DOMHNAIGH-- On the morning of Nov. 1, 1920, two masses were celebrated at an altar that 18-year-old IRA member Kevin Barry had constructed in his jail cell in Mountjoy Jail in Dublin. Barry was then led out of his cell by British soldiers and hanged.

(Right:…

While pumpkins are not native to Ireland, they are in great demand during the autumn, from Halloween straight through to Christmas. In the U.S., we use pumpkins and other winter squash varieties in many sweet and savory dishes, always enticed by the look of a supermarket display or a roadside…

By the summer of 1920, the I.R.A. policy of attacking British administrative and police structures was bearing fruit. In August the  Waterford R.I.C County Inspector noted:  “there is hostility to the police everywhere…I do not regard it as safe for a single police vehicle to travel. We are losing men every day from retirement and resignations and getting…

LUAIN -- On Oct. 26, 1771, John (Juan) MacKenna, who would rise to fame in South America, was born in Clogher, County Tyrone. MacKenna was related to Gen. Alexander O'Reilly, of the Spanish army, and O'Reilly helped MacKenna get…

LUAIN -- On October 19, 1751, Charles Edward (Jennings) Kilmaine, general in the French army, was born at Saul's Court, Dublin. His father was a physician…

It was a lovely spring morning in the foothills of the Knockmealdown Mountains in southern County Tipperary on April 10, 1923. Six members of the Irish Republican Army, then engaged in the Irish Civil War against the Free State…

When did the War begin and who was the first casualty?

The majority of historians will be able to answer these without hesitation, but, now I am going to throw, yet, another name into the mix!! Luke Quinn may be a name unfamiliar to many, but it deserves to be remembered along with the many other Irish that gave “the last full measure” between…

DOMHNAIGH -- On October 11, 1860, all the militia units of New York City were ordered to turn out to march in honor of the visiting Prince of Wales, the 19-year-old heir to the English throne.

(Left: Courtesy of the late Lt. Col. Ken Powers, historian,…

DOMHNAIGH -- On October 4, 1693, units of the Irish Brigade of France fought in Italy at the battle of Marsaglia. Prince Eugene of Savoy commanded the allies of William…

If it’s October, it’s time to add apples to the menu. This recipe for an apple tea loaf is reminiscent of a traditional Irish apple cake. The brandy adds a little kick and the nuts a bit of crunch. I like to bake it in a stoneware tea loaf pan (12 x 4 x 2 1/2-inches) that creates smaller slices than a traditional full-sized loaf. The tea loaf pan (I…

DOMHNAIGH -- On Sept. 27, 1847, Civil War veteran and middleweight champion 'Professor' Mike Donovan was born in Chicago to Irish-born parents. The first of many memorable events in Donovan's life came when he fought for the Union Army, serving in Sherman's army in its march through Georgia. After the war, Mike began a boxing career that would associate him with some of the best-known people of…

LUAIN -- On Sept. 21, 1827, Michael Corcoran (left), a brigadier general in the Federal Army during America's Civil War, was born in Carrowkeel, County Sligo. Corcoran served as a policeman in the Royal Irish Constabulary but resigned during the Great Hunger, no longer…

DOMHNAIGH -- On September 13, 1803, John Barry (left), of Ballysampson, Co.Wexford, considered by many to be the 'Father of the U.S. Navy,' died in Philadelphia. At a young age, Barry went to sea as a fisherman; by age 20, he…

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This year 2022, is the 175th anniversary of the ‘Great Hunger’ that befell Ireland with the horror culminating in 1847. Otherwise known as ‘an Gorta mor’ or more commonly referred to as ‘Black ‘47’ it was a seminal turning point in the long tortuous history of Ireland.

Of the many…

It was a sunny, hot September afternoon in 1887 at the South End Grounds baseball stadium in Boston. Mike “King” Kelly, the player-manager of the Boston Beaneaters, sitting on the bench, wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve as he watched his pitcher,…

MÁIRT -- On September 8, 1798, Lord Cornwallis and General Gerard Lake cornered French General Joseph Humbert's small Franco-Irish army at Ballinamuck, County Longford. With the two British armies closing in, Humbert drew his men up into line of battle. Humbert had…

Fresh or dried, figs are it! While not native to Ireland, they’re no longer considered “exotic” and are widely available to use in dishes ranging from teatime sandwiches to appetizers and. Christmas bakers have probably already started to stockpile dried ones for holidays sweets, but, in…

LUAIN -- On August 31, 1767, Henry Joy McCracken, leader of the United Irish rising in Antrim, was born in Belfast. McCracken was running a cotton factory by the age of 22. He and Thomas Russell organized the first Society of United Irishmen in Belfast in 1791. He was imprisoned…

According to the 1860 US Census the population of the State of Connecticut was home to over 50,000 Irish born immigrants, with many engaged in work as labourers in quarries and on railroad construction.

On the outbreak of the War many of these Irish rushed to join the ranks, enlisting for 3 months. Some of these, serving under officers like…