. Patrick's Day to Cure Winter Blues" by <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/washingtons-army-celebrated-st-patricks-day-cure-winter-blues-180962513/" target="_blank">Smithsonian Magazine</a><br />
; <a href="http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-man-the-myth/a-brave-and-generous-people/" target="_blank"><br /></a><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6826759226389627559.post-16113194256257322992018-03-27T23:49:00.001-05:002018-03-27T23:52:08.178-05:00Easter Rising, 1916: A Terrible Beauty is Born<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIKUMETOFGQWbMra3aBJyvvcPcaOqEWgRTsuo4os3YuKj2dmNpAR1h_ZA9IZ_9Vt85W3gFa3J0YMIwtC7puElXdNK2HNLEBCOz3Hr2Invcbm5bVRpHASCWO5JENRBbcD8lzVjKHW7Elg/s1600/1200px-Birth_of_the_Irish_Republic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1200" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIKUMETOFGQWbMra3aBJyvvcPcaOqEWgRTsuo4os3YuKj2dmNpAR1h_ZA9IZ_9Vt85W3gFa3J0YMIwtC7puElXdNK2HNLEBCOz3Hr2Invcbm5bVRpHASCWO5JENRBbcD8lzVjKHW7Elg/s400/1200px-Birth_of_the_Irish_Republic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Birth of the Irish Republic" -- painting by Walter Paget<br />
depicting the Irish rebels at the GPO during the Easter<br />
Rising Photo from Wikimedia Commons<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
By Adrian McGrath<br />
<br />
Easter is a very important time of year in Irish history. In addition to the obvious religious implications for a land so steeped in religion --- something which has resulted in both good and bad things -- Easter is the time when the modern state of Ireland was born. It was born in rebellion and violence and much destruction and bloodshed. It was born in failure. Stillborn, in a sense. But resurrected just a few years later, in 1919 to 1921, in yet another Irish rebellion and war. This time the birth was for real and an Irish Free State resulted which eventually led to the Irish Republic of today.<br />
<br />
In the Easter Rising of 1916 Irish revolutionaries fulfilled the defeated dreams of the Irish rebels from the doomed Rebellion in <a href="http://www.irishamericanjournal.com/2017/12/general-humbert-year-of-french-1798-and_21.html" target="_blank">1798, The Year of the French.</a> For centuries the Irish struggled for freedom from Great Britain; but with 1916, though it was a failure in itself, the rising brought about the War for Independence which won freedom for the Irish nation. In this sense "a terrible beauty was born" in 1916. The great poet William Butler Yeats would use that phrase in his poem, "Easter, 1916," to describe the birth of modern Ireland.<br />
<br />
In April, 1916 (specifically on Easter Monday, April 24) while World War I was still raging a force of largely unprepared and ill-equipped Irish rebels seized by force of arms several buildings in the city of Dublin and proclaimed an independent Irish Republic. Part of the reason the Irish rebels were so ill-equipped was because a shipment of weapons from Germany intended for the rebels had been seized by the British Navy. Because of this the rebellion should have realistically been cancelled, but it went on nonetheless to its doom.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GOVS7eqHcAJD6-aYFg18QKIuRqng2Y_pix4PaLnFdarrcR82ewBmR4h2aRHrqP6NmZasS-_fBXMnoucROGYXdGh8XZzB6R6Ubx69KPk61dtWG_7ZuPIeA74gpj2KtjoC4gvVR6easpE/s1600/Easter_Proclamation_of_1916.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="954" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GOVS7eqHcAJD6-aYFg18QKIuRqng2Y_pix4PaLnFdarrcR82ewBmR4h2aRHrqP6NmZasS-_fBXMnoucROGYXdGh8XZzB6R6Ubx69KPk61dtWG_7ZuPIeA74gpj2KtjoC4gvVR6easpE/s400/Easter_Proclamation_of_1916.png" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The document proclaiming Irish freedom<br />
from Britain. A type of "Declaration of Independence"<br />
Photo from Wikimedia Commons.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
The British sent in an army and proceeded to shut down the rebellion with artillery fire and machine guns, and even war ships. Since Britain was already at war with Germany, it was not hard to image that the British would not hesitate to use massive force against an armed insurrection in its own backyard. <br />
<br />
The Irish public did not at first fully support the rebellion. In fact many Irish men were serving in the British Army at this time fighting the Germans in the trenches in France. So, supporting a rebellion might be seen as aiding Germany.<br />
