From Bram Stoker to Oscar Wilde; Ireland boasts many names of great writers. As a big fan of Irish culture, I invite you to take…

Tomás Malone, aka Seán Forde, looked down at the gaping hole in the roof of the Royal Irish Constabulary barracks and hurled in another Mills bomb, hoping that this time he would see the roof explode in flames. They had thrown several gasoline-filled bottles into the gaping hole already from their…

I'm a musician by trade but have also worked a good bit in documentary film over the last few years. Hy Brasil, as well as being the title of my new album, is an island from Irish mythology. "That shadowy isle" appeared on maps until the 1860's until they realised that it wasn't there at all, as…

Strawberry season has just arrived where I live in the Northeast. The season is over almost as quickly as it arrives, so I grab as many as possible and eat, bake, or freeze them as fast as I can. As the Fourth of July approaches, they’re especially colorful in red, white and blue scones, treats you…

One of the most iconic figures that emerged out of the Easter Rising was Michael Collins. Born in 1890, he was the third son in a family of eight children. Some sources would suggest that the Collins family were part of a very ancient clan who were widely spread over County Cork. 

Collins' father did not marry…

I’m writing this post from Dublin, where I’m finishing up another great visit to Ireland. You know what that means? I’ve had potatoes [nearly] for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in as many shapes and textures as one can imagine: fried potatoes for breakfast, chips to go with fish at lunch, and…

Louis Philip Brennan was born on Main Street, Castlebar, County Mayo, on January 28, 1852, the 10th child of Thomas Brennan, a hardware merchant in the town. 

THE LABOUR HERCULES: The Irish Citizen Army and Irish Republicanism 1913-1923

[Irish Academic Press ISBN: 9781788550741]

Jeffrey Leddin’s latest book charts the rise and activities of Irish Labour’s first urban working-class militia. The Irish…

It had been about a half hour since 29-year-old Eugene Daly had been startled awake from his bunk on the Titanic by the strange screeching noise. As he came up the stairway and emerged on the 3^rd class well-deck near the bow, what he saw filled his heart with…

‘Mad Mike’ Hoare believed you get more out of life by living dangerously. And yet about 35 family and friends gathered in Durban, South Africa, on 17 March, St Patrick’s Day, to honour Mike as he turned 100 years old. Among them were five of the Wild Geese who fought with him in the Congo in the…

While locally grown berries are not quite in-season yet in most parts of the U.S., their wide availability makes them popular year-round. For a quick and delicious Easter dessert, you might want to serve this easy-to-assemble berries-and-cream dish known as Eton Mess. Despite its rather inelegant…

When Fr. Sylvester Malone died Dec. 29, 1899, almost at the very end of the century, it signaled the end of an era not only for the Catholic community in Williamsburg, Brooklyn but also for the entire neighborhood. A beloved and respected figure among all local residents, Fr. Malone (pictured…

William Sampson is one of the most important Irish-Americans in the legal history of New York State, but sadly few remember his name or how this Protestant Irishman made an invaluable contribution both to the rights of Catholic New Yorkers and to the religious freedom of all New Yorkers. Sampson was born…

Come Fairies, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame! -- W.B. Yeats.

Through the history of folklore worldwide; fairies, or some variant of…

Inside the roofless old Spanish chapel, the first rays of the early morning Texas sun were illuminating the room with a soft golden glow through the acrid air, clouded by black powder smoke. But what was being illuminated by that rising sun in the chapel of this mission called…

Ireland is known around the world as a place of fun, with pubs, singing and dancing, and of course, that's all true. But the Emerald Isle can also be a place for tranquility and quiet beauty. A visit to Brigit's Garden, just outside Galway City, will show that serenity and introspection are also part of the Irish experience.

Brigit's Garden is a perfect stop for those who…

As a historian, I attend many historical lectures, book readings and walking tours, but notice that sadly few young people seem to be interested in the past. That is why the success of Kilkenny’s Fin Dwyer’s podcasts with people of all ages is even more impressive.

I…

Among “Wild Bill “ Donovan’s many fascinating friends was Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond, the fictional, globe trotting superspy. Donovan’s real-life feats, however, surpassed even Bond’s wildest exploits.

Perhaps no other Irish-American served his country more daringly, yet Donovan’s largely…

By Ivan Lennon

On…

If it’s March, then it’s time to start thinking of soda bread, one of Ireland’s most iconic foods. It's safe to say that every Irish cook has a recipe for it that's been personalized by families either by name, ingredients, or method of baking. A few decades ago, I judged an Irish cooking contest and…