By Kathleen Hegarty Thorne

Ireland is a very small country in land mass. Compared to industrialized England, it is a poor cousin in the family of imperialists. Challenging the most…

LUAIN -- On January 15, 1861, Young Irelander Terence Bellew MacManus died in San Francisco. MacManus was born in County Fermanagh in 1811. He later moved to Liverpool, England, where he began a successful shipping agency. In 1843 he returned to Ireland and joined the Repeal Association and…

Julie Foley is sixteen when she and her family are evicted from their humble mountain dwelling in the Mayo town of Attymass. Their crime is rental arrears. It's 1847 and the potato famine has impoverished Ireland. Corpses of men, women and…

Serious tea drinkers and wellness enthusiasts celebrate “National Hot Tea Month” in January. During the month, many extol the virtues of tea drinking for health reasons, while others simply celebrate the culture and history of tea, its diverse…

DOMHNAIGH -- On Jan. 7, 1945 Major Thomas McGuire Jr., the second-highest scoring US ace of WWII, and Medal of Honor recipient, crashed his…

DOMHNAIGH -- On December 31, 1602, Dónall O'Sullivan Beare and his clan began their epic march to Ulster. O'Sullivan had supported …

DOMHNAIGH -- On December 24, 1601, Hugh O'Neill and his Spanish and Irish allies were defeated by the English at the Battle of Kinsale, one of the most important battles in Irish history. With the able assistance of his main…

DOMHNAIGH -- On Dec. 17, 1803, rebel leader Michael Dwyer, whose guerrilla attacks had maddened British colonial authorities since 1798, surrendered. Dwyer was born in County Wicklow and he participated in the 1798 Rising; however,…

Love it or hate it, fruitcake is one of Christmastime’s most iconic foods. I make no apologies for being one who loves it, and over the years I’ve amassed quite a collection of recipes from sources near and far. While we might…

The tragic and triumphant life of a New York City police officer’s spiritual journey continues to impact citizens of a city, state, nation, continent and yes, the world. This extraordinary life makes a compelling case for, if not (just yet) sainthood, then of a prophetic…

In the late 18th century, the Irish in America were some of the most ardent and loyal supporters of the cause of American independence from British rule. Recent scholarship has put the participation of the Irish and Scots-Irish in Washington’s Army at 40% and possibly more. A few of those…

DOMHNAIGH -- On December 10, 1710, the Irish regiments in the service of Spain fought in the battle of Villaviciosa during the …

MÁIRT -- On December 4, 1887, Maria Winifred (Winnie) Carney, trade unionist and revolutionary, was born at Fisher's Hill, Bangor, Co. Down. Her father, Alfred, was a protestant, and…

DOMHNAIGH -- On the night of November 26, 1781, units of Dillon’s and Walshes regiments of the Irish Brigade of France were among a force of about 400 commanded by Marquis de Bouille that landed on the British-held West Indies island of St. Eustache (now…

LUAIN -- On the morning of Nov. 20, 1917, the 16th Irish Division of the British army assaulted an area of the German lines known as "Tunnel Trench," named for an elaborate tunnel system that ran along it. The attack was meant as a diversion for the main attack, about…

Cranberries take center stage this month in both sweet and savory dishes. One of my favorites is this quick bread, sweet enough for dessert but not-too-sweet for breakfast or afternoon tea. The versatile little berry is widely available in…

DEARDAOIN -- On Nov. 16, 1814, Michael Kelly Lawler, general in the Union army during the American Civil War, was born in County Kildare, Ireland. Lawler emigrated to the United States with his family at just 2 years of age. His family moved from New York to Maryland, and finally to Gallatin…

DOMHNAIGH -- On the morning of Nov. 5, 1688, William of Orange, King of the Netherlands and son-in-law of King James II of England, arrived in Brixham, England, with a large Dutch army. He had been invited by the Protestant noblemen of the country to come…

LUAIN -- On Oct. 30, 1892, Eoin O'Duffy, revolutionary and organizer of the infamous Blueshirts, was born in Castleblayney, County Monaghan.

(Left: O'Duffy's Blueshirts rally in a Dublin cemetery,…

LUAIN -- On October 23, 1641, implementing a plan by Rory O'More and led by Phelim O'Neill (right), the Irish rose up against the English. Their plan had called for the seizing of Dublin Castle on the 23rd along with a general uprising in the countryside, but the plot to capture…