<br />
Something called the Irish Republican Brotherhood instigated the rebellion, and its troops were from something called the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army. They were led by poets and school teachers and other citizens who were basically incapable of taking on a British Army already experienced in fighting major wars.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, the rebels were serious despite being hopeless. The Irish men also had a women's auxiliary called the Cumann na mBan, or women's council, whose members acted in supporting roles typically as nurses, medics, and messengers and couriers, although some carried guns.<br />
<br />
The main fighting took place at the General Post Office which the Irish rebels held for awhile. But within six days the Easter Rising was crushed by a vastly superior British military force.<br />
<br />
The leaders of the Irish rebels were arrested and sent to Kilmainham Gaol (or jail) in Dublin or to internment camps. The British executed many of the revolutionaries by firing squad.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfQ2cJNkw75yDgmWe1vX6jxMk4pmhJX9iEAa-NvlWN1jiVg7bpBJoNSGpevSa64QNjuhZcu18iojm-HHZqsPe4vZFGkNPoJDFRYCW3f7Sqf-HdHDVPg773cj3IkxUZuXXL9tez3LX44Q/s1600/675px-Kilmainham_Gaol_Main_Hall_2016-06-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="675" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfQ2cJNkw75yDgmWe1vX6jxMk4pmhJX9iEAa-NvlWN1jiVg7bpBJoNSGpevSa64QNjuhZcu18iojm-HHZqsPe4vZFGkNPoJDFRYCW3f7Sqf-HdHDVPg773cj3IkxUZuXXL9tez3LX44Q/s320/675px-Kilmainham_Gaol_Main_Hall_2016-06-03.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kilmainham Gaol (jail) in Dublin,<br />
where Irish rebel leaders were jailed <br />
and executed after the Easter Rising<br />
Photo from Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
They did not kill the man who would become the first president of modern Ireland, Eamon de Valera because he was actually an American citizen, having been born in Brooklyn, New York. The British did not want to create an unpleasant incident with the neutral United States with a world war going on. After all, the British might need America's help sooner or later during the Great War.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUVsG9jVl3TUzFQ2m9UN-_UrCcl-KWWbL_5e0A98GKrb8_hMlsvMkW0yfOaJNKisblpXzAQH-V6D6Gp309y84fF3uwFkIaAZoGr6syT6ZBlNEnFNxb3XJ81RdIoEP_5cOjIzihCel1hQ/s1600/%25C3%2589amon_de_Valera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="744" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnUVsG9jVl3TUzFQ2m9UN-_UrCcl-KWWbL_5e0A98GKrb8_hMlsvMkW0yfOaJNKisblpXzAQH-V6D6Gp309y84fF3uwFkIaAZoGr6syT6ZBlNEnFNxb3XJ81RdIoEP_5cOjIzihCel1hQ/s320/%25C3%2589amon_de_Valera.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eamon de Valera,<br />
jailed by the British, became the <br />
first President of modern Ireland<br />
Photo from Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Some of the more famous names of the Irish leaders are as follows: James Connolly, a wounded socialist rebel whom the British infamously tied to a chair, since his wounds prevented him from standing, and then used a firing squad to shoot him to death with rifle bullets.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEPmjdpy6wWN6eI-hyQqkK33KMEP5Ebflt1WR3Qyj-5p7hGBS8uCkEJv4pkctCoFO3dcyixmRuuAgpCEaTkDO9r2aG7Y5TJW7F62BwXiBuEZswzyMtvhe5jBOpPXmtu4qbpgYd9mskXE/s1600/Connolly.james.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="321" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEEPmjdpy6wWN6eI-hyQqkK33KMEP5Ebflt1WR3Qyj-5p7hGBS8uCkEJv4pkctCoFO3dcyixmRuuAgpCEaTkDO9r2aG7Y5TJW7F62BwXiBuEZswzyMtvhe5jBOpPXmtu4qbpgYd9mskXE/s320/Connolly.james.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James Connolly, a wounded<br />
Irish rebel leader, who was tied to a chair<br />
since he could not stand, and shot to death<br />
by the British in 1916<br />
Photo by Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Thomas McDonagh, a school teacher.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNThceD5d2oJXvtsuKStXl6BMYbpAOcz22m-XTiB9FBATdTwf29FjJimPC0Apd_L2_hPxbp2QeaxunaFIdO7rDroSq5_RY1DpFyt3YD_8pHoMYBlj69z20EubJ6vtDTkmgR8a0fVE9WU/s1600/Mcdonagh.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNThceD5d2oJXvtsuKStXl6BMYbpAOcz22m-XTiB9FBATdTwf29FjJimPC0Apd_L2_hPxbp2QeaxunaFIdO7rDroSq5_RY1DpFyt3YD_8pHoMYBlj69z20EubJ6vtDTkmgR8a0fVE9WU/s1600/Mcdonagh.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas McDonagh, <br />
