John P. Joyce is a name that would not be familiar to most people around the world, and even in his native Ireland.  Born in County Galway in 1839, Joyce was a pioneer in the development of professional baseball in the United States, and specifically in Ohio.  Along with Harry…

Growing up in north Jersey, my father was a pro at finding inexpensive things to do in Manhattan and often took my sister, Eva and I there for an…

History, as written, is not always accurate. Revised versions of past events are often presented to support conclusions already reached - political or otherwise. Sadly, many of these revised versions are presented as fact in our school books like the discovery and conquest of…

I just saw this on Twitter about a tour of Stephen's Green sponsored by the Little Museum of Dublin. You can watch a video here: Little Museum Video

Newry and Mourne Museum helps the Magee family find their Irish roots

In late July, Raymond Magee from Denver, Colorado contacted Newry and Mourne Museum via Facebook enquiring…

Well intentioned, perhaps. Educated, definitely not.

An NYC tradition since 1858, the carriage horses are regulated and well cared for.  Out of the 220 Horses licensed and registered to operate, only 68 can be working at one time.  This builds in rest time for all of the horses and assures that none are overworked.

Are there unscrupulous and uncaring Carriage…

Never since the glory days of gladiators has there been so much interest in hand-to-hand combat. It hasn’t happened overnight, it is rare that an overnight sensation actually happens overnight, but Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has passed the point of being a niche sport and is now…

Check out our past quizzes here.

Amateur photographer George Hackney was sent to the war from his home in Belfast in 1915, taking his camera with him.  The photo above was taken in 1916 in Belgium.  The collection contains very impressive rare images, including surrendering German troops during the Battle…

To lovers of history, Ireland is a land of castles and battlefields, and there are many of both in the Emerald Isle, given its contentious past. The Clontarf Castle Hotel brings the history-minded both, given its location in a renovated castle, close by the site of the important…

Linkedin Long Form – Submission #12

The following two poems were included when I compiled my book…

At the Irish Cultural Society meeting on November 12, 2014, Terry Golway did what great historians do — he made uncommon connections among historical facts.  During his presentation, Professor Golway helped the members of his audience at the…

In recent years, newspapers have become an increasingly useful source for genealogical research. This is due to the massive digitization projects that have been undertaken, making it easier to conduct broad searches for specific references to surnames and place…

I purchased a copy of “In the Tracks of the West Clare Railway” by Eddie Lenihan on a visit to my native County Clare. If there was ever a book that needed writing this is it. No better man than Eddie to do the job. This is not a short list of boring facts and figures such as we were accustomed in history books going to school. No, this is a 319-page account of…

    Croick Church is not everyone’s list of places to visit on a trip to Scotland. Edinburgh and Sterling Castles, yes. Loch Ness, definitely. The Isle of Skye if we have time. John O’Groats? Perhaps next time. What church?      

  Croick Church was built in 1827 at a cost of 1,426 pounds sterling. Robert Williamson was the first minister and he performed his duties…

My first address after my arrival in the United States in 1994 was on Twentieth Street in Rockford, Illinois.

“Twenty goes all the way to the Pacific,” stated the late Roy Talkington who was good enough to provide my family with accommodation.

Twentieth Street was…

Library of Congress Gen. Michael Kelly Lawler

DOMHNAIGH-- On Nov. 16, 1814, Michael Kelly Lawler,…

James McHenry (November 16, 1753 – May 3, 1816) was born into a Scots-Irish family in Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland in 1753.   Sent at age 17 to North America McHenry lived with a family friend in Philadelphia before deciding to finish his preparatory…

RE/MAX Team Fogarty are delighted to bring this unique Honka Majet Log home to the market. Honka specialize in the industrial construction of log homes and are based in Finland. This house is one of only a handful of these homes in Ireland and blends beautifully into the Irish landscape.



Situated on a 0.6 acre site of…

A lesson on hard work. 

To the left of our house in Urker was a wilderness covered with boulders, and thorny gorse bushes. It was no more than a quarter acre, but to me, at seven years old it looked like a vast, forbidding jungle. It…