In July 2013, I was honoured to give an oration at the graveside of Fr. John Bannon. The following, though long, is the text of my speech. Regards, Liam. (This post is part of a week-long series I've titled, 'Their Stories, Our Heritage, Not Forgotten', in honor of Irish Heritage Week 2020.) 

Commemoration…

On this day 23 August 1170, the Vikings returned to Ireland. They didn't arrive…

Fourteen Irishmen would receive the Medal of Honor for their actions during this battle.

The 14 men and their ships:

* USS Lackawanna:  Michael Cassidy; Patrick Dougherty -- both Landsman.

*…

Dan Breen was startled awake from his dozing slumber by the sound of tramping feet. The small room suddenly flashed to near daylight as a spotlight played across the window looking out to the back of the house. Breen leaped to his feet and grabbed his Mauser pistol off the chair where he had left…

Aidan MacCarthy crouched low in the air raid shelter he and the other prisoners of war had dug themselves. They had seen two American B-29 bombers flying toward the city of Nagasaki before they went into the shelter. A few POWs had stayed outside, though, wanting to see bombs fall on the Japanese for a bit of…

Pete Hamill, a prolific writer residing in New York City, was born and raised by parents who had emigrated from Belfast, Ireland. Writing about his first trip to Ireland – a journey not taken till he was a grown man -- he talks about boarding the plane as “a newspaperman, trained by vigorous masters to…

Miami Showband Massacre victims and relatives to receive nearly £1.5m in damages. While the four Miami Showband plaintiffs will receive the paltry amount of approx. £300k in damages each, there was no admission of liability.…

At the Ould Lammas Fair boys were you ever there

Were you ever at the Fair In Ballycastle-O?

Did you treat your Mary Ann

To some Dulse and Yellow Man

At the…

A fruit “fool” – the word supposedly derives from the French fouler, meaning “to crush”—calls for combining puréed fruit with beaten eggs and sugar, whipped cream, sour cream, or yogurt for a virtually “foolproof” dessert. This recipe, which pays homage to the fraughan (also known as…

This five-part series on the 69th New York Irish Brigade at the 1st Battle of Bull Run is drawn from the book "The Irish Brigade and Its Campaigns," by Tipperary native David P. Conyngham, published in 1866. Conyngham served during the Civil War, for a time with Meagher's Irish Brigade, and finally as a correspondent for the New York Herald. In part 4 of 5…

John C. Mitchel arrived in the USA in 1853 with his father, also, John. The elder Mitchel went on to become a, fiercely, pro Southern newspaper editor while John C. enlisted in the Confederate States army on the outbreak of America's Civil War, after initially working as an engineer on the railroads.…

What could be sweeter (and easier) than a big bowl of fresh berries for a summer dessert? A trifle, perhaps? A cobbler? A summer pudding? A bit more effort, I agree, but the rewards are greater too. You'll find recipes for other delicious summer recipes in my new cookbook Teatime in…

A Book Review: "Walls – Travels Along The Barricades"

by Marcello Di Cintio

Soft…

To our readers and fellow members of TheWildGeese.irish community:

We are as a community startled, enraged and greatly saddened by the death May 25 of African-American George Floyd at the hands of a Minnesota police officer. As we reexamine race…

Wild garlic season is just finishing up in Ireland, and as a farewell to Erin's green shore it blossoms profusely in white flowerings throughout the land. Thanks to this wonderful plant I've eaten a lot of beautiful wild garlic pesto and wild garlic soup the last couple of months, as well as going on some lovely walks in the woods! On one…

How did a boy from Kildare end up shooting a Sultan and his bodyguards in an Arabian palace?

Above, an Irishman (the author) in Dhofar.

The answer shows that, like a wildfire breaking out and dying down, The Wild Geese spirit lives, to surface now and again not to die but to smoulder until the next adventure beckons. (Remember ‘Mad’ Mike Hoare, Africa’s most famous mercenary?)…

Sgt. Henry Gallagher of B Company, 2nd Battalion, 24^th (2^nd Warwickshire) Regiment of Foot, who was from Thurles, County Tipperary, paced up and down behind the red-clad soldiers looking over the mealie bag fortifications at Rorke’s Drift. He lifted…

Downloadable below is a document I drew up back in 2011 in relation to the Irish that served in June 1876 with George Armstrong Custer.

Custer's…

Long before gluten free was a food phenomenon, a friend gave me this recipe for an unusual, flourless — thus gluten free — cornmeal cake that became my go-to summer dessert. The original recipe suggested a fruity wine syrup topping, but I also love it as an…