executed by the British</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Patrick Pearse, was a teacher and Irish language advocate. (He wanted to revive the use of the ancient Irish Gaelic language.) Pearse was noted for a statement, famous in Irish history: " .. they [the British] have left us our Fenian [rebel] Dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace." The British shot him to death.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_d-Iahkh5cQeWDwZbZ925JY2Th2gMoaHvfAD4ILr2egUi5pUc2E1ry3Uf4WWZzyXJlY9IzZUOCqgl27eKJp1C_EM1R2_VAC-c6sdzzZD3PTD5eXimG9trubn5qfyb91sU-22zeWcBKc/s1600/Patrick_Pearse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="473" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_d-Iahkh5cQeWDwZbZ925JY2Th2gMoaHvfAD4ILr2egUi5pUc2E1ry3Uf4WWZzyXJlY9IzZUOCqgl27eKJp1C_EM1R2_VAC-c6sdzzZD3PTD5eXimG9trubn5qfyb91sU-22zeWcBKc/s320/Patrick_Pearse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patrick Pearse, an Irish poet<br />
and rebel, shot to death by a British Firing Squad, said<br />
"Ireland unfree shall never be at peace."<br />
Photo by Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
The great poet William Butler Yeats wrote a poem about the rebellion called "Easter, 1916." He described the scene in Dublin and the epic nature of the fighting.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrPnuYPnNrV2voTpyKX0ibos49Bkg6AzFQT5yN_LwU9kFgShCmSsBMzGyrbwbilqwexFN0WMIdS3AW9mL3s1bvpGxNNffji7pADRTEWjVDULSyBSxD1LOrU7Fqd4bBsU2ZACh1CURG0s/s1600/Captured_Irish_soldiers_in_Stafford_Gaol_after_the_failed_1916_Easter_Uprising.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="640" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrPnuYPnNrV2voTpyKX0ibos49Bkg6AzFQT5yN_LwU9kFgShCmSsBMzGyrbwbilqwexFN0WMIdS3AW9mL3s1bvpGxNNffji7pADRTEWjVDULSyBSxD1LOrU7Fqd4bBsU2ZACh1CURG0s/s400/Captured_Irish_soldiers_in_Stafford_Gaol_after_the_failed_1916_Easter_Uprising.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish rebel prisoners in a British jail, awaiting trial.<br />
The man with the "x" above his head is the future IRA<br />
leader, Michael Collins<br />
Photo by Wikimedia Commons </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
At the end of his poem, Yeats lists some of the leaders who were executed and creates the phrase which perfectly depicts the nature of the new nation -- modern Ireland -- composed of both a positive and a negative term, as only a great poet can do -- "a Terrible Beauty."<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYfb8QRpxqnW8QvKnFxcxGatZ_MXRCK2yqqNYujXr6HZrGmhaRpJ7-59df4zY8t4xPKeFdnhWbJPwm-ejCCjwEI2g1x5YEZhyphenhyphenKIm01mu7IXEnx8YHzxekmywFMSFxenZvlaF0k9ewobw/s1600/William_Butler_Yeats_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYfb8QRpxqnW8QvKnFxcxGatZ_MXRCK2yqqNYujXr6HZrGmhaRpJ7-59df4zY8t4xPKeFdnhWbJPwm-ejCCjwEI2g1x5YEZhyphenhyphenKIm01mu7IXEnx8YHzxekmywFMSFxenZvlaF0k9ewobw/s320/William_Butler_Yeats_1.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">William Butler Yeats,<br />
the Nobel Prize winning Irish poet,<br />
who wrote "Easter, 1916"<br />
Photo from Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
W. B. Yeats wrote:<br />
"I write it out in a verse --<br />
McDonagh and McBride,<br />
and Connolly and Pearse,<br />
Now and in time to be,<br />
Wherever green is worn,<br />
Are changed, Changed Utterly:<br />
A terrible beauty is born."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The British eventually arrested and jailed over 3000 Irish after the failed rebellion. Most of the Irish leaders were put to death.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
The harshness of the British suppression, however, backfired politically. It simply made the Irish public, which earlier was not supportive of revolution change their minds and become more sympathetic to future rebellion. A future rebellion did occur with the Irish War for Independence or Anglo-Irish War in 1919 to 1921.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7Qn2jInwOn0gmiXE2s0-iYSSOw1a9CFaWJeLxeyx5l79ywNaH454Zoko49q-ejSmG_y_fay-5lv-tHuI2VGlzjZW-CS7swoJGJM5iFXZKnK8IHOYCBAjz6JBK0dqX2D-A_7-9Z4YmBo/s1600/Michael_Collins_and_Arthur_Griffith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="232" data-original-width="428" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7Qn2jInwOn0gmiXE2s0-iYSSOw1a9CFaWJeLxeyx5l79ywNaH454Zoko49q-ejSmG_y_fay-5lv-tHuI2VGlzjZW-CS7swoJGJM5iFXZKnK8IHOYCBAjz6JBK0dqX2D-A_7-9Z4YmBo/s400/Michael_Collins_and_Arthur_Griffith.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Collins (L) and Arthur Griffith (R). Collins, nicknamed<br />
"The Big Fellow," was the leader of the IRA which gained independence<br />
for Ireland. Griffith was an ally of Collins' and journalist who started the<br />
Sinn Fein (Ourselves Alone) movement for Irish freedom.<br />
Photo from Wikimedia Commons. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Its new leader was a young man who had played a rather minor role in the Easter Rising, who was jailed but later released. He was, however, to play the main role in the war which won freedom for Ireland. His name was Michael Collins. He was the leader of the Irish Republican Army, the original IRA. Collins brilliantly used guerrilla tactics and a hit-and-run strategy to defeat the vastly larger and much better supplied and equipped British military. Michael Collins is one of the greatest heroes in all of Irish history.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3oS9B_pqNW0N1SPt-domBouNfu04bHIAUAFZ0tdlM2UCndxxO0BJTvvr34OGRYUfcMMNJW-qT9CCn8C1MpHLv4aWqKlAZRexodpBIPLl9FdiRLcKgAFgE01viYjQDsy2KYsOI3z8r8E4/s1600/Harry_Boland_Michael_Collins_%25C3%2589amon_de_Valera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="699" data-original-width="736" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3oS9B_pqNW0N1SPt-domBouNfu04bHIAUAFZ0tdlM2UCndxxO0BJTvvr34OGRYUfcMMNJW-qT9CCn8C1MpHLv4aWqKlAZRexodpBIPLl9FdiRLcKgAFgE01viYjQDsy2KYsOI3z8r8E4/s400/Harry_Boland_Michael_Collins_%25C3%2589amon_de_Valera.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish leadership -- Harry Boland (Left), a friend and ally of Collins'; Michael Collins (center), leader of the IRA; Eamon de Valera (Right), the first president<br />
of modern Ireland<br />
Photo Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Yet, Collins tragically was assassinated, after securing a peace treaty with the British and partial independence. He was only 32 years old when he died. No one knows who killed him, although it is suspected the assassins were other Irish who opposed the peace treaty he secured with Britain. The IRA, in effect, broke into two parts after the peace treaty, one group supporting it, the other opposing it. The opposing group felt the treaty did not go far enough in gaining full Irish independence since the North (Ulster) remained a part of Britain, and other limitations were made on full independence. Collins saw the treaty as a "stepping stone" to greater independence later on and the best possible deal available under the circumstances. The Irish populace supported Collins.<br />
<br />
Easter, 1916 started a very bloody and traumatic time for the Irish in Ireland and those Irish in America who were concerned about Irish freedom and Ireland's future.<br />
<br />
The Irish fought the British for independence; and later on the Irish fought the Irish in an Irish Civil War, brother against brother, over the peace treaty with Britain.<br />
<br />
The viciousness and the significance of the fighting throughout all of those bloody years was exactly as William Butler Yeats described it.<br />
<br />
Easter,1916 created A Terrible Beauty.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEseoPOdpl9tlEYAsbdpHA7RYvNSBX21do9H_O8zjjuqamVkfDEPAcnnI2V6U_9UAOkHJOGbNlFb8jTCBM83cZur022ceV4aZhmGMKNPrFXIhcWvJ9jPil986gWLGB7D9TO0-UKtxUohk/s1600/In_gpo_rising.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEseoPOdpl9tlEYAsbdpHA7RYvNSBX21do9H_O8zjjuqamVkfDEPAcnnI2V6U_9UAOkHJOGbNlFb8jTCBM83cZur022ceV4aZhmGMKNPrFXIhcWvJ9jPil986gWLGB7D9TO0-UKtxUohk/s400/In_gpo_rising.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irish rebel soldiers at the GPO, General Post Office,<br />
in Dublin, Easter, 1916<br />
Photo Wikimedia Commons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />
<br />
Sources and Further Reading:<br />
Painting of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Birth_of_the_Irish_Republic.jpg" target="_blank">"Birth of the Irish Republic</a>; Photo of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Patrick_Pearse.jpg" target="_blank">Patrick Pearse</a>; Photo of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Michael_Collins_and_Arthur_Griffith.jpg" target="_blank">Collins and Griffith</a>[ photo of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:William_Butler_Yeats_1.jpg" target="_blank">WB Yeats </a>; Wikipedia article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter,_1916" target="_blank">WB Yeats </a>; </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1