'Oiche na Gaoithe Moire' - The night of the big wind! That phrase usually refers to one of the most devastating hurricanes that ever hit Ireland, which made land during the night of Little Christmas, on the 6th of January 1839, almost 174 years ago, just before the outbreak of the…

(Left, left to right, Brendan Barry and new recruit and County Meath native Conall Finn with County Kildare native Emmet Gallagher, owner of McMahons Irish pub in Warrenton, Virginia.)

NEW YORK – Just prior to a recent reception for the soon-to-launch Dingle Distillery at the Irish Consulate General in…

(First publish 11/15/11) Mary Courtney is a Kerry-born folk artist and New York resident, and she is lead singer, guitarist and bodhran player for Morning Star [pictured below], a traditional Irish band that regularly travels between shows in the United States and Ireland.  Her music incorporates traditional Irish folk sound with a progressive social…

(First published in 1998) Joseph Gannon's review of Terry Golway's book

Revolution has usually been a young man's game. John Devoy was definitely an exception to this rule; -- a man who lived to a very old age, through times…

A.D. 2013 has been a big year for The Wild Geese.  It was just nine months ago that the new and improved version of TheWildGeese.com was launched.  As 2013 winds down to a close, we thought it would be interesting to compile the most popular blog posts and discussions…

For 13 years I had been looking for "The Cross of Ballysheen" County Wexford in historical records and on my journeys with Google streetview.  Finally I was here at 'The Lobster Pot' at Carnsore Point which sits right on the crossroads dividing the old townlands of Ballysheen and Ballyfane.  I had quickly set up a…

December 18, 2013, marked the 135^th anniversary of the execution of John Kehoe at Pottsville, Pennsylvania. On that day in 1878, newspapers country-wide reported the scheduled death of the “King of…

While yet a teenager, I collected most of these clay pipes around Loughrea, in county Galway, some from the lake shore, some from under the water using a snorkel and mask, the smallest ones from the bottom of a hole I was digging in Elephant and Castle, while working as a student in…

The Wild Atlantic Way will be Ireland’s first long-distance driving route, stretching from the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal to Kinsale in west Cork.  With a launch date of March 2014, this route consists of existing roadways, but it will offer visitors an opportunity…

I’m not sure why so many people think history is boring. Sure, a dull teacher can ruin any good story, but history, in the right setting is not only intriguing, but it is alive. You’ll be amazed at the history you can discover during a driving tour of Ireland. The lens of history is…

Book Review

"In the Footsteps of Anne, Stories of Republican Women Ex-Prisoners"

Compiled by Evelyn Brady, Eva Patterson, Kate Mc Kinney, Rosie Hamill and Pauline Jackson

Shanway Press

$35 from…

Smithsonian Institute James Hoban and George Washington inspect the unfinished White House in 1798. Washington would never live in it.

DEARDAOIN -- On…

It is impossible to write the history of nineteenth century American politics without noting the overwhelming presence of the Irish in the affairs of state. In part this was due to mere numbers - in 1850, 43% of the immigrant population was Irish, and no politician…

Former South African President Nelson Mandela has drawn quite a bit of attention at The Wild Geese, and not only within the past 24 hours since this legendary leader's passing.

Here are some of the tributes members have posted:

*…

by Joseph E. Gannon

(Left: The final, tragic, moments of Patrick Cleburne, as painted by artist Don…

By Patrick Bonar

Irish folk lore is part of our heritage and the tradition of storytelling runs strongly through our veins. It would be difficult to find an Irish person who did not hear the stories of ‘Oisin in the Land of Youth’ or ‘The Children of King Lir’.…

Running with Crows: The Life and Death of a Black and tan

A novel by DJ Kelly

Published by PublishNation (6 Mar 2013)

Available from…

As we know from the ancient Celtic legends, our ancestors were very fond of a board game named Fidhcell by the Irish and Gwyddbvyll by the Welsh. It was like chess, often being proclaimed as one of the precursors of our modern chess game, and was reportedly…

The Wild Geese's Ryan O'Rourke recently paid a visit to Ó Máille's Original House of Style in Galway City to talk with its owner, Anne Ó Máille.  Anne has been called the "Guardian of…

On the Galway's Horrible Histories Walk, I weave the Brendan Voyage tale into the stories I tell, explaining how in 929 AD the Vikings raided the Priory Abbey of Annaghdown, 4 miles up the Corrib River from Galway city, which was founded by St. Brendan for his sister, Briga, and where he died in 577 AD